England took the top spot in this year’s nail-biting Four Nations International Gundog Competition, beating their Irish counterparts by just two points at this year’s GWCT Scottish Game Fair at Scone Palace in Perthshire. Sponsored by Kronch dog food, the competition took place on Saturday 2 July and saw teams of dogs and handlers from Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales competing for a range of prizes culminating with the coveted title of Top Team.

The dogs were tested on their hunting, marking and retrieving abilities as well as their steadiness to shot. The spaniel competition took place in the morning with three dogs and handlers taking part for each team, a format repeated in the afternoon with the retrievers, and as ever the standard was incredibly high. The courses set by the judges proved challenging and there were some failed retrieves, but the best dogs rose to the top. Simon Dixon claimed the Top Spaniel prize with his three-year-old springer spaniel bitch FTCh Rytex Rapedes, kennel name Bonnie. Declan Boyle won both the Top Retriever and Top Dog categories with his four-year-old black Labrador FTCh Jake of Blackburn, kennel name Wilson.

The English topped the Spaniel Team competition, and the Irish won the Retriever Team, and the overall Four Nations International Gundog Competition saw team England narrowly claiming overall victory with 590 points over Ireland’s 588. Wales were third with 545 points and Scotland took fourth place with 491 points.

All the competitors took home Kronch dog food vouchers and rosettes, with the top team winning the coveted shield and a hip flask set, charger plates from Tain Pottery and Tamnavulin whisky. The winners of the Retriever and Spaniel Teams took home a hip flask gift set, a subscription to Gundog Journal and a Brooksfab un-spillable dog bowl. Alongside a bumper prize haul of an Unthank Fabrications raised dog bed, Sporting Saint training vest, Tain Pottery dinner plate, hip flask set, bottle of Tamnavulin whisky and a dog food voucher for their Top Retriever and Top Spaniel wins respectively, Declan Boyle received a drawing from artist Louise Jarvis and Simon Dixon received a portrait from artist Judith Campbell.

David Latham, team captain for England, commented: “This was the most challenging gundog course I’ve ever seen at a game fair, and it made the atmosphere so special and exciting - the best yet. It was technical and difficult, so a great recreation of working dogs in the field with all the variables that brings. As handlers we knew we could fail, and so instead of just being an exhibition of top-class working dogs doing their thing, this year it was a true test. Congratulations to my team for their hard work and for coming out on top and huge thanks to Sam Drysdale for organising the whole thing. She puts in a huge amount of time and dedication to bring this together - people like her don’t grow on trees and we’re very lucky to have her.”

Sam Drysdale added: “This year’s Four Nations was a spectacular show for all involved. There were some outstanding runs, and the quality of the competition was very high. The spectators really did see the best of the best competing and we had the closest finish we’ve ever had - no one knew which team had won until the presentation! Congratulations to England for their win and well done to Declan Boyle for winning Top Dog. The teams are set to go head-to-head again at The Game Fair at Ragley Hall later this month, so I know the team captains, dogs and handlers will be busy finessing their skills and preparing for round two.”

For more information, visit: www.scottishfair.com

Next year’s event takes place from Friday 30 June – Sunday 2 July 2023.