An astounding 466 Golden Retrievers gathered in Scotland recently. The Scottish Highlands celebration marked the 155th anniversary of the popular dog breed.
Hundreds of Golden Retrievers assemble in Scotland
According to WION News, the four-day event took place July 10-14. The setting was the ruins of Guisachan House, the origin of the breed. Organized by the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland, the festivities included training workshops, lectures, a procession, and a picnic. Four-legged and two-legged attendees alike participated in activities and games including tug of war, scurry, and haggis hurling.
There was also a championship dog show. A 2-year-old Golden named Bronagh from southern Ireland nabbed the top spot.
Perhaps the height of the event was a mile-long pooch parade. Dog parents and their fur babies walked from Kennel Field to Guisachan House.
“A lot of golden retriever owners find there’s an emotional attachment to the Guisachan house, and it’s where they want to go and look and experience,” Carol Henry told the BBC. She’s the secretary of the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland.
This isn’t the first time that hundreds of Golden Retrievers gathered en masse at Guisachan House. The event started in 2006 and reoccurs every five years. This year, the pups in attendance hailed from 12 countries. Dogs traveled from Canada, Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Romania, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and the United States.
The history of the Golden Retriever breed
A poignant part of the event was a toast to Lord Tweedmouth at the conclusion of the parade. He’s the breed’s founder.
“Sir Dudley Marjoribanks (Lord Tweedmouth) first bred the dog at Guisachan, Glen Affric, near Inverness, in 1964. The first litter of golden retrievers, Crocus, Cowslip and Primrose, was born in 1868 to a Tweed water spaniel, now an extinct dog breed, and a yellow wavy-coated retriever,” the official website of the Golden Retriever Club of Scotland states.
The Kennel Club (basically the UK’s version of the American Kennel Club) officially deemed the Golden Retriever as a breed in 1913.
Among the event’s goals are to increase awareness about the breed and to ensure its continuation. Responsible breeders strive to preserve the breed’s easygoing qualities and family-friendly temperament for generations to come. However, Henry said COVID-19 lockdowns spawned irresponsible breeding practices that may threaten the breed’s good reputation.
“We want to hold on to the confidence, the biddability, the companionship and loyalty, all the things the Golden Retriever always has,” she said.
Interested in adopting a Golden? Check out these Golden Retriever fun facts and adorable photos!
