Recently the SNFC held their longest race from Nort-sur-Erde.
Heres the Solway winners as penned by the bard himself WP Wortley
Stevie Ferguson from Annan was 1st Section 1st Open. Having initially competed in partnership with his father, he transferred the loft title to his own name some 25 years ago. Stevie’s father, Will, was reared in the village of Watchhill and as a boy shared a friendship with Jimmy Dalgliesh and Jim Crombie, with the three schoolboy friends maturing in later years into top quality fanciers. Having gained a number of positions from the Classics in the early years, Stevie and his father came to National prominence in 1981 when they timed two very good pigeons from Rennes and Nantes with the winning pigeon from Rennes being 7th Open and the bird from Nantes being 1st Section 2nd Open. The combined performance of these two pigeons secured for the partners the News of the World Trophy for the best average from these two prestige races and the Ellsworth Trophy for the best average from these same two races with Nominated pigeons. More success was to follow in 1983 when they headed the result from the Inland National with Blue Chequer cock ‘Watchill Prince’. The previous year this cock won the Solway Fed. from Sartilly. 1983 was the year when PMV first manifested itself and as a consequence there was no channel racing. The cock went to Dorchester (2) and was 1st Section 1st Open and two weeks later went to Dorchester (3) and was 2nd Section 3rd Open National. In 1995, the partners were 2nd Open Rennes with a 1992 Blue hen that was 19th Open from the equivalent event in 1994. Very near to the front again from Rennes in 1999 when the partners were 6th Section 8th Open with a 1997 Blue Chequer Pied hen.
The pigeons were raced for the first time in Stevie’s name in the Millennium season. New name but same high-quality performance as he headed the South Section result from S.N.F.C. Lille.
In 2008 Stevie won the Tours National with Chequer Pied hen ‘Watchhill Princess, which was a 2002 Chequer Pied Hen. It went to 120 miles as a youngster and to the coast as a yearling on Roundabout. In 2004 she went to the Tours National sitting tight and was timed at 6.10am on the second day to be 1st Section 6th Open. The following year she went back to Tours and once again made the list, being 86th Open. It was feared in 2006 that we wouldn’t get to the channel due to Avian Flu and in this circumstance the hen was ‘put by’, but at the eleventh hour it was confirmed that they would indeed race from the channel and she was lifted her into Tours but on this occasion failed to make the list. Due to the continuance of Avian Flu in 2007 racing was curtailed and the S.N.F.C. didn’t race from Tours and as a consequence the hen was kept at home. In 2008, however, she went back to Tours and headed the result. Importantly, this hen proved to be a superb breeder leaving winners for Stevie and those fortunate to obtained the bloodlines.
The recent National winner is a 4 y.o. home bred Blue Chequer hen that had two races as a youngster, went to 200 miles as a yearling and to Alencon as a 2 y.o. It went to Alencon once more in 2025 and was 72nd Open. In 2026 whilst paired, did not initially go to nest and was worked on a Celibate method, being allowed to run with its mate on return from inland races with the pair being thereafter separated. It had an early ‘trainer’ race and then went three times with Derwent Valley Federation, going with Flimby Club, being taken to West Cumbria by friend George Willacy. Continuing to be worked celibate It then went to the Inland National from Brighton and was 23rd Section 97th Open. It was thereafter coupled for the target race and went to the Classic on its first nest of the season covering eleven-day old youngsters. With regard bloodlines, she was line bred to the Tours National winner with ‘Watchhill Princess’ being the grand dam of both the Sire and Dam.
D. and D. Anderson from Annan were 2nd Section. This partnership comprises Dennis Anderson Senior and his grandson, Dennis Junior. Dennis Senior entered the fancy in 1978 and has over the years owned a number of quality pigeons and gained a succession of good positions from the Classics. Consider for example that he won the Sartilly National in 1993 and for the first time in the history of the S.N.F.C. had the only arrival into Scotland on the day of liberation. In more recent years he was 2nd Section 2nd Open from the Gold Cup race from Alencon in 2022 and in 2023 from the equivalent event was 3rd Section 9th Open. Move forward to 2024 and he won the Inland National from Maidstone with Blue Chequer cock ‘El Sid’. Whilst the team was flown in recent years in Dennis Senior’s name his grandson was there beside him and saw each of the modern winners arrive at the loft. He additionally raced an independent team of pigeons into his own loft, which was initially sited behind his parents’ home and subsequently moved into a grass paddock at his grandparents’ address sitting next to his grandfathers shed. Racing independently, Dennis Junior gained a number of good positions, indeed in 2025 he won the Section from with the National from Billericay and more-so, at the 2025 S.N.F.C. Prize Presentation he received the South Section Average Trophy. At the gateway to the current season, Dennis and his grandson entered partnership competing under the loft title D, and D. Anderson. In 2026 the loft has been in ‘sparkling’ form with the first bird in the clock from each of the Nationals gaining the following positions: 18th Section 57th Open Kettering, 4th Section 17th Open Brighton, 3rd Section 5th Open Alencon, 13th Section 210th Open Billiricay, 8th Section 54th Open Ypres and as explained above 2nd Section 2nd Open Nort Sur Erdre
The winning pigeon from Nort Sur Erdre is a 3 y.o. Blue cock that has scored on a number of occasions in the Club and was 88th Open from the Gold Cup race from Alencon before going to The Longest Race. He was paired in February, reared a pair of youngsters and was then put on Widowhood, being given his mate 5/6 hours prior to basketing. When he arrived home his third flight in each wing was just about burst through. Sire is a Dark Chequer, that was bred by Steve Wright from the House of AArden with long distance bloodlines running through his pedigree; he was raced as a youngster and yearling and doing very well until he returned home with a broken wing and was then kept purely for stock and at stock has bred or been responsible for many of the loft’s most recent winners including 5th and 13th open Alencon. Dam is Light Chequer, that was bred by the late Angus Simmons from Annan. In 2021 Dennis Junior was racing under his own name with his loft being then sited at his parents’ address and during that season he came close to achieving his first club win, indeed, but for a bad trap he’d have won the race by 7 or 8 minutes but his red hen hesitated on the trap and ended up 2nd Club, beaten by Angus. In November that year Angus passed away with his birds being subsequently sold in Gretna Social Club. Dennis and his grandson went to the sale and although there were only brief details on the pens, Dennis Junior recognised the chequer hen as the bird that had beaten him when he came close to winning the race. After handling her Dennis and his grandson decided to buy her and to quote Dennis “what a purchase she proved to be breeding winners every year with the Dark Cock”. As my interview with Dennis drew to a close he said “Junior has definitely re-kindled my passion for our great sport and our S.N.F.C. performances over the past 5 to 6 years have reflected this”.
Alistair ‘Eck’ Rae, from Brydekirk was 3rd Section 3rd Open. ‘Eck’ has been involved in the pigeon hobby since 1964, initially competing under his own name. His father, Kit, took an immediate interest in the pigeons and after two years entered partnership with Eck and changed the loft title to K. Rae and Son. At that time Brydekirk was an exceptionally strong Club, it was formed in 1949 and within a few years this small village Club became a giant in the pigeon world. Amongst the members of note at the time were such names as J.B. Halliday and his brother W.B. Halliday, Jim Soutar, Donald Scott and Son, Pivie Murray, brothers James and John Dalgliesh, John Armstrong, Lew Horsburgh, Tom Little etc. Not only was the club competitive but there was great camaraderie with the members supporting each other. There is absolutely no doubt that when Kit and Eck Rae entered the fancy they would get every support and encouragement from their fellow club members. When the Solway Federation changed from Rail to Road transport, Kit became the Convoyer for the Solway and East Cumberland Federations and whilst he was away with the transporter, Eck looked after the pigeons at home. In time he went into partnership with his brother-in-law, Davie Howatt and continued to compete in Brydekirk Club. In more recent years he has reverted to the original title, racing the birds under his own name and housing a modest team featured regularly in the prize list from the longer races.
The winning pigeon from Nort Sur Erdre is a home bred 2 y.o. Blue cock. Worked on the conventional method, it raced through the programme as a youngster and went to Cheltenham as a yearling. He was worked on the Natural system in 2026 and went through the Federation programme to Cheltenham; he then went to the Gold Cup race from Alencon from which it was up with the leaders to be 20th Section 37th Open. As he was in ‘good order’ when he returned from Alencon, Eck decided to double him back into the longest race; he had two training tosses on build-up to the event and was basketed covering 12 day eggs. Sire is a Blue cock that ‘Eck’ received as a gift from Crombie and Mechan from Annan when they parted with their pigeons. He shared a long-time friendship with Jim Crombie and went to the local Social Club with him every Sunday afternoon. When Jim was admitted to a Care Home the friendship continued, with ‘Eck’ visiting the Home each and every week. Dam is a Chequer Pied hen that ‘Eck’ received from fellow Club member Ewart Warwick when, due to health reasons, he parted with his pigeons. Her Sire was a Blue Chequer that was 15th Section 48th Open Ancenis 2015 and 23rd Section 32nd Open Ancenis 2016. Her Dam meanwhile was a Chequer Pied that was 11th Section 107th Open Roye 2016. Ewart and his fellow Club members in Brydekirk willingly exchanged progeny from their race winners with the consequence that almost all pigeons that competed into this very special village were descended from birds of note that had raced into the Club over the years. It should be said that when he raced pigeons, Ewart gained a host of successes with his best position being from Bourges in 2010 when he headed the result from 599 miles with home bred Blue hen ‘Rachel’.
Recently the SNFC held their longest race from Nort-sur-Erde. Heres the Solway winners as penned by the bard himself WP Wortley Stevie Ferguson from Annan was 1st Section 1st Open. Having initially competed in partnership with his father, he transferred the loft title to his own name some 25 years ago. Stevie’s father, Will, was reared in the village of Watchhill and as a boy shared a friendship with Jimmy Dalgliesh and Jim Crombie, with the three schoolboy friends maturing in later years into top quality fanciers. Having gained a number of positions from the Classics in the early years, Stevie and his father came to National prominence in 1981 when they timed two very good pigeons from Rennes and Nantes with the winning pigeon from Rennes being 7th Open and the bird from Nantes being 1st Section 2nd Open. The combined performance of these two pigeons secured for the partners the News of the World Trophy for the best average from these two prestige races and the Ellsworth Trophy for the best average from these same two races with Nominated pigeons. More success was to follow in 1983 when they headed the result from the Inland National with Blue Chequer cock ‘Watchill Prince’. The previous year this cock won the Solway Fed. from Sartilly. 1983 was the year when PMV first manifested itself and as a consequence there was no channel racing. The cock went to Dorchester (2) and was 1st Section 1st Open and two weeks later went to Dorchester (3) and was 2nd Section 3rd Open National. In 1995, the partners were 2nd Open Rennes with a 1992 Blue hen that was 19th Open from the equivalent event in 1994. Very near to the front again from Rennes in 1999 when the partners were 6th Section 8th Open with a 1997 Blue Chequer Pied hen. The pigeons were raced for the first time in Stevie’s name in the Millennium season. New name but same high-quality performance as he headed the South Section result from S.N.F.C. Lille. In 2008 Stevie won the Tours National with Chequer Pied hen ‘Watchhill Princess, which was a 2002 Chequer Pied Hen. It went to 120 miles as a youngster and to the coast as a yearling on Roundabout. In 2004 she went to the Tours National sitting tight and was timed at 6.10am on the second day to be 1st Section 6th Open. The following year she went back to Tours and once again made the list, being 86th Open. It was feared in 2006 that we wouldn’t get to the channel due to Avian Flu and in this circumstance the hen was ‘put by’, but at the eleventh hour it was confirmed that they would indeed race from the channel and she was lifted her into Tours but on this occasion failed to make the list. Due to the continuance of Avian Flu in 2007 racing was curtailed and the S.N.F.C. didn’t race from Tours and as a consequence the hen was kept at home. In 2008, however, she went back to Tours and headed the result. Importantly, this hen proved to be a superb breeder leaving winners for Stevie and those fortunate to obtained the bloodlines. The recent National winner is a 4 y.o. home bred Blue Chequer hen that had two races as a youngster, went to 200 miles as a yearling and to Alencon as a 2 y.o. It went to Alencon once more in 2025 and was 72nd Open. In 2026 whilst paired, did not initially go to nest and was worked on a Celibate method, being allowed to run with its mate on return from inland races with the pair being thereafter separated. It had an early ‘trainer’ race and then went three times with Derwent Valley Federation, going with Flimby Club, being taken to West Cumbria by friend George Willacy. Continuing to be worked celibate It then went to the Inland National from Brighton and was 23rd Section 97th Open. It was thereafter coupled for the target race and went to the Classic on its first nest of the season covering eleven-day old youngsters. With regard bloodlines, she was line bred to the Tours National winner with ‘Watchhill Princess’ being the grand dam of both the Sire and Dam. D. and D. Anderson from Annan were 2nd Section. This partnership comprises Dennis Anderson Senior and his grandson, Dennis Junior. Dennis Senior entered the fancy in 1978 and has over the years owned a number of quality pigeons and gained a succession of good positions from the Classics. Consider for example that he won the Sartilly National in 1993 and for the first time in the history of the S.N.F.C. had the only arrival into Scotland on the day of liberation. In more recent years he was 2nd Section 2nd Open from the Gold Cup race from Alencon in 2022 and in 2023 from the equivalent event was 3rd Section 9th Open. Move forward to 2024 and he won the Inland National from Maidstone with Blue Chequer cock ‘El Sid’. Whilst the team was flown in recent years in Dennis Senior’s name his grandson was there beside him and saw each of the modern winners arrive at the loft. He additionally raced an independent team of pigeons into his own loft, which was initially sited behind his parents’ home and subsequently moved into a grass paddock at his grandparents’ address sitting next to his grandfathers shed. Racing independently, Dennis Junior gained a number of good positions, indeed in 2025 he won the Section from with the National from Billericay and more-so, at the 2025 S.N.F.C. Prize Presentation he received the South Section Average Trophy. At the gateway to the current season, Dennis and his grandson entered partnership competing under the loft title D, and D. Anderson. In 2026 the loft has been in ‘sparkling’ form with the first bird in the clock from each of the Nationals gaining the following positions: 18th Section 57th Open Kettering, 4th Section 17th Open Brighton, 3rd Section 5th Open Alencon, 13th Section 210th Open Billiricay, 8th Section 54th Open Ypres and as explained above 2nd Section 2nd Open Nort Sur Erdre The winning pigeon from Nort Sur Erdre is a 3 y.o. Blue cock that has scored on a number of occasions in the Club and was 88th Open from the Gold Cup race from Alencon before going to The Longest Race. He was paired in February, reared a pair of youngsters and was then put on Widowhood, being given his mate 5/6 hours prior to basketing. When he arrived home his third flight in each wing was just about burst through. Sire is a Dark Chequer, that was bred by Steve Wright from the House of AArden with long distance bloodlines running through his pedigree; he was raced as a youngster and yearling and doing very well until he returned home with a broken wing and was then kept purely for stock and at stock has bred or been responsible for many of the loft’s most recent winners including 5th and 13th open Alencon. Dam is Light Chequer, that was bred by the late Angus Simmons from Annan. In 2021 Dennis Junior was racing under his own name with his loft being then sited at his parents’ address and during that season he came close to achieving his first club win, indeed, but for a bad trap he’d have won the race by 7 or 8 minutes but his red hen hesitated on the trap and ended up 2nd Club, beaten by Angus. In November that year Angus passed away with his birds being subsequently sold in Gretna Social Club. Dennis and his grandson went to the sale and although there were only brief details on the pens, Dennis Junior recognised the chequer hen as the bird that had beaten him when he came close to winning the race. After handling her Dennis and his grandson decided to buy her and to quote Dennis “what a purchase she proved to be breeding winners every year with the Dark Cock”. As my interview with Dennis drew to a close he said “Junior has definitely re-kindled my passion for our great sport and our S.N.F.C. performances over the past 5 to 6 years have reflected this”. Alistair ‘Eck’ Rae, from Brydekirk was 3rd Section 3rd Open. ‘Eck’ has been involved in the pigeon hobby since 1964, initially competing under his own name. His father, Kit, took an immediate interest in the pigeons and after two years entered partnership with Eck and changed the loft title to K. Rae and Son. At that time Brydekirk was an exceptionally strong Club, it was formed in 1949 and within a few years this small village Club became a giant in the pigeon world. Amongst the members of note at the time were such names as J.B. Halliday and his brother W.B. Halliday, Jim Soutar, Donald Scott and Son, Pivie Murray, brothers James and John Dalgliesh, John Armstrong, Lew Horsburgh, Tom Little etc. Not only was the club competitive but there was great camaraderie with the members supporting each other. There is absolutely no doubt that when Kit and Eck Rae entered the fancy they would get every support and encouragement from their fellow club members. When the Solway Federation changed from Rail to Road transport, Kit became the Convoyer for the Solway and East Cumberland Federations and whilst he was away with the transporter, Eck looked after the pigeons at home. In time he went into partnership with his brother-in-law, Davie Howatt and continued to compete in Brydekirk Club. In more recent years he has reverted to the original title, racing the birds under his own name and housing a modest team featured regularly in the prize list from the longer races. The winning pigeon from Nort Sur Erdre is a home bred 2 y.o. Blue cock. Worked on the conventional method, it raced through the programme as a youngster and went to Cheltenham as a yearling. He was worked on the Natural system in 2026 and went through the Federation programme to Cheltenham; he then went to the Gold Cup race from Alencon from which it was up with the leaders to be 20th Section 37th Open. As he was in ‘good order’ when he returned from Alencon, Eck decided to double him back into the longest race; he had two training tosses on build-up to the event and was basketed covering 12 day eggs. Sire is a Blue cock that ‘Eck’ received as a gift from Crombie and Mechan from Annan when they parted with their pigeons. He shared a long-time friendship with Jim Crombie and went to the local Social Club with him every Sunday afternoon. When Jim was admitted to a Care Home the friendship continued, with ‘Eck’ visiting the Home each and every week. Dam is a Chequer Pied hen that ‘Eck’ received from fellow Club member Ewart Warwick when, due to health reasons, he parted with his pigeons. Her Sire was a Blue Chequer that was 15th Section 48th Open Ancenis 2015 and 23rd Section 32nd Open Ancenis 2016. Her Dam meanwhile was a Chequer Pied that was 11th Section 107th Open Roye 2016. Ewart and his fellow Club members in Brydekirk willingly exchanged progeny from their race winners with the consequence that almost all pigeons that competed into this very special village were descended from birds of note that had raced into the Club over the years. It should be said that when he raced pigeons, Ewart gained a host of successes with his best position being from Bourges in 2010 when he headed the result from 599 miles with home bred Blue hen ‘Rachel’.
