George Rankin & Son ( Gareth ) Blantyre

[1967]

I first kept pigeons of all sorts when i was eleven years old on my fathers farm at Drumawhey,Newtonards,which is between Newtonards and Donaghadee in CO,DOWN,NORTHERN IRELAND.These were kept in an old hen house and there were about 25 to 30 of them and were fed a mixed grain of kibbled maize,wheat and whole oats,they were always in a good state of health.Attending school in Newtonards 5 miles away i was able to see racing pigeons returning from training to the lofts in the area from the school window and the teachers used to shout ''Rankin stop looking out the window'' We finished school at 3pm but the bus did'nt leave until 3,30 so i was able to visit some of the lofts and ask plenty of questions.

In 1952 i sold all my tipplers,tumblers and homers for 2/6 to 5/-each and purchased my first racing pigeons from Bobby Smith of Newtonards for £3 £5 and a beauty of a black hen for £10 whose sire had won Penzanse to three different lofts in Newtonards,i became a member in 1953 of the Donaghadee R.P.C.flying in the Co Down Fed and had to ride the bycicle 2miles 600 yards to time in to Fergus Moore & Sons clock this i did for three seasons until purchasing a 12 bird Toulet for £12 in 1956.

In 1953 i raced 13 young birds loosing 2 and winning 6th club from Bray.In 1954 with the 11 yearlings i won the old bird average also winning the last O.B. race from Penzance,only 3 birds timed in on the day in club,my winner was 14 hours on the wing,it was a black yearling cock of the black hen i paid £10 for in 1952.

 

In 1955 i won the coveted MILLER GOLD CUP and MEDAL from Landereau in France having the only bird on the day of liberation timed at 21,04 hrs for a 031 velocity in the Co Down and Ulster Fed race.No other bird was timed till 9,57 hrs next day and only 17 birds were clocked in three days,15 County Down Fed birds and 2 Ulster Fed birds.My winner was black cheq wf cpcl OHV53 8138.His sire a gift from a top National loft in the area Sloan & White,Newtonards it was a 1944 bred Hansenne x Vendevelde.The dam of 8138 was a gift from top club and fed loft of Fergus Moore & son of Donaghadee and was Putman x Osman.

 

My GOLD CUP winner flew 330 miles as a young bird from Gormanstown,Bray and Wexford winning 6th club Bray.The next year it flew Gormanstown Arklow,Hollyhead,Milford Haven and Bude a total of 765 miles winning 3rd club Milford Haven vel 738 and 3rd club Bude the following week vel 1280.In1955 it was mated 17 March,flew Arklow then won 10th club Skibbereen 260 miles only 10 birds on the day clocked after 13hrs 20 mins on the wing,following this it went to Penzance 310 miles,11 1/2 hrs on the wing,then next week it was racing from Landereau,France to win the Miller Gold Cup and Medal for me.

 

In 1966 i won 7th Open Irish National Flying Club Young bird National from penzance vel 1265.4 also winning 1ST OPEN EAST DOWN COMBINE in that race.The following year i won 11th Open I.N.F.C.old bird national from Nantes vel 786 when 1,000 members sent 2,289 birds.The small number of 99 were clocked in three days also winning 1st Open East Down Combine in a national race for the second time.

 

In the old bird racing before Nantes race my birds were excellent form all season winning 5 old bird races out of 10 flying with Comber Social Flying Club in the N.I.P.A. and winning the old bird average.

[REDROCKET]

Excellent story.

[Ian McKay]

Excellent reading sure Gareth will be a proud man reading this

 

Interesting to read about the quality feeding

 

Hope you can supply more like this

[andy Burgess]

another great story ,and eye opening too

[Guest bigda]

no doubt George will be getting told to stop looking out the window once more, as there are races to be won up here

with all the king of the sky fliers, and there will be some serious banter going on and flying to be done. maybe he will have a look at 3 each day

[eastcoaster]

I have just been looking up Snfc results on research of the late bred i bought at the Snfc sale and in 2009 George Rankin & Gareth sent 6 birds to Andrezel and timed 5 on the result 580+mls that is awsome and they say there are no good doo men through here lol.