ANNAN pigeon fanciers are celebrating after winning a national race at the weekend.
Team Anderson – Dennis Anderson and grandson Dennis Jnr – won the Scottish National Flying Club Maidstone 2024 with El Sid.
The widowhood cock completed a route from Maidstone, Kent, in six hours 33 minutes to land the top trophy. Over 2000 birds were entered into the race.
Dennis Snr has been a member of Annan Homing Club since 1977, he knows how hard it is to win the big races and was delighted with the result.
He said: “It’s a national, open to the whole of Scotland. From Aberdeen to Oban and all over.
“It turned out to be a tough race. It’s not easy to win a national.
“They were liberated in Maidstone on Saturday, and it’s 305 miles to our loft.”
Dennis is also part of the Scottish Distance Doo Club (SDDC). The group have been raising money to help other pigeon keepers.
After a member of the group recently lost his dad, Dennis said he would name a pigeon after him if he managed to win a big race. And so he did, El Sid.
Dennis added: “I rarely name them. He (El Sid) is an unbelievable pigeon.
“All the top pigeons are home bred and I have always had good pigeons. This year there’s been nine races and we’ve won in eight of them.
“We are going to the Gold Cup in France next week, we were second in it two years ago.
“The pigeon that won on Saturday is in good condition.”
A number of races are on the horizon for the team this summer and they are hopeful of more success.
DELIGHTED . . . Team Anderson, Dennis Anderson, pictured, and Dennis Jnr won a national pigeon competition at the weekend
