South Down Federation

By Brendan McLoughlin

The East Down Combine had two Derby races on Saturday, August 28, with pigeons at Skibbereen in Co Cork and in Talbenny in South Wales. The wind at both race points was northwesterly. The Talbenny birds were released at 7.45am while the Skibbereen birds were released at 9.15am.

Both races produced excellent returns with many reporting full perches by nightfall. Looking at the Open results for both races, South Down Federation members did extremely well. Pride of place goes to Annsborough’s Mickey Croskery who topped the Open from Skibbereen in a result that was dominated by South Down Fed members. The best Fed bird in the Talbenny result was to D Croskery & Son who were third Open.

Skibbereen

What a race Mickey had from Skibbereen with four pigeons in the Fed result and all four in the East Down Combine Open result. Mickey’s first pigeon was first Fed, first East Section, first Open with winnings of £408.43. Last week Mickey was first Fed, second section, 18th Open and while he has had a terrific season, he really wanted to do well in the Derby, so he improved at the right time.

The sire of the winner is a Walter De Ryck pigeon while the dam is the last daughter of the Soontjens x Walkingshaw cock that has been responsible for so many winners for both Mickey and D Croskery & Son.

Mickey’s second pigeon was third Fed, fourth Section, fourth Open with winnings of £121.33. This bird is from a Willy Thas hen from Merpett & Scott while the sire is from their older stock, being down from the Sonny Galloway and the Natural Breeding Station cock. The Croskerys have blended the new birds in well with their existing stock and they just keep getting better and better.

Mickey’s next bird is fourth Fed, fifth Section, fifth Open, winning £98.78. This one is out of a daughter of the double Bude Open winner, while the sire is a son of John Jobey’s Queen’s Cup winner.

Mickey’s fourth pigeon is eighth Fed, 15th Section, 39th Open. The sire of this one is out of the Kees Bosua pigeons bought at John Jobey’s sale in Blackpool two years ago and the dam is the Walter D Ryck hen that bred the Skibbereen Derby winner for D Croskery & Son in 2008.

Annalong’s Donnelly Bros put up an excellent performance to take second Fed, second Section, second Open and winnings of £195.95. Seamus and John have had a terrific season and this was their fifth Club win this year. They are typical small team fanciers and focus very much on the quality of the pigeons they keep.

The sire of the pigeon timed is a son of the Godfather and Dream Girl, a pair that have bred numerous winners for Mick McMurchie. The dam is down from the lines of ‘Treble 7’. This outstanding producer is responsible for countless winners for Mick McMurchie. The Donnelly partnerships introduced these Van Loons in 2005 and since then they have produced many prizewinners for them.

D Croskery & Son, Annsborough, are fifth and sixth Fed, sixth and seventh Section and sixth and seventh Open, with both pigeons winning £77.78. Dominic and Dolen are enjoying another wonderful season and with another top three positions in the Talbenny Open result they really are on form. The dam of their first pigeon is a direct Walter De Ryck hen while the sire is a son of the pigeon that was fourth in the Portsmouth National.

Their second pigeon is from the original stock loft and is from the old De Klak family. These birds have bred numerous prizewinners for three Croskery lofts as well as many others.

The result is completed by Annsborough’s James Cleland whose loft is in tip top form at the moment. James has three birds in the result at seventh, ninth and 10th Fed, 10th, 17th and 19th Section, 27th, 45th and 52nd Open. James is the shortest flying member in Annsborough and is off the line of flight so his birds are doing particularly well to be so competitive in such strong company.

A few years ago James obtained a number of Pros Roosen pigeons from his good friend Martin Flynn, Drumaness. While James’ main interest lies primarily with distance racing, this birds were to help him compete at sprint and middle distance races and they have certainly done their job. All three pigeons timed are from this family of pigeons.

Full result: 1, M Croskery, Annsborough 1461; 2, Donnelly Bros, Annalong 1458; 3, 4, M Croskery 1448.71, 1448.62; 5, 6, D Croskery & Son, Annsborough 1444.56, 1444.39; 7, J Cleland, Annsborough 1426; 8, M Croskery 1414; 9, 10, J Cleland 1402.

D Croskery & Son top the section from Talbenny

The Talbenny race proved to be another good one for South Down fanciers with many taking Open and Section positions.

The winners of the Fed are D Croskery & Son who were first Section, third Open East Down Combine, winning £128.02. The sire of their winning pigeon is ‘02’, a pigeon that won the Channel Championship and East Section from Talbenny on a day when it was third Open. ‘02’ is a direct son of the ‘Bolden’ cock. The dam of the young bird timed is from Rodney & Jason Walker, Killyleagh and is the dam of the cock that was fourth Open in the Portsmouth National.

Dominic and Dolen have another bird in the result at 10th Fed, 15th Section, 40th Open. This one is a niece of their Hall Of Fame winner and its dam was 60th Open in the Penzance Young Bird National last year.

Patrick Brown, Annsborough is second Fed, second Section, fifth Open for another great performance for the Lakeside Lofts. Patrick’s pigeon was bred by Kevin and Kristopher Rooney, Annalong. Its sire is a Busschaert from D Shields, Son and Daughter and Smith of Cragshead stock. The dam is a Van Reet, a daughter of ‘99’ a pigeon that bred two Open winners in the one nest.

Michael Jennings, Annsborough had a great Talbenny race with three birds in the result at third, fifth and ninth Fed, fifth, 10th, 14th Section and 19th, 25th and 39th Open. Michael has had a magnificent year so far and I believe that he has been training with the Croskerys.

Michael’s first pigeon is out of a G Delaney Jacobs cock from John McCartan, Annalong when paired to a De Klak from John Jobey. This one is from new stock that he got in last year.

Michael’s second pigeon is the same way bred as the pigeon that was second Fed, second East Section, fourth Open for him last year in this race. It is a daughter of the Van Der Wegan hen that also bred the pigeon that was first Section Nenagh, while the sire was a gift bird from D Croskery & Son out of D McNabb & Ptrs’ white hen and the good ‘02’ cock (see above).
Michael’s third bird is out of the red cock that was first Fed, 20th Open Skibbereen Old Bird National this year. It is a grandson of the pigeon that was sixth King’s Cup for D Croskery & Son.

James Cleland, Annsborough, had another great race with two birds in the result at fourth and sixth Fed, eighth and 11th Section, 22nd and 30th Open. As detailed above, James’ team of Pros Roosens are flying out of their skins and they are pretty much responsible for these two birds as well. The first bird is Pros Roosen x Freddie Vandenheede while the second pigeon is pure Pros Roosen. The Vandenheede influence has featured in my reports earlier in the year.

Annsborough’s P Brown & Son are seventh Fed, 12th Section, 35th Open and they had a great return from this race with eight home out of 10 entered. Patrick Brown bred the pigeon timed from his K Rooney & Son stock.

The result is completed by Annsborough’s M Croskery & Son who are eighth Fed, 13th Section, 37th Open. The sire of this one is from their Mr & Mrs Girvan’s stock while the dam is a daughter of the ‘Broken Wing’ cock.

Full result: 1, D Croskery & Son, Annsborough 1005; 2, P Brown, Annsborough 979; 3, M Jennings, Annsborough 953; 4, J Cleland, Annsborough 942; 5, M Jennings 940 nom £24; 6, J Cleland 937; 7, P Brown & Son, Annsborough 917; 8, M Croskery & Son, Annsborough 916.45; 9, M Jennings 916.06; 10, D Croskery & Son 914.

* The final of the Loft Knock Out this week is an all Annsborough affair with the two in-form lofts of J Cleland and D Croskery & Son competing.

* Penzance YB National, Skibbereen Derby and Skibbereen National will all have £2 Noms.

* The annual dinner and prize distribution will be held in the Dundrum Inn on Friday, October 15.