Each year teams from across Europe compete for the coveted Euro Challenge Trophy, showcasing the skills of both gundogs and their handlers. In 2025 seven European teams of three competed over the two days, the first extremely hot! Each team features three dogs – a Labrador, a Golden Retriever, and one other registered retriever breed. This year there were Flatcoats, Chesapeakes, and Nova Scotia Duck Tollers, all required to complete a series of tests in a simulated shooting environment.
The overall results for the Euro Challenge were
1st Italy
2nd Belgium
3rd Eire
4th Netherlands
5th Great Britain
6th Switzerland
7th Germany
Top Scoring dog – Shayne Price from Great Britian with his labrador Lucky Lupin of Nantygollen.
Top Scoring Golden Retriever – Dan Higgs representing Eire with Reedmoor’s Brave of Higgscroft.
Top Scoring Flatcoated Retriever and also Top Scoring Other Breed – Ronnie Rayen from Belgium with Flatgolds Nothing Else Matters.
Commentator’s Choice and the Martin Deeley Memorial Trophy – Martin Koers from Netherlands with his flatcoated retriever Ryegate’s All the Dirty Details.
Photo kindly provided by Martins daughter of Martin Koers on the left and Ronny Rayen on the right.