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Book nowAt its core, The British Retriever Trophy aims to elevate the status and perception of working tests for gundogs, particularly at the Open level.
While gundog working tests are widely recognised and respected within the community, there has long been an opportunity to create a single, elite competition that:
The Trophy has been created to meet that need, bringing together the UK’s top-performing retrievers in a competition that reflects both tradition and ambition.
This ensures that:
Unlike team-based formats, the Trophy is focused entirely on individual dogs and their handlers, placing the emphasis firmly on partnership, precision, and consistency.
The British Retriever Trophy is conducted exclusively as a dummy-based competition.
This aligns the competition with the established format of gundog working tests, while also making it more accessible to a broader audience. It allows spectators to appreciate the skill, discipline, and control of the retriever gun dog in a fully ethical and controlled environment.
While firmly rooted in the UK, the British Retriever Trophy has been designed with an international outlook.
Qualification is primarily achieved through UK-based gundog working tests, but a limited number of Wild Card entries will be awarded to invite exceptional retrievers from outside the UK.
This approach ensures that the competition:
Our intention is to grow the scale, reach, and impact of The British Retriever Trophy in the years that follow. With a clear structure, elite qualification standards, and a commitment to excellence, the Trophy is positioned to become a defining event in the gun dog competition calendar.
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The British Retriever Trophy is led by two of the most respected figures in the world of gundog working tests and elite gun dog competition. Their combined experience spans decades of training, handling, and competing at the highest level, shaping a competition that reflects true expertise in working tests for gundogs.
Based in Cheshire, David Latham is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished figures in the history of retriever gun dog competition.
Having trained and handled working retrievers since childhood, David achieved his first Novice Field Trial win in 1989. Since then, he has built a career defined by consistent success at the highest level of gundog working tests and field trials.
Based in Monmouthshire, David Thomas brings over 25 years of experience in gundog training, competition, and shoot management. His career reflects a deep commitment to excellence within gundog working tests, alongside a practical understanding of working dogs in the field.
David is widely recognised for his kind, reward-based training approach, underpinned by a strong foundation in behaviour and learning theory. His methods have consistently produced high-performing dogs capable of excelling in demanding gun dog competition environments.
As Directors and Shareholders, David Thomas and David Latham share a unified vision: to create a competition that sets a new standard for working tests for gundogs.
Their combined expertise ensures that The British Retriever Trophy is:
