Rooster J. Cogburn

Need to make them more difficult She was a superb pigeon. 6th,7th and 176th Open Kings Cup. The 176th Open was when she returned injured, marking her retirement to stock- a blessing Davie told me they had a training spot that would take the ordinary pigeon 55minutes to an hour,the 25 Hen would do it in 35. They reckoned this was because she flew over the hills as opposed to round them. When you take into consideration you can count the number of birds to be twice in the top 10 of the INFC king's Cup on your hands, she really was a special pigeon. Her grandaughter was 'Annie Mary'-4th and 8th open INFC king's Cup, and her grandson was 8th and 5th Open. Amazing line of pigeons. Whit a stock loft!!Don't reckon I am likely to see another like it. My father and I have enjoyed racing this line of birds, although not with the same success of the great Blacks of Dromore Our 18th open Alencon,39th Open Ypres and 68th Open Clermont can all be traced back to the 25 hen

Correct 663 miles on the day of liberation after 17 hours on the wing, think she was 11th open Rennes(memory) Strange I have only had three birds reported in the last 4 years. One by Wilson Noble and one by Walter Masson, the doos obviously know where to find a better home have a crack at this one

One of the greats. I haven't seen Walter on for a while. I used to love his stories about George Ritchie and have kept all his messages. World famous pigeon men from Fraserburgh Name this doo

Name the doo. A real pigeon this one

Fine I know

I refused to watch it as I had an argument with someone, expressing the view-there is no way it can be better than Sopranos The more I here about it, I should probably give it a swatch. Has anybody watched that Arrested Development? Superb

Very well done Up with the best fliers in Scotland this century

Be careful Peter

I like to make things as complicated as possible so some of the birds will be paired between Christmas and new year, some at the end of February and some at the beginning of April.

Another good write up Tom and well done to Walter on a good season Look forward to the next one Rooster

I thought she took a nice picture and the record her and her descendants set for you and your father from Niort was something special

another of Jim's top stock hens was the bird he called 'Class'. She was the result of his own 'Westsound'-1st West Section, 4th Open Rennes being paired to George and Gareth's 'Westbound'-1st West Section 4th Open Niort Class bred both the 1st West Section, 2nd Open Sartilly and 1st West Section, 2nd Open Chenoise

Queen's mother was the Mill Queen Hen bred from the above mating I'm sure

PS I'm sure Jock Allan had a hen line that achieved similar running into Jim Hannah's loft with the 'Mill Queen Hen','Queen', 'Pied Queen' etc. Cannae mind the doo at the base of it would she maybe just be called "the good chequer hen"? or something similar?

A lot of crackers mentioned and I'd be happy with any one of them Here's one I'd like that hasn't been mentioned yet. The Burrell's 'Glen Hero' 25th Open SNFC Rennes, many prizes won. If ever a bird could be described as prepotent, I suppose it could be him. I believe when Johnny Burrell died in the early 60s, there was a bird in the loft that could be traced back to 'Glen Hero' with six or seven CONSECUTIVE SNFC cross channel prizewinners in between. Great pigeon, although it could probably be said in the hands of an even greater pigeon fancier. I wonder how many potentially great pigeons that have been wasted by their owners over the years ?

Think you could do a lot worst than the De Scheemacker Naturaline

Yip as well as doos from John McMullan, Joe Cromie and Jim Moreland. I've had a wee bit of luck with some stuff down through their 'Red Mick' line. He was bred by the top Banbridge fancier Mick Conlon. They also won the cock that went on to win the Hall of Fame award in a raffle . I like the 'Pinehill Lass' they have introduced recently as well. Pinehill Lass is Davie's father in law, Harry Silcock's, hall of fame winner. She is a granddaughter of the Kings Cup winner also.

here is a photo of the bird they view as the 'sire of the loft',a son of George Casement's 'Top of the Box'. There was a good wee write up on George Casement in the BHW last year, one of the good old Belfast fanciers The other photo is the '99 hen' dam to 1st, 7th and 8th INFC Kings Cup. We could all do wi a pigeon like her

I've handled a lot of his children and grandchildren the times I have been over. A great line of pigeons, both the Gold Medal winner and the cock that was 8th and 5th Open are his grandsons. There was another bird with him that flew on. It was for this reason that Davie thought they maybe wouldn't have won the race.

Aye it would be some feeling seeing a national winner they got another one that night about three quarters of and hour later that was 8th Open

You are correct Derek, he was called Drumiller Hill Lad his grandchildren have won in the INFC,UNC and SNFC, A super doo. The story surrounding his victory is a cracker The Black's had taken numerous top 10 positions in the three years previous to the outright win. On the day of the King's Cup they received a phone call from a man of god , a clairvoyant pigeon fancier from Dublin who told them they would win the King's cup that day. He wanted to come and watch and seeing as the Blacks usually have between 20 and 30 people at their loft on King's Cup night they obliged(albeit they thought he was a bit of a mentalist ). The pigeon was timed at quarter to 8 and the man left within minutes of it's timing, saying he had seen something he had never seen before and that was a King's Cup winner They hadn't met the man before that day, nor has he been in contact since It's some country so it is lol

airborne1 has it a special pigeon right enough 1st INFC King Cup-N.Black and sons One of the best loft visit's I've ever been on, a nice family with a magnificent team of pigeons. I view Davie as one of the greatest stockmen I'll ever meet. The greatest Kings Cup loft in the history of the INFC. What interested me initially was a self penned article from 1960 by the McCartney Bros of Moira(the year after they won the INFC King's Cup). They described the type of pigeon that would win from France into Northern Ireland as 'short' and 'corky'. I've visited three INFC Kings Cup winners in the last five years and have to say the description by these men over half a century ago, still holds true. Davie and his family came to our loft in April this year, it was an honour-like some sort of filmstar coming to yer place He said our birds looked 'very well'. It'll be the last time the bugger comes round these parts. He's a curse , it's one of the worst seasons we've ever had Delboy has it tae

A special pigeon name it in one

If the birds were wrong from the minute they came in, you'd maybe do better to question the fancier you got them from, not yourself or PB. What age are the birds?

ahh the old 'I was working had to take my daughter to brownie camp' excuse. Anything to get out ae buying a drink Its a shame ye couldnae make it Geo Hope it was a good night, would expect so with a couple of the country's great fanciers on the panel