Welcome to the official homepage for the

European Retriever Championship 2026

in Denmark on October 14-16

The 2026 European Retriever Championship will take place in the center of Denmark, on the island Fyn.

The estate Egebjerggaard has kindly aggreed to be the host of this great event. And the Danish Retriever Club is looking forward to welcoming the top retrievers of Europe and their handlers.

Every country is entitled to send two participants plus reserve. The dogs are chosen according to FCI rules.

Last years winner is automatically invited to compete.

PROGRAM

Wednesday October 14, at 5 PM
Registration and welcoming reception at Scandic Hotel, Odense

Thursday October 15
Day 1 of ERC 2026 at Egebjerggaard Estate
Evening: Dinner at Scandic Hotel, Odense

Friday October 17
Day 2 of ERC 2026 at Egebjerggaard Estate
Afternoon: Prize-giving ceremony

In the center of Denmark

SPONSORS



The Judges

Samantha Boyle

I have been involved in gundogs for about 17 years.
I am a A Panel Retriever Judge with the UK Kennel Club.
I made up my Labrador bitch Highwalk Kerry to a Field Trial Champion.
I have won 2 x 2 Day Open Stakes and also had awards in others.
I have been part of the Scottish Gundog Team competing at The Game Fair, England and was a member of the winning Scottish Interclub Team in 2021.
I am the Gundog Director at Scone Game Fair, Perth, Scotland where we hold a number of competitions including the prestigious “4 Nations Competition”
My husband is Declan Boyle and we have 2 children Molly and Lewis.

Declan Boyle

I am an A panel judge in the Irish Kennel Club and UK Kennel Club.
I have been trialling labradors since 2002 and I have made up 5 Field Trial Champions (FTCH Glenloch Ruff, FTCH Leadburn Jamie , GB FTCH & Irish FTCH Miller McDuff & GB FTCH & Irish FTCH Jake of Blackburn and GB FTCH & IRISH FTCH KNOCKYCLOVAUN RALPH.
I have qualified about 23 times for the Irish Retriever Championship and 11times for the IGL.
I won the Irish retriever championship in 2017 & 2019 and also won the IGL 2019.
I am the Captain of the Irish international Gundog Team which competes at the Game Fair in england every year. We have won overall team for the past 3 years. I enjoy a lot of Snipe and Woodcock shooting. During the shooting season I pick-up a few times a week with all my dogs unless I am trialling.

I have judged field trials and working tests in France, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Germany and the USA . I have judged the German Cup two times
I have Judged the Italian retriever championship 2018, the Swedish championship 2017 & 2018 and the Danish Retriever Championship 2022.
I am delighted to be asked again to judge this prestigious event.
This will be my 3rd time judging the European championships in Italy .
The first time was 2012.
The second time was 2024

May the best dog win 🏆

Zsolt Böszörményi

My interest in retriever sport began over 25 years ago.
After seeing working Labradors at field trials, it was a straight path into the world of working retrievers and, eventually, field trialing.
I actively contribute to our sport; my goal has always been to promote better understanding and deeper knowledge of working retrievers, and to share our passion with fellow enthusiasts.
I run a retriever sports club, the Working Retriever Club of Hungary, which has been organizing tests and trials for almost 20 years. Thanks to fantastic teamwork, our club organized the IWT in 2011 and 2021, as well as the Field Trial European Championship for Retrievers in 2021, all held in Hungary.
I am the founder of the Brookbank kennel. To date, five dogs have achieved the title of International Field Trial Champion:
● Int. FTCH Eddie of Dukefield
● Int. FTCH Starcreek Ginger
● Int. FTCH Fly of Dukefield
● Int. FTCH Ardmuir Earl
● Int. FTCH Brookbank Dragonfly
I won the Austrian-Hungarian FT Championship in 2011 with Starcreek Gin, and in 2025 I finished second with my current Open dog, Brookbank Hummingbird.
At the moment, I share my home with three Labradors at “Brookbank” in a small village near Budapest. I train and breed my dogs for shooting days and field trials, and I also thoroughly enjoy running them in working tests and dummy trials.
Over the past 15 years, I have had the privilege of judging Working Tests and Field Trials in 20 countries across Europe. It has also been an honor to judge the IWT twice, in 2017 and 2022.
Thank you very much for the invitation. I’m truly honored. I wish all the competitors the best of luck, and I wish the organizers a successful event!

Boye Rasmussen

Thank you very much for the invitation to judge the European Retriever Cup. I am very much looking forward to meeting all the skilled handlers from Denmark and abroad, and to seeing some really good dog work.

I started competing in Field Trials myself in 1996. We got our first Labrador in 1992. Since then, I have handled six Labradors to Field Trial Champion titles, won the Danish Championship and also been Runner-up.

I very much enjoy training my own dogs, especially when they are between one and three years old. It is fantastic to see their development and to take part in both Working Tests and Field Trials, both at home and abroad. It is always exciting to travel to different events, and you meet so many wonderful people along the way.

I started judging in 2006 and am a Panel A judge.

In addition, I have bred puppies for many years under the prefix Thirsgaards. We are not currently breeding, but we have three male Labradors: DKFTCH Tamrose Macgill, a young dog, Brown Hunt’s Teal, and a puppy, Yellowstone Gundogs Olli.

FCI Rules for International Field Trial for retriever Breeds

Participants

Two dogs from each participating country, as well as the winner of the most recent ERC, are invited to compete.
Entry deadline: 28 September 2026
 

PLEASE NOTE!
In order to register your dog’s data correctly into the Danish Kennel Club database, you must email a copy of your dog’s registration certificate to post@d-r-klub.dk 

Companions and FCI delegates

Information follows