Keelie rocks Blackpool withhost of awards

The 11-year-old was over for the Blackpool Show of the Year held in the famous Winter Gardens theatre.

And there is no doubt Keelie took centre stage.

Her list of impressive awards included: Winner of class 34; Winner Likeliest racing pigeon classes 33/34; Winner overall best young fanciers bird classes 33 - 36; 2nd 300 mile cock; 3rd 200 mile hen; 7th Young fancier likeliest Cock racing and 8th Young fancier likeliest Hen racing.

Keelie races on her own pigeons and is a member of Lurgan Social with her grandfather and dad and with the help of the members she is very keen indeed. She has learned to read the ETS marker on race nights and gets stuck in doing the crates every Friday.

She got a taste for showing when she beat the members in one of the club shows with one of her Peter van der Meere black hens.

She managed to get seven cards in the show series competing against household names like Kevin Henderson, Alwyn Neil. She now has her own loft and has the breeders in full swing and sitting on Ybs - which she has rung herself.

Hopefully more big things to come for her and she is rearing to go in April for the racing season.

Special thanks must go to Kevin Henderson for his support and help with Keelie getting the birds ready for Blackpool. The winner is a Wildermeersch /Delbar from Kevin’s family that has kept him at the top for years. The full brother was the bird that was second in the 300 mile class. Two birds Kevin gave Keelie to help start her off on a winning note.