The Field Gundog Awards, in association with Skinner’s Field & Trial, is delighted to invite readers to vote for Gundog Photograph of the Year for the very first time. Our superb shortlist of ten photographs captures the very best of our companions in the field – from hard-working pickers-up to young dogs learning new tricks and one spaniel busted at elevenses. But which will be Gundog Photograph of the Year?

Scroll down to cast your vote today to determine the winner.

Find out more about The Field Gundog Awards, in association with Skinner’s Field & Trial. Open for all, from exemplary workers to fine family companions to downright wicked gundogs. Entries are now closed for 2019, so start preparing your 2020 nominations and looking out for excellent work in the field this season.

GUNDOG PHOTOGRAPH OF THE YEAR: THE SHORTLIST

Gundog Photograph of the Year aims to capture the very best of our companions in the field, inspired by our readers’ love for an excellent picture of a gundog. Every month our letters pages are filled with the feats of our readers’ dogs, and between issues images are shared daily across our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles. Our monthly features and Sporting Dog column encourage the sharing of topical gundog pictures to discuss the matter at hand. And should a canine Field cover grace the shelves, our readers love nothing more than recreating the image at home.

Field readers have an eye for an excellent gundog photograph. Which is why we are opening up The Field Gundog Awards’ most hotly contested category to a public vote. Which from our shortlist of ten will be Gundog Photograph of the Year? That’s for you to decide.

ENTRY 1: SUNNY, BY ADELE JONES

Entry 1: Sunny, by Adele Jones.

18-month-old fox-red labrador Sunny at Bignor Park, West Sussex on a beautiful winter morning, by Adele Jones.

Sunny (who was born on the day of the Summer Solstice) has spent her first season learning the ropes as part of the picking-up team at Bignor Park, West Sussex. This photo was taken whilst waiting for the first drive to start on a crisp, early January morning as the sun was coming up and the mist was beginning to lift.

ENTRY 2: ZAK, BY ANDREW NOTTINGHAM

Entry 2: Zak, by Andrew Nottingham.

Large Munsterlander, Zak, is pictured here on his first time on grouse moor, by Andrew Nottingham.

Zak was totally mesmerised by the grouse on his first time on the moor, but managed to hold in his excitement and sit patiently when asked. Zak is an all round working gundog, beating dog and peg dog as well as a much loved family pet, that loves the comfort of the sofa and happily takes everything in his stride.

ENTRY 3: SKYE, BY EMILY RAMM

Entry 3: Skye by Emily Ramm.

4-year-old Skye is pictured here during her last shooting season, by Emily Ramm.

Skye doesn’t miss a beat and no scotch egg was going to remain unpicked. The 2018/19 shooting season was Skye’s last in the field as her owner Bob Perry is hanging up his gun at 80 years old. Nevertheless, Skye will continue to enjoy elevenses at home and retrieving scotch eggs will remain a priority.

ENTRY 4: PADDY AND RUPERT, BY NEIL CORNER

Entry 4: Paddy and Rupert, by Neil Corner.

Paddy and Rupert are pictured here on Grinton Moor, Swaledale, North Yorkshire by Neil Corner.

Rupert and Paddington are captured here on Grinton Moor in beautiful Swaledale. They are both named after bears, the founder member being Pooh many years ago. Baloo has recently joined their ranks to carry on the tradition. They are good, steady, family friends and especially love grouse shooting.

ENTRY 5: NELLIE, BY GEORGE TREBINKSI

Entry 5: Nellie, by George Trebinski.

2-year-old cocker spaniel Nellie comes to the whistle like a rocket, as captured in this photograph by George Trebinksi.

Nellie is a very biddable and steady cocker, quartering closely with a constant eye on her owner. Towards the end of last season she found and picked a wounded partridge from under a grass tussock – since then no grass tussock has been safe and she is a veritable partridge hoover.

ENTRY 6: BROOK, BY HELEN MOORE

Entry 5: Brook, by Helen Moore.

4-year-old Brook is pictured here at the Boconnoc Shoot, Cornwall by Helen Moore.

Brook is owned by Patrick Philip, who also has her father, Harvey, and grandfather, Shilo. She is a super dog and works 50 days a year at least, and yet still enjoys a sleep on her owner’s bed. The photograph was taken on the frosty, first drive of the day, Bramblecombe Drive, on the picturesque Boconnoc Estate in Cornwall.

ENTRY 7: HOLLY, BY JAMES GODFREY

Entry 7: Holly, by James Godfrey.

German Wirehaired Pointer Holly completing her first hunt, point, retrieve on a woodcock at 7 months old, pictured by James Godfrey.

Holly is a real character and out of the shooting season her favourite sport is croquet. She has real drive out hunting, but is sweet as a nut at home. The photograph was taken as she brought back the first woodcock she had found and pointed. Just as she came back, she heard a sound in the trees and paused in that pose.

ENTRY 8: TAFFY, BY JEFF WHEELDON

Entry 8: Taffy, by Jeff Wheeldon.

8-year-old Taffy is pictured here on the peg, featuring feathers from a partridge retrieve, by Jeff Wheeldon.

Taffy, a true Welshman from Welshpool, has always had fantastic focus and ability to follow the line of a bird, and excels at blind retrieves. He had done just this in the instance of this photograph, collecting a wounded partridge while his owner waited on the next drive. At home Taffy is never far from the ankle of his mistress.

ENTRY 9: REMI, BY LAURA CROFT

Entry 9: Remi, by Laura Croft.

Remi is pictured here completing a long marked retrieve over a drilled field, by Laura Croft.

Remi is a strong member of a 3 dog picking up team in Lincolnshire despite weighing only 10kg, meaning the pheasants are almost the same weight as her. This photo was taken on a local shoot, a 100-120 bird day. Remi had marked the cock pheasant down around 350 yards away and this photo captures the long marked retrieve over a drilled field.

ENTRY 10: ARCHIE, BY SHANNON HARTREE

Entry 10: Archie, by Shannon Hartree.

Craig and Archie are pictured here goose shooting in North Yorkshire, by Shannon Hartree.

4-year-old Archie is his owner’s best friend and best picking-up dog, a job he is very good at and loves. His tail never stops wagging when he sees Craig with a gun in his hand. Archie competes in scurries and tests throughout the summer and picks up on a few shoots, as well as enjoying wildfowling in Scotland and on the Humber.

The voting has now closed. Thank you for voting. The winner’s will be revealed on 5 September 2019.