Johnston Eagleson & Sons Of Ballymena win 1st Section B & 7th Open French National
The last race of the NIPA old bird season was the Old Bird National from Plougastel in the northwest of France. The birds were liberated on Saturday 28th June at 7.15am in light south westerly winds and a tough and difficult race followed. Only two birds were recorded on the first day in to the Mid Antrim Combine and a further nine birds on the second day. Johnston Eagleson & Sons who have had an excellent season clocked at 18.54pm to win 1st Mid Antrim Combine, 1st Section B and 7th Open NIPA National 456 miles velo 1149. Their winning 4yo blue wf hen has been a steady racing hen winning quite a few prizes including well up the open in last years Dale race and has been twice beaten by loftmates for club wins. Her last race before the National was the tough Bude race 289 miles. Her channel races are in double figures and has never sat a night out in any of these. Her full brother has been a good racing cock having won 2nd, 3rd & 4th Section including 2nd Section Dale last year beaten by loftmate and 3rd Combine Bude this season beaten by two loftmates and 4th Section. Sire is a blue cock purchased from Trevor Simpson & Son Paul from York and is Van Den Bulck x Hereman Ceuster and the Vermeerbergen - Wilms dam was purchased from clubmate Keith Kernohan and is from one of Keith's top stock cocks "Speedy". A brother and a sister of the dam won 1st club & 2nd Section Fermoy and 1st club & 2nd Section Corrin for Keith. The Eagleson loft timed a second arrival at 08.56am on the second morning to win 6th Combine, 9th Section & 98th Open. This 3yo cheq pied cock again had plenty of channel experience and prizes. Sire was from Paddy & William McManus and is a grandson of Danny Dixon's 'Dixie Chic' and the dam is a self bred Hereman Ceuster x their good 'Double Combine Winner'. The Eagleson Loft are twice overall winners of the Nipa Old Bird National race having won 1st Open in 1987 from Guernsey 404 miles with 'Big Harry' and 1st Open in 2001 from Lamballe in France 470 miles with 'Northern Lass' 14 and a half hours on the wing. They have topped the Combine five time this season and have also won 1st Section Dale, 1st, 2nd & 4th Section Bude and 1st Section Plougastel.
Next best were Stephen & Natalie Doherty of Cullybackey who timed the only other bird on the first day at 21.03pm flying 458 miles. The Partnership timed a 2yo cheq hen now named 'Tiny Tears' to win 2nd Mid Antrim Combine, 2nd Section B & 39th Open National. The hen won 200th Open in the INFC Penzance Yearling National last season. Sire is Davy Black x 'Natalie's Girl' and the dam is from E Murtagh & Son, the g.dam being the Hall of fame winner 'Manny's Girl'. Stephen & Natalie timed a second bird the next morning to win 5th Combine, 8th Section & 86th Open and win a Bronze Award. They timed their good 3yo blue hen 'Glencar Queen' that was placed 2nd Section and 14th Open Nipa last season The sire is a son of Stephen's good Jan Aarden cock from Cedarwood lofts that bred 24th and 287th Open in the INFC Penzance Yearling National last season when paired to a direct N Black & Sons of Dromara hen from their Fiona lines. The dam is from E Murtagh and Sons and is a double granddaughter of 'Dinkey's Delight' 8th Open Kings Cup and also helped win the Harkness Rose Bowl. Also in her breeding is 'Manny's Girl' which has flown the Kings Cup four times and has also won the Hall Of Fame. Stephen and Natalie are probably the top French flyers in the Mid Antrim Combine at present and have won 2nd Combine & 2nd Section from Plougastel the past two seasons and 1st Combine & 11th Open INFC St Malo Friendship National in 2023. On top of that they also had five birds in the Open result from the INFC Penzance Yearling National last season with 24th Open the best position and this season four birds in the Open result 2nd Combine & 96th Open for the first bird. Once again Stephen wants to thank Mr & Mrs Connolly of Portglenone for allowing them the use of their field where the loft's are erected.
Jimmy Smyth & Son were best in Ahoghill on 842 and placed 3rd Combine, 4th Section & 51st Open. Details of bird to follow
Danny Dixon of Dunloy timed two birds on the second day to win 4th & 9th Combine, 6th & 13th Section and 68th Open. The sire of his first 5yo blue cock is a son of Wilf Reid’s 'Darkie' when pair to a hen Danny got from a Belgium fancier Gust Van Aert. Danny's second bird a 3yo blue cheq cock is from a half brother of Cuchullian when paired to a daughter of 'Dixie Chic' 1st Open Penzance YB National 2010. Danny was second Open in this race in 2014 with 'Danske Kid'
Alan Darragh also timed two birds on the second day to win 7th & 10th Combine, 10th & 15th Section and 99th Open. Alan's first pigeon a two year old blue cock is bred from the old four times France cock including 1st club from St Malo when paired to a good stock hen that has bred a lot of prizewinners inland and channel right to France. The sire of the second bird is a Vanderheeden cock when paired to a daughter of the 999 hen from his old family of birds and a breeder of many pigeons timed on the channel. Over the years Alan has been 2nd Open twice & 3rd Open in this OB National race.
Trevor Whyte of Ahoghill was placed 8th Combine, 12th Section & 114th Open. His 3yo grizzle cock was bred by clubmates Paddy & William McManus and is Vandenbrande x Alex Docx. Paddy & William McManus of Ahoghill finished 11th Combine & 16th Section with a 3yr old cheq C & C Lambrecht cock, an inbred grandson of 'Superman'. This cock had every water race this year except Penzance and was sent sitting 10 day old eggs. The McManus loft has a top channel record having previously won 4th Open in this race from St Malo a number of years ago, 3rd, 4th & 5th Open Bude in 2021 & 10th Open Penzance Classic in 2022 etc.
Mid Antrim Combine Plougastel OB National 23/98 -
J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1149, S & N Doherty Cullybackey, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 842, D Dixon Rasharkin 743, S & N Doherty Cullybackey 703, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 676, A Darragh Cullybackey 676, T Whyte Ahoghill 643
D Dixon Rasharkin 564, A Darragh Cullybackey 536, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 532.
NIPA Race/Date
Plougastel OB Nat Saturday 28th June 2025 – Liberated at 7.15am in a Lt Southerlywind
NIPA Open Plougastel OB Nat 291/1414 – 1-1C A Thompspn Ballyclare & Dist 1217, 2-2C D & S Suitters & Sons Doagh & Dist 1202, 3-3C McMurray & Anderson Ligoniel & Dist 1181, 4-1F Ollie Hawthorne Millisle & Dist 1173, 5-1E R Mulligan Monaghan 1164, 6-1A K Shannon Armagh 1150, 7-1B J Eagleson & Sons Ballymea & Dist 1149, 8-2A Diamond Bros & G McLaughlin Coleraine Prem 1145, 9-2E G & C Topley Laurelvale 1142, 10-3E Mullen Bros Edgarstown 1138, 11-1H D Booth Strabane 1134, 12-1D D Aiken Dromara 1132, 13-4E G & C Topley Laurelvale 1132, 14-3A J McConaghie Ballymoney 1132, 15-1G P Murtagh & Son Ballyholland 1130, 16-4C D McElhone Eastway 1128, 17-4A Kevin Carolan Coalisland & Dist 18-5A K Shannon Armagh 1124, 19-5C L O’Neill & Sons Harmony 1117, 20-6C D McElhone Eastway 1117.
NIPA Section B Plougastel 39/180 – J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena & Dist 1149, S & N Doherty Cullybackey 975, R Gage Windsor Soc 862, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 842, G Holmes Ballymoney 753, D Dixon Ballymoney 743, A C & T Tweed Ballymoney 728, S & N Doherty Cullybackey 703, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena & Dist 676, Alan Darragh Cullybackey 676.
NIPA Sect B Clubs
Ahoghill Flying Club – J Smyth & Son 842, Trevor Whyte 643, Young McManus & Sons 532.
Ballymoney HPS – J McConaghie 1132, G Holmes 753, D Dixon 743, A C & T Tweed 728, D Dixon 564.
Ballymena & District HPS – J Eagleson & Sons 1149, J Eagleson & Sons 676.
Cullybackey HPS – S & N Doherty 975, S & N Doherty 703, Alan Darragh 676, Alan Darragh 536.
Muckamore HPS – A & E Bell 1072.
Final Points Table Les Mairs Memorial Cup - OB Points Fancier Of The Year
J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 549, G Gibson Cullybackey 376Young & McManus & S, ons Ahoghill 355, A Darragh Cullybackey 314, D Dixon Rasharkin 259, T Whyte Ahoghill 190, R Service & Son Ballymena 145, Rock & Moore Cullybackey 142, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 121, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 120, H Boyd Kells 10, H Cubitt Rasharkin 92, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 90, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 84, F Barkley Rasharkin 66.
Final Points Table OB Inland Points
J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 296, G Gibson Cullybackey 285, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 275, T Whyte Ahoghill 176, A Darragh Cullybackey 158, D Dixon Rasharkin 135, R Service & Son Ballymena 127, Rock & Moore Cullybackey 125, Surgenor Bros Kells 113, H Boyd Kells 100.
Final Points Table OB Channel Points
J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 253, A Darragh Cullybackey 156, D Dixon Rasharkin 124, G Gibson Cullybackey 91, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 80.
Mid Antrim Combine Club Points Shield Final Table
Cullybackey 96, Ballymena 93, Ahoghill 87, Rasharkin 69, Kells 63, Broughshane 25, Randalstown 25.
Mid Antrim Combine 2025 Old Birds Awards –
Best Single Bird Average 2nd Dale & Penzance Meritorious Award - Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1378.15 GB22A24973
Bryan Eagleson Memorial Cup Best Average 1st & 2nd Dale, Bude & Penzance - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1399.50
Old Bird Inland Points - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 296
Old Bird Inland Average - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1506.84
Champions League - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena
Old Bird Knock Out - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena
Old Bird Channel Points - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 253
Tommy Shanks Memorial Cup Old Bird Of the Year - T Whyte Ahoghill GB24A24181 61 Points
Old Bird Average - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1418.54
Old Bird Cross Channel Average - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1313.70
William McIlhagga Memorial Cup 1st Mid Antrim Combine OB NIPA National Plougastel - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1149 1st Section & 7th Open
Les Mairs Memorial Cup OB Points Fancier of the Year - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 549. Mervyn Eagleson Race Secretary / Press Officer
Johnston & Mervyn Eagleson with their 1st & 9th Section, 7th & 98th Open Plougastel Old Bird National birds.
