London gunmaker John Rigby & Co. is delighted to announce that 60-year-old South African hunter Anton Weavind has won the 2025 Rigby Dagga Boy Award. Celebrating sustainable hunting practices, the award promotes the ethical pursuit of old, past-their-prime buffalo. The news was revealed at the Dallas Safari Club Convention in Atlanta on 9 January, with the official presentation with Anton’s Professional Hunter (PH) Derek Littleton taking place at SCI in Nashville on 24 January.
Anton’s award-winning hunt was conducted with Luwire (Lugenda Wildlife Reserve) in Mozambique’s Niassa Special Reserve in October 2023. Guided by PH Derek Littleton, a seasoned professional with over 37 years of experience, the pair demonstrated skill and respect for sustainable hunting practices. Their efforts were rewarded with Rigby Big Game rifles in .416 and .450 Rigby respectively as prizes for their achievement.
A total of 85 entries were judged by a panel composed of renowned PH Robin Hurt, Dr Kevin ‘Doctari’ Robertson, author of “The Perfect Shot”, South African regional ranger Richard Sowry, famed PH Buzz Charlton and Marc Newton, managing director of John Rigby & Co. The judges assessed each entry based on the perceived age of the bull and the difficulty of the hunt.
Commenting on his win, Anton Weavind said: “This is wonderful news regarding the 2025 Rigby Dagga Boy award. The award takes the focus away from big bulls that may still be breeding and encourages the hunter to look for an old bull past its prime. This ensures that the bulls in their prime are in or near herds, strengthening the herds. The way the concessionaire approaches hunting makes a big difference; Derek went out of his way to ensure that the entire hunt was a novel experience and was great fun.”
Derek Littleton added: “Thank you to the Rigby team and the panel of judges. I thought this was just a long shot but was happy to be supporting a fantastic initiative! The Dagga Boy Award represents the ethical and ecological blueprint to hunt big game sustainably – elegantly packaged with the class and nostalgia of Rigby and the golden age of safari.”
Robin Hurt added: “Many congratulations to Anton Weavind and Derek Littleton on winning the Rigby Dagga Boy Award. It is very well deserved and an amazing story that was very well written by Anton What struck me most was not only the very old age of this veteran bull, but that he was a known man killer, and that Anton and Derek dropped everything to go and hunt this old ‘Brigadier’. Very commendable and well done. Certainly, the hunt of a lifetime.”
Marc Newton commented: “Anton’s submission was an incredible hunting story coupled with a strong conservation message that aligns so closely with the mission at the heart of the Dagga Boy Award. The fact that the scrumcap in question was not only an old bull well past his prime but also a mankiller made this hunt even more vital. It’s clear how much the hunter and his PH – who is the concession holder too – went to great lengths to protect the local people in such a wild, remote area of Mozambique. A very worthy winner and a memorable tale that’s deserving of being shared far and wide. Well done to Anton and Derek and thank you to everyone who entered the competition.”
