Dennis Anderson of Annan Article by Joe Murphy

sapper756 · December 30, 2022

I have contacted the 2 fanciers who are the winner & runner up for The Dewar Trophy for 2022; these were John Hodgson of Annan and Dennis Anderson of Annan. To obtain information on their winning pigeons; I explained to both fanciers that I'm hopefully going to write a book on The Dewar Trophy Winners and their runners up; the Dewar Trophy is awarded to Scotland’s Bird of the Year, next year is the 50th anniversary of this award. Because of the Covid virus we have not raced from France these past 2 seasons. So, it was a pleasure to get back into the swing of things in 2022 with pigeon racing from over the channel. I have acquired a lot of quality information on the majority of previous Dewar Trophy winners throughout my research. In-fact I can remember the very first winners of the trophy which was won in 1973; this was to the father and son partnership of William & David Ree of Broughty Ferry near Dundee. The partnership won the Dewar Trophy for the best Channel Performance over 600 miles with their grizzle cock; named ‘High Degree’ who won 1st open SNFC Nantes flying a distance of 642 miles recording a velocity of 1040 from a convoy of 1689 birds. This Ree partnership had a very successful plumbing business in the town, but more importantly to me they also had an outstanding record at long distance racing in the SNFC. Their results were exceptional as they had previously won 3rd, 26th 31st 32nd 44th 46th 50th & 61st open from Nantes. From Rennes a distance of 580 miles they won 28th 150th 196th 237th & 274th open in the space of 4 years period. From Beauvais a distance of 528 miles they won 27th 39th 41st 52nd 112th & 116th open and from the 1975 Usher Vaux Avranches race with an entry of 6414 birds the W & D Ree loft flying a distance of 542 miles won 76th east section 109th open. They were without doubt a very successful distance loft and a worthy frontrunner of the Dewar Trophy. The runners up to the first Dewar Trophy winner were Jock & Ann Grieve of Auchtermuchty with their famous blue cock named ‘Jock’ who won 2nd East Section 2nd open Nantes national flying 630 miles. He also won 1st east section 2nd open the following year flying 98 miles further than the outright winner. He was a wonderful pigeon and I remember going to view him at the Grieve’s loft in ‘Muchty’ as the local’s call it. Back in those days fanciers used to go and visit the winners of the big open races, and there was none better than a ‘National Winner’; and believe me you were always made welcome. I think I got the inspiration from this and I wanted to learn as much as I could from speaking to these successful fanciers, which has continued even to this day nearly 50 years later. Next year 2023 will be the 50th Anniversary of the Dewar Trophy and I would like to get the book printed as soon as possible after the winners have been announced.

2022 Winners

This year I contacted the winner John Hodgson of Annan, unfortunately he is away on holiday, and has promised to contact me when he returns. However, I have been successful in speaking to the runner up who was Dennis Anderson of Annan. Dennis sent me an email as follows; ‘Hi Joe, it was good to see you at the SNFC dinner, and I’m sorry that I did not find the time to come and speak to you. Please find the performances so far of my pigeon named ‘Cipo’ who is our Runner Up to the Dewar Trophy Winner. His dam was bred by ‘House of Aarden’ through their Padfield’s family crossed with my own Anderson/Jan Aarden family which I have had for 35 plus years. ‘Cipo’ is a chequer pied cock rung SU19 S 2225: As a young bird he won 8th section A 8th south section 188th open SNFC young bird Buckingham national; from an entry of 1548 birds sent by 211 members. As a yearling he was paired to a potentially good racing hen and both of them had scored in early Annan homing club races; but we had a bad race from around 120 miles and he came home a little out of sorts. I decided to rest him for a couple of weeks which then turned into being for the rest of the season. You may remember Joe, 2020 was the year we only had 2 old bird SNFC races from Maidstone and Reims. I sent 14 birds to Maidstone and had 3 of them on the result on the Saturday. Then 3 days later; I sent 12 to Reims including my good cock ‘Bonnyrigg Lion Heart’ a chequer cock SU18 S 3182; he won 1st section (only bird on the day in the section and he was on his 5th flight) plus 21st open SNFC Reims from an entry of 1490 birds in 2020. The following year he won 37th section 239th open from SNFC Huntington 3891 birds; then from the SNFC Maidstone race 3460 birds he won 12th section 178th open flying 305 miles; that same year he won 5th section 23rd open SNFC Yeovil 282 miles; 1152 birds; he then went to the SNFC Guernsey race a distance of 381 miles and he won 17th section 23rd open contesting against 1237 birds. Then in 2022 ‘Cipo’ was sent to the first old bird national from Upper Hayford a distance of 226 miles and won 38th section 156th open from an entry of 3002 birds. He then went to the SNFC Yeovil race with a convoy of 1631 birds and he won 38th section 70th open flying 282 miles. He was then sent to the SNFC Gold Cup race from Alencon a distance of 474 miles with the convoy of 713 birds and he was to the fore winning 2nd section 2nd open. Joe, you have seen his performances so far and I think he is the best ‘Doo’ in my loft for the 2023 season. All my Widowerhood cocks were at the first inland national from Upper Heyford which turned out a tough race, they were held over and liberated on the Sunday with many Doo’s out for the night. On the Monday night I decided to re-pair all the widowerhood cocks up and they went to Reims sitting around 10/12 days on eggs and in great condition. When I timed ‘Cipo’ from Alencon at 17-38pm, he went back onto his eggs and was as keen as ever and straight away I decided to consider him for the Carentan race, providing he exercised around the loft and continued to look as if Alencon had taken little out of him which it hadn’t. With him going back onto his eggs and his hen being as keen; they sat over their time and I gave him eggs that chipped out 3/4 days before basketing!! When Michael Currie came to verify him after winning 2nd section 2nd open from Alencon; I told Michael he was probably going to Carentan in less than 2 weeks, Michael said ‘He was in great condition with plenty of body that you’d hardly think he had anything taken out him from being at the Alencon race!! My Doo’s are always for racing and sometimes you need to have the bottle or take a chance, especially when sending back a ‘Doo’ that had been 2nd open Gold Cup, but; he proved my decision right and junior and I were pleased to see him hit the trap on Carentan night at 21-37pm to win 5th section 13th open SNFC. I’ve raced Doo’s since joining Annan Homing club for the 1978 season and been fortunate to have scored many top positions in club, section and open results but my best feeling ever was after timing the pied cock ‘Cipo’ from Alencon race. Then taking a call from my grandson Dennis junior that night to say he’d timed his blue cock in at 21-24 and then seeing both our names on the national Lib-Line. Young Dennis is only 14 years old (he turned 14 in August) and totally racing his own team of pigeons. Dennis Snr also bred the blue cock SU20S6420 who is now named ‘Super Ally’; he was raced by Dennis Anderson junior; and won 27th section A 44th open SNFC Alencon Gold Cup. Young Dennis is looking forward to racing him again next year. The blue cock was bred by Dennis senior and his dam is the hen that is paired to ‘Cipo! Young Dennis’s loft has now been brought down to his grandfather’s place and all his Doo’s have been broken into their new surroundings. Young Dennis has commandeered a load of his granddad’s 2022 youngsters. Which will give him a good team of around 30 racers to start the 2023 season with. Which he’ll race on his own but as his granddad says ‘We are ‘, i.e.; Team Jan AAndersons’ and we’ll work and help each other to get the best out of our racing teams in 2023 and hopefully many more years ahead. Dennis senior says ‘It’s great having young Dennis involved and being as interested as he is; which Joe this has awoken the sleeping Giant in my loft; and given me back my ‘mojo’ for racing the doo’s again especially from the SNFC Channel distance races!! Dennis senior has sent me a few photographs; One of young Dennis loft and you can see by the colours which football team he supports. I thought that when I saw the name of the pigeon i.e., Ally McCoist. ‘Cipo’ won 6th place in the Titan Games Long Distance Category & also the Scottish Homing Union Ogilvie Trophy as well as being the Runner Up for the Dewar Trophy in 2022. My thanks to Dennis senior for the above details and photographs to go with my column, and his kind words regarding my work within the pigeon sport in Scotland.