Mid Antrim Combine - NIPA Kilbeggan 20/4/25
Jimmy Smyth Of Ahoghill Best From Opening Race –
The 2025 racing pigeon season kicked off on Sunday 20th April. The birds were race marked one day later due to a poor forecast for the Saturday. Liberation in Kilbeggan in County Westmeath took place at 10.30am in south southeasterly winds. The race itself turned out pretty erratic with the birds homing right up till dark and many birds turning in over the course of Monday. The best bird recorded in the local area was to Jimmy Smyth & Son who clocked at 12.53pm to their new home lofts on the Glenhugh Road in Ahoghill. Jimmy's yearling dark cock on roundabout tops the Mid Antrim Combine and finishes 21st Open Nipa with 12,640 birds competing. This cock was the second bird to the loft from the INFC Penzance YB National last season placed 26th Open. The sire flew France for Jimmy and is his own lines and the dam bred by Mark Milliken of Rasharkin has won two races for Jimmy from Dale and the tough Nipa Skibbereen National of 2023. Not a bad start to the season for Jimmy to his new location with a bird broken in over the Winter.
Gary Gibson the Cullybackey winner had the next best two birds in the Combine both doing 1364. Gary's winner a yearling blue cock bred by clubmate Iain McNaughten won the last race of the 2024 season from the INFC Skibbereen YB National when placed 3rd Combine, 81st North Section & 99th Open. Gary was also runner up in the Combine from the opening race last season.
W & J McLean won Rasharkin on 1357. The brother and sister partnership timed a black yearling Lambrecht widowhood cock bred by clubmate Jackie Steele. The sire is Jackie's famous '38' cock and the dam a daughter of Superke.
Around the other clubs and Bertie Blair had the winner in Ballymena & Dist on 1303 timing a red pied yearling widowhood cock. Sire Van den bulck from John Abernethy and dam Pit Bull from clubmate Johnston Eagleson. A grizzle cock half brother won a number of races for Bertie and topped the Combine from the Nipa Yearling National two seasons ago.
Marc Neilly had the Broughshane winner on 1302 with a yearling cheq pied widowhood cock. Sire Vandenbrande from Bertie Blair and dam from Johnny Simpson. Geoff Surgenor topped Kells on 1293 with a 4yo blue Van Rijn hen. The sire from Bob McMeekin won 2 x 1st for Geoff and the dam from Crawford & Robinson of Larne. Stewart Bros, Ian and Eric were the winners in Randalstown on 1246.
MAC Kilbeggan 40/1101 - J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1374
G Gibson Cullybackey 1364, G Gibson Cullybackey 1364, W & J McLean Rasharkin 1357, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1347, Rock & Moore Cullybackey 1319, D Dixon Rasharkin 1308, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1308, J & M Milliken Rasharkin 1304, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1303, M Neilly Broughshane 1302, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1298, G Gibson Cullybackey 1298, G Gibson Cullybackey 1298, C & R McIntyre Cullybackey 1297, Surgenor Bros Kells 1293,Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1290, G Gibson Cullybackey 1285, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1270, J & K Balmer Ahoghill 1269,T Whyte Ahoghill 1269, D Dixon Rasharkin 1269, D Dixon Rasharkin 1269, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1268, G Gibson Cullybackey 1267, F Barkley Rasharkin 1266, N & S Anderson Cullybackey 1264, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1262, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1258, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1255, A Barkley & Son Kells 1250, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1249, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1247, Stewart Bros Randalstown 1246, G Gibson Cullybackey 1241, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1240, T Whyte Ahoghill 1238
Stewart Bros Randalstown 1237, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1237, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1237.
Mervyn Eagleson Mid Antrim PO.
NIPA Section B Kilbeggan 71/2105 – Mervyn Simpson Windsor Soc 1409, J Connolly Ballymoney 1400, R & J Parke Windsor Soc 1379, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1374, Mervyn Simpson 1366, G Gibson Cullybackey 1364m G Gibson 1364, T & J McDonald Coleraine Prem 1361, T & J McDonald 1361, J Connolly 1357.
NIPA Sect B Clubs
Ahoghill Flying Club 6/147 – J Smyth & Son 1374, Young McManus & Sons 1290, J & K Balmer 1269, T Whyte 1269, J Smyth & Son 1249, T Whyte 1238.
Ballymoney HPS 17/665 – J Connolly 1400, 1357, D & H Stuart 1331, A & M Boyle 1315, D Dixon 1308, C Henry 1291.
Ballymoney West Combine 6/189 – C Henry 1291, M Gamble & Son 243, L Neill 1237, Young & Gibson 1209, W Rodgers 1157, N Torrens 887.
Broughshane & District 3/67 – M Neilly 1302, J Getty 1157, M Neilly 1116, T & M Morrow 1061.
Ballymena & District HPS 6/205 – Blair & Rankin 1303, S Johnston & Son 1298, J Eagleson & Sons 1270, 1268, 1255, 1247.
Cullybackey HPS 8/251 – G Gibson 1364, 1364, M/M Robinson 1347, Rock & Moore 1319, J & J Greer 1308, G Gibson 1298.
Crumlin & District 5/90 – Fleming Bros 1215, K Carson & Son 1212, McConville Bros 1210, D Hamilton 1203, McConville Bros 1199.
Dervock RPS -
Kells & District HPS 5/112 – Surgenor Bros 1293, A Barkley & Son 1250, 1233, B Swann & Son 1226, A Barkley & Son 1188, Surgenor Bros 1184. Sizzlers 2 Bird Club – B Swann & Son 1226.
Muckamore HPS 8/232 – S & N Maginty 1304, A Steele 1300, 1299, S & N Maginty 1292, 1249, Knocker & Bill 1237.
Randalstown HPS 5/115 – Stewart Bros 1246, 1237, 1216, J Millar 1211, Smylie Bros 1192, N Percy & Son 1081.
Rasharkin &District HPS 7/143 – W & J McLean 1357, J & M Milliken 1304, F Barkley 1266, H Cubitt 1227, W & J McClean 1217, W McFetridge 1200.
Jimmy Smyth of Ahoghill 1st Combine from Kilbeggan.