Kells & District HPS 2024 -

[willie reynolds]

Kells & District Prize Night 2024 -

The Kells members held their annual prize night in the local clubrooms recently. Jonathan Barkley & Laura Surgenor of the Alan Barkley & Son partnership were highest prizewinners for the 2024 season winning eight races (1 old bird & 7 young birds) and lifted 15 cups and trophies. They won Fermoy OB 5 Bird, 12th Mid Antrim Combine and in young birds Kilbeggan (1) 15th Combine, Roscrea (2) 15th Combine, Cloughmartin 7th Combine, Dale YB National 150th Open NIPA, Fermoy 16th Combine, 3rd Roscrea and Dunmanway YB National 17th Combine. Harry Boyd was runner up in the prize list and won eleven firsts all with old birds. His wins included Roscrea (2), Fermoy (1), Fermoy (2) 8th Mid Antrim Combine, Dale (1) 2nd & 5th Combine, 2nd & 5th Section & 28th & 67th Open, Dale (2), Skibbereen Yearling National 2nd Combine, 5th Section & 123rd Open, Bude 4th & 10th Combine, 5th & 15th Section & 77th Open, Penzance 4th Combine, 6th Section & 51st Open, Penzance OB Classic 3rd Combine, 5th Section & 25th Open. Geoff Surgenor won four races all in old birds Kilbeggan, Roscrea (1), Skibbereen OB Inland National and Fermoy (4) 3rd Combine & 7th Section and Gregg Bros won two races in young birds from Kilbeggan (2) 15th Combine and Fermoy 5 Bird. Henry Turkington had his single win from Roscrea young birds and 13th Mid Antrim Combine.

Club Race Wins: Harry Boyd 11 x 1sts, A Barkley & Son 8 x 1sts, Surgenor bros 4 x 1sts, Gregg Bros 2 x 1sts, H Turkington 1 x 1st.

Cup winners:

A Barkley & Son win - Highest prize-winner, YB Average, YB Points Cup, YB Knock out, Sizzlers Cup, T Morrow Memorial cup – League, YB Inland National, Dale YB National, Adair Cup - Best average two NIPA YB National, Nan McFarlane Salver, Alan Barkley Memorial Shield, Joey Wright Cup - Best average last 3 YB races, J Logan Cup - Best average 3rd & 4th YB Races, R Service Trophy - Best average 1st & 2nd OB Races & 1st & 2nd YB Races, Young Bird of the Year.

Harry Boyd won - H Smyth Cup - Best average 3rd & 4th OB Races, OB Knock-out, Dale 1, Dale 2, Best Averages two Dale races, Skibbereen Yearling National, Bude, Penzance, Penzance OB Classic, Best Average all NIPA cross channel races excluding NIPA OB French National, McKittrick Cup - 5th OB Race, C Duncan Cup - Lowest winning Velocity - Bude 980.

Surgenor Bros won - M Smyth Cup - Best average 1st & 2nd OB Races, NIPA Skibbereen OB Inland National, Inland Average.

The club would like to thank Thompson Miller of Sizzlers Chip Shop in Kells for another year of sponsorship for the Sizzler Cup and wish him a speedy recovery from his recent condition.

Sizzler Cup: 1st A Barkley & Son 61 points, 2nd Henry Turkington 32 points, 3rd Surgenor Bros 30 points.

Boxing Day Open Show will be the usual 3 in 1 class. Penning times will be published nearer the time. Kells & District HPS kick off the show season on Wednesday 30th October with a class of Old Cocks Through Wires. Venue is the Kells Clubrooms wth penning from 7.00pm until 8.00pm and a raffle prize each week with the prize cards. Everyone welcome to attend the series, for further info contact either Laura Surgenor or Johnny Barkley. The complete programme is as follows. 30th October Old Cocks T/W, 6th November Old Hens T/W. 13th November Young Cocks T/W, 20th November Young Hens T/W, 27th November OB & YB Mated Pairs T/W, 4th December OB & YB Fancy T/W, 11th December OB & YB Eye-sign and Card Winners. Mervyn Eagleson PO Mid Antrim.

Photo Captions

Prize winners and officials of Kells & District at the recent presentation of awards for 2024.
The top winners in the Sizzlers Cup, from (l) Geoff Surgenor, Laura Surgenor and Henry Turkington.
Highest Prize-winners in Kells & District were A Barkley & Son, from (l) johnny Barkley and Laura Surgenor.
Big season in Kells for Harry Boyd winning 11 x 1st Club.
Geoff Surgenor won the Inland Average Cup.