On the 20th April the following result was achieved from Tullamore (191km)
Section: 89 members sent 2,371 birds. 1,2,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,19 and 20 (16 birds in top 20 of the Section)
Open: 133 members sent 3,576 birds 1,2,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,24,25,26,28,30 and 34 (20 birds in top 34 of the Open)
A few weeks later another devastating performance was achieved from Mallow (328km)
In the East Down Combine Section - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 13th, 18th and 19th (10 birds in the top 19 of the Section) 94 lofts entered 2,000 birds
In the EDC Open : 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 9th, 11th, 15th, 23rd, 24th and 38th Open (10 birds in the top 24 of the Open) 147 lofts entered 3,378 birds
The following week saw the partners contest the Joe Ringland Skibereen Classic (405km)
The result was another 1st Open against 927 birds
The following week saw yet another powerhouse performance achieved by this fantastic team of pigeons. From Fermoy (304 km) they electrified the result winning
EDC Section 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,17,18,19,20 (18 birds in top 20 of the Section) 90 members sent 1,735 birds
EDC Open 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,17,18,19,20 (18 in the top 20 0f the Open) 127 members sent 2,573 birds
The birds were clearly in amazing form at this point and they demonstrated their well-being with another devastating team effort again from Fermoy (304km)
Section : 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th (16 in the top 18 of the Section)
Open : 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 33rd and 40th (16 in the top 18 of the Open and 26 in the top 40).
As we moved on to the Youngsters followers of the partnership could hardly have imagined that the youngsters would be able to follow in their older loft-mates footsteps. They did exactly that – and if anything they excelled even more!
The first indication was in the Navan race (109km)
Section : 3,058 competing
4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th (16 birds in the top 20)
Open : 4,394 birds competing
4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th (19 birds in the top 24 places)
Moving into the middle of August and the partners began to cast their eyes towards the NIPA race from Roscrea. To do well in this they were wanting to see signs of well-being from Fermoy (304km)
The signs were promising with 14 birds arriving home together from 304km
Fermoy : 964 birds in the Section.
6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th
The Roscrea race (220km) soon rolled around and it was here that the partnership put up a team performance that left people rubbing their eyes. The result was incredible!
In Section F of the NIPA (22 members sent 462 birds) the partnership won the first 30 places with the exception of 12th place.
In the Open (271 members sent 4,810 birds) and this was the overall result
1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10.12.14.15.16.17.18.20.21.22.23.24.25.26.27.28.29.30.31.32
That’s 29 birds in the first 32 of the Open including the first 10 positions!
This result would rival the outstanding effort of 2018 when the partnership won the following from Tullamore (191km)
2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 37th, 40th, 41st, 42nd, 44th, 46th, 82nd, 91st, 132nd, 133rd, 134th, 138th, 139th, 140th, 141st, 144th, 145th, 146th, 148th, 150th, 151st, 153rd and 156th Open (645 sent 19,146 birds)
19 of the top 20 against 19,000+ birds. 30 in the top 46 against 19,146 birds. A truly fantastic effort
Another 2018 performance to rival the superb Youngsters win from Roscrea in 2019 was the following
9th, 10th, 12th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th, 35th, 36th, 37th, 38th, 39th, 40th, 44th, 45th, 47th, 48th, 49th, 50th, 52nd Open etc
295 members sent 7,021 members
That was 34 in the top 50 of the Open against over 7,000 birds in the very tough NIPA
As you can see by the images and pedigrees in the article, many of the new 2019 performances have been achieved with bloodlines recently acquired from PEC. The lines of Golden Prince and Best Kittel already showing enormous promise!