It’s a hotly contested competition and only the very best dogs qualify for the International Gundog League Retriever Championship (IGL).
There were 67 qualifiers this year and all competed at this year’s event: 37 are Field Trial Champions, 24 of the dogs qualified ran at Holkham last year, 24 are bitches, 4 are golden retrievers.
2023 IGL Retriever Championship results
Awards
1st HM King Charles III’s FTCh Buccleuch Bowhill of Sandringham handled by David Lisett and awarded the The Retriever Trials Championship Challenge Cup, The Lady Auckland Memorial Salver, The Hiwood Challenge Trophy, The Lorna Countess Howe Memorial Trophy and the IGL President’s Trophy.
2nd Louie Robertson’s FTCh Mitforton Onour awarded the FTCh Ulstaire Style Challenge Trophy
3rd David Logan’s FTCh Craigmaddie Mufasa of Bishopbrae awarded the Lorna Countess Howe Memorial Trophy for the best dog entered by an owner resident in Scotland.
4th Sarah Miles’s Texacali Praline of Meonvalley
Diplomas of Merit
- Simon Capstick’s FTCh Gunnerspeg Apollo
- Duchess of Devonshire’s Cheesecake Artillery of Chatsworth handled by John Halsted
- Philip Dyson’s FTCh Copperbirch Chanel of Tallamelie
- David Latham’s FTCh Fendawood Harold
- Scott Marland’s Jaycote Game Brooke
- Victoria Stanley’s Craigmaddie Nevis
This year’s event was held at the Queensberry Estate, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland by the kind and generous invitation of His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry KBE, DL from 27th-29th November. The event was ably judged by Nigel Carville, Greig Paterson, Steve Richardson and Mike Rolland. Head Keeper Rab Clark acted at The Steward of the Beat.
- This year Laura Hill’s FTCh Jarailstar Hogen of Stauntonvale, the youngest dog in competition, has qualified by winning three 2 day Open Stakes. There are three double qualifiers: Ronnie Laughton’s FTCh Etomanni Missouri, Richard Johnston’s FTCh Rectoryoak Appalachia at Shimnavale and Thomas Bushby’s FTCh Jofless Epaulette of Shadowbrae.
- No fewer than six dogs have qualified via the arduous B qualification route: Bill Gardiner’s Tempurong Gra of Cacklebury, John Halsted’s Buccleuch Favour, David Logan’s FTCh Craigmaddie Mufasa of Bishopbrae, David Milne’s Rumbleton Ginevier, Claire Raymond’s FTCh Nobsquinton Nettle and Louie Robertson’s FTCh Mitforton Onour.
- Five handlers have qualified two or more dogs. John Halsted has very impressively qualified with six dogs, among these last year’s second placed bitch FTCh Emmanygan Spring of Chatsworth. This beats his own previous record of qualifying five dogs set at Queensberry in 2015 when he also won with FTCh Asterix Aguzannis of Chatsworth (sire of FTCh Emmanygan Spring of Chatsworth) and was awarded a Diploma of Merit with FTCh Emmanygan Ramble. David Latham has qualified 3 dogs while Lousie Munchaus Adsbol, Simon Capstick and David Lisett will each be handling two dogs. David Latham is running Cairngryffe Alise of Fendawood, a bitch sired by another of his qualifier’s FTCh Meadowlark Big Rock Fendawood. Louise Munchaus Adsbol will be running the oldest dog in competition, FTCh Nettle Brae Andy of Fendawood. Simon Capstick’s two dogs share the same grand sire, FTCh Emmanygan Ramble. Both dogs qualified by David Lisett are out of the bitch he handled to win the 2017 Championship, FTCh Buccleuch Xena.
- FTCh Asterix Aguzannis of Chatsworth has sired six of this year’s qualifiers and is the grand sire of two. FTCh Troddenmills Full Throttle of Leacaz has sired five.
- Two dogs will be running in their fourth Championship: FTCh Think Twice Zero to Hero (GR dog) and FTCh Mitforton Onour (Lab. bitch).
- Six of this year’s handlers have previously won the IGL Retriever Championship: Declan Boyle, Kevin Butler, John Halsted, David Latham, David Lisett and Mike Tallamy.
- Among this year’s first time qualifiers are James Brindley, Bill Gardiner, Lesley Crompton, Chris Gore, Matthew Gould, Sue Jordan, Patti Money-Coutts, Ellena Nunnely, Tom Sage, Adam Snare and Peter Whelan.
