Penzance & Old Bird Classic - Sat 21/06/25

[willie reynolds]

Mid Antrim Combine - NIPA Penzance & Penzance OB Classic

The Penzance and duplicated Penzance Classic races took place on Saturday 21st June. Nipa liberated at 13.00pm in light winds variable en route. The Mid Antrim Combine was won this week by Mr & Mrs Robinson who race in the Cullybackey flying club. Laurence & Heather timed a 3yr old cheq cock at 19.36pm sitting 10 days on eggs. The cock was their first bird home from 1st Dale this year and has been over the channel now quite a few times. The cock also wins 2nd Section B and 12th Open Nipa 4714 birds. The sire was a gift bird from Tommy Grattan and dam is down the P & J Boal Van Herck lines. The Robinson's have a top channel record over the years and only last season won 1st Section & 10th Open Nipa OB French National from Plougastel and have won Section B Channel fanciers of the year in 2023 & 2024. Nest best Keith Kernohan & Sons were best in Ballymena & District and runner up in the Combine on 1440.

Other club winners included G Gibson in Cullybackey on 1417, Derek Millar in Rasharkin on 1378 with the same 3yo Busschaert x Leo Van Rijn hen that won 1st Dale, Harry Boyd best in Kells on 1373, Paddy & William McManus 1st in Ahoghill on 1369 with a yearling Gust Janssen cock bred by Gerry Reynolds of Belfast, John Millar best in Randalstown on 1357 and John Getty in Broughshane with a 3yo mealy cock bred from a Wildermeersh cock from Davy Houston. The Champions League and old bird knock out finals were both won by Johnston Eagleson & Sons of Ballymena & District who defeated Jimmy Smyth of Ahoghill in the Champions league final and Danny Dixon in the Knock out final.

Mid Antrim Combine Penzance 37/308 - Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1461, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1440, G Gibson Cullybackey 1417, R Service & Son Ballymena 1407, A Darragh Cullybackey 1395, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1388, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1387, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1387, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1383, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1381, J Millar & Son Rasharkin 1378, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1376, H Boyd Kells 1373, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1369, F Barkley Rasharkin 1368, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1368, J Millar Randalstown 1357, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1350, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1348, G Gibson Cullybackey 1328, J Eagleson, & Sons Ballymena 1324, W & W Gilbert Randalstown 1319, G Gibson Cullybackey 1312, A Darragh Cullybackey 1311, A Darragh Cullybackey 1310, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1310, Rock & Moore Cullybackey 1307, Gregg Bros Kells 1305, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1285, R Service & Son Ballymena 1285, F Barkley Rasharkin 1284, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1281, D Dixon Rasharkin 1279, D Dixon Rasharkin 1374
J Millar Randalstown 1274

Mid Antrim Combine Les Mairs Memorial OB Points fancier of the year top 15 (Penzance & Cloughmartin) - J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 512, G Gibson Cullybackey 376, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 344, A Darragh Cullybackey 287, D Dixon Rasharkin 228, T Whyte Ahoghill 176, R Service & Son Ballymena 145, Rock & Moore Cullybackey 142, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 121, Surgenor Bros Kells 113, H Boyd Kells 109, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 101, H Cubitt Rasharkin 92, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 90, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 84

Club Points Shield (Penzance, Penzance Classic & Cloughmartin) - Cullybackey 90, Ballymena 86, Ahoghill 82, Rasharkin 65, Kells 63, Broughshane 25
Randalstown 25.

Mid Antrim Combine - Penzance OB Classic
Kernohan Loft Wins With 'Knock Out' Blow

In the Penzance OB Classic event Ballymena & District loft's had a top result taking 6 of the first 8 positions including the winner. Keith Kernohan and the team scooped 1st Mid Antrim Combine after timing at 19.43pm flying 330 miles to the Ballykeel loft's. Keith and Callum timed their good yearling blue cock 'Knock Out' to also finish 2nd Section & 12th Open Nipa Classic and 3rd Section & 16th Open Penzance. The cock was in the Open prizes in 1st Dale this year and last season as a youngster won 9th Section & 41st Open Dale YB National, 8th Section & 89th Open Roscrea and 12th Section & 117th Open Dunmanway YB National. The sire was on loan from clubmates Johnston Eagleson & Sons and is a Koopman cock from the late Billy Smyth. It won two races on the road and 2nd Combine etc. The dam is the last daughter Keith had from a pigeon he calls 'Doing 90' Belg06/6329290, a son of 'Annemie' super breeder for Vermeerbergen & Van Reet mother of Ollie & Danni sire of 1st Nat. 'Gueret' her dam is inbred to the lines of 'The Daniel' & 'Grote Tom'.

G Gibson was best in Cullybackey and runner up in the Combine on 1417 followed by the Ballymena runner up Robin Service on 1407. Robin timed his 2yo blue cheq cock 'Wee Cyril' at 19.52 to win 4th Section & 36th Open. Sire was on loan from clubmates Johnston Eagleson & Sons and is an Eagleson Busschaert cock down from their old lines of Stormin' Norman and 'Champion Whitecheeks' and the Lambrecht dam is off a son of Black Widow and a sister of Heartbreaker mate to a daughter of Black Widow and Olivia. Other club winners were Derek Millar in Rasharkin, Harry Boyd Kells and Young & McManus & Sons in Ahoghill.

Mid Antrim Combine Penzance OB Classic 20/137 -
K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1440, G Gibson Cullybackey 1417, R Service & Son Ballymena 1407, A Darragh Cullybackey 1395, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1388, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1387, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1383, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1381, J Millar & Son Rasharkin 1378, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1376, H Boyd Kells 1373, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1369, F Barkley Rasharkin 1368, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1348, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1324, G Gibson Cullybackey 1312, A Darragh Cullybackey 1310,, Rock & Moore Cullybackey 1307, R Service & Son Ballymena 1285, F Barkley Rasharkin 1284, D Dixon Rasharkin 1279, D Dixon Rasharkin 1274, H, Turkington Kells 1264, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1263, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1260, A Darragh Cullybackey 1258, J & J Greer Ahoghill 1254, Rock & Moore Cullybackey 1250, A Darragh Cullybackey 1243, H Boyd Kells 1229, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1217, G Gibson Cullybackey 1216, Rock & Moore Cullybackey 1193, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1192, A Darragh Cullybackey 1178.

K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 2nd Section & 12th Open Nipa
G Gibson Cullybackey 3rd Section & 24th Open
R Service & Son Ballymena 4th Section & 36th Open
A Darragh Cullybackey 6th Section & 45th Open
S Johnston & Son Ballymena 7th Section & 59th Open
J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 8th & 9th Section 60th & 63rd Open
Blair & Rankin 10th Section & 72nd Open
J Millar & Son 2nd Section A & 78th Open
Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 11th Section & 80th Open
H Boyd Kells 12th Section & 84th Open
Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 13th Section & 96th Open
F Barkley 14th Section & 109th Open. Mervyn Eagleson PO Mid Antrim Combine.

NIPA Race/Date
Penzance Saturday 21st June 2025 – Liberated at 1.00pm in a Lt variable wind

NIPA Open Penzance 413/4741 – 1-1B S & N Maginty Muckamore 1662, 2-1E D Calvin Bondhill Soc 1540, 3-1G C O’Hare & Daughter Ballyholland 1528 4-1D G Monaghan Colin 1507, 5-1C McMullan Bros Glenarm 1487, 6-2D H Jennings & Sons Hills & Maze 1485, 7-2C O O’Neill & Son Glenarm 1480, 8-3C D & J Campbell Eastway 1468, 9-3D G Monaghan Colin 1468, 10-1A Danny Carolan Coalisland 1462, 11-2E Ron Williamson Bondhill Soc 1461, 12-2B M/M Robinson Cullybackey 1461, 13-3E Al Larkin & Sons Meadows 1450, 14-4C C McManus Ligoniel 1446, 15-4E G & C Simmons Edgarstown 1444, 16-3B K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballyena 1440, 17-5C W Gilmore Ligoniel 1439, 18-6C J & D Braniff Glen 1438, 19-4D P & J Boal Dromore 1437, 20-5E G & S McMullan Drumnavaddy 1432.


NIPA Section A Penzance 26/227 – Danny Carolan Coalisland 1462, B Morgan Coalisland 1420, Danny Carolan 1393, J Millar & son Rasharkin 1378, Paul O’Connor Coleraine Prem 1371, T McCrudden Coleraine Prem 1370, K Murphy Coalisland 1357, T McCrudden 1353, K Murphy 1332, J Hanson Coleraine Prem 1317.

NIPA Section B Penzance 70/576 – S & N Maginty Muckamore 1662, Mr & Mrs Robinson Cullybackey 1461, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1440, Sefton Thompson Crumlin 1424, G Gibson Cullybackey 1417, R Service & Son Ballymena 1407, Sefton Thompson 1402, D McMullan Ballymoney 1397, A Darragh Cullybackey 1395, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1388.

NIPA Sect B Clubs

Ahoghill Flying Club 5/28 – Young McManus & Sons 1369, J Smyth & Son 1368, 1350, Young McManus & Sons 1348, J Smyth & Son 1310, 1285.

Ballymoney HPS – D McMullan 1397, J Connolly 1353, A & M Boyle 1341, J Connolly 1323, D & H Stuart 1311, S Laverty 1295.

Broughshane & District 3/9 – John Getty 1098.

Ballymena & District5/48 HPS – K & K Kernohan & Sons 1440, R Service & Son 1407, S Johnston & Son 1388, J Eagleson & Sons 1387, 1383, Blair & Rankin 1381.

Cullybackey HPS 29/251 – Mr & Mrs Robinson 1461, G Gibson 1417, A Darragh 1395, Mr & Mrs Robinson 1387, S Murphy 1386, Mr & Mrs Robinson 1376.

Crumlin & District 5/39 – S Thompson 1424, 1402, R & S Hope 1345, S Thompson 1315, J & N Lamb 1302, S Thompson 1285.

Kells & District HPS 6/54 – H Boyd 1373, Gregg Bros 1305, H Turkington 1264, Gregg Bros 1254, B Swann & Son 1234, H Boyd 1230.

Muckamore HPS 5/63 – S & N Maginty 1662, A & E Bell 1359, S & J Bones 1357, S & N Maginty 1338, A & E Bell 166, S & N Maginty 1246.

Randalstown HPS 5/45 – J Millar 1357, W & W Gilbert 1319, J Millar 1274, W & W Gilbert 1267, J Millar 1217, J McNeill & Son 1182.

Rasharkin &District HPS 2/7 – J Millar & Son 1378, F Barkley 1368, 1284.

Penzance Old Bird Classic – Open & Section results

NIPA Penzance OB Classic 232/1848 -1-1B S & N Maginty Muckamore 1661, 2-1E David Calvin Bondhill 1540, 3-1G C O’Hare & Daughter Ballyholland 1528, 4-1D G Monaghan Colin 1507, 5-1C McMullan Bros Glenarm 1487, 6-2C D & J Campbell eastway 1468, 7-2D G Monaghan 1468, 8-1A D Carolan Coalisland 1462, 9-2E A Larkin & Sons Meadows 1450, 10-3C C McMans Ligoniel 1446, 11-E G & C Simmons Edgarstown 1444, 12-2B K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1440, 13-4C W Gilmore Ligoniel 1439, 14-5C J & D Braniff Glen 1438, 15-3D P & J Boal Dromore 1437, 16-3E G & S McMullan Drumnavaddy 1432m 17-4E David Calvin 1427, 18-5E David Calvin 1425, 19-6E R Bell & Sons Edgarstown 1421, 20-2G J McParland Newry & District 1420.

NIPA Section A Penzance Classic 20/142 – D Carolan Coalisland & Dist 1462, J Millar & Son Rasharkin 1378, P O’Connor Coleraine Prem 1371, K Murphy Coalisland & Dist 1332, J Hanson Coleraine Prem 1317, D Carolan 1312, J Hanson 1311, K Shannon Armagh 1309, S Diamond Coleraine Prem 1308, K Murphy 1304.

NIPA Section B Penzance Classic 29/210 – S & N Maginty Muckamore 1661, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 1440, G Gibson Cullybackey 1417, R Service & Son Ballymena 1407, D McMullan Ballymoney 1397, A Darragh Cullybackey 1395, S Johnston & Son Ballymena 1388, J Eagleson & Sons Ballymena 1387, 1383, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1381.







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