Laura Lazzaretto
My name is Laura Lazzaretto. I was born and grew up in a small village in the countryside, not far from Venice in the northeast of Italy. The first Golden Retriever entered my life in 1994. Since November 2020, I moved to my partner Pieter Vivijs, with whom I share a passion for retrievers and continue to breed under the affix Think Twice. We live in the countryside in the northeast of Belgium, half an hour from Brussels.
I’ve made up four FTChs, my first one being the only continental International Dual Champion in the breed: Int. Dual Ch. Wigglin’ Jigglin’ Cupcakes. With Int. FTCh The Road Runner, I came second at the Italian Championship (behind my co-judge David Latham 😊) and second at the European Championship in France, both in 2014. In 2017, I won the Italian Championship with Int. FTCh Think Twice Go Get It.
In cooperation with my partner Pieter, I have made up two more champions, which we both trained and handled to win: Int. FTCh Think Twice Ecce Homo and Int. FTCh Think Twice One Man Show.
On several occasions, I represented my native country in international events: CLA Game Fair 2008, IWT 2008, 2009 & 2011, Skinner’s World Cup 2012 & 2013, and the European Championship 2014 & 2018.
My career as a handler continued after 2020 under a different flag, and I was enormously proud to be part — as team captain and reserve — of the Belgian Team that won the IWT in Austria in 2022 and came second at the IWT in Sweden in 2023.
After many years of breeding and running my dogs, since 2018 I’ve been an FCI International Field Trial Judge. So far, I have had the pleasure of judging in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, and Slovenia — and had the honour to be among the judges at the IWT (International Working Test) in Hungary in 2021.
I consider it an honour to be invited to judge the European Retriever Championship, certainly the most prestigious event on the continent. Judging gives me the opportunity to appreciate the work of retrievers as gundogs and their amazing natural abilities. I wish all the competitors the best of luck.
Louie Robertson
Louie Robertson has been training gundogs for over 35 years. Alongside Mitforton Gundogs, she runs a very popular training business in Sussex, Trainthatdog, and is a Kennel Club B Panel Judge.
To date, she has qualified nine times for the IGL Retriever Championship — firstly in 2014 with OFTW Bedgebrook Scrumptious, and four times each with FTCh Mitforton Nacho and FTCh Mitforton Onour, earning a Diploma of Merit in 2019 and most recently awarded 2nd place at Drumlanrig IGL in 2023.
Louie is delighted and honoured to be asked to judge the European Retriever Championship 2025 with David, Laura, and Kevin, and very much looks forward to watching these excellent dogs over the two days.
Kevin Doughty
Kevin Doughty’s journey into the world of gundog trials began in 1984, when he clinched victory in his first novice retriever trial. Since then, he has become a prominent figure in the sport, achieving remarkable success with Labradors and Golden Retrievers. Over the years, he has accumulated more than 36 trial wins and has bred and trained dogs that have earned the coveted Field Trial Champion (FTCh) status. His current champion, FTCh Tideshot Vinny of Highseas, has qualified for the prestigious IGL Retriever Championship for the last three years, with hopes of extending this streak to four.
But Kevin’s talents don’t stop with retrievers. He has also made his mark with spaniels, even representing England at the Ragley Hall Game Fair. His keen understanding of various breeds has made him a respected competitor in the field.
Appointed to the A Panel in 1996, Kevin has since judged at numerous European Championships and has been called upon to officiate the Irish Championships as well as the IGL Championships on three occasions. His influence extends beyond the field, having served on several gundog committees and currently holding the position of President of the Cambridgeshire Field Trial Society, as well as Chairman of the Utility Gundog Society.
In the warmer months, Doughty can be found at his training ground, Highseas in Suffolk, where he runs working tests and charity events. His commitment to the sport is unwavering, and his passion for developing the next generation of top gundogs is evident.
David Latham
My name is Dave Latham from Cheshire in the UK.
I’ve had Labradors since I was 14 years old (some good, some bad 😊).
I’ve made nine FTChs up and won the IGL Retriever Championship four times, as well as winning the Italian Championship.
I’ve been the English Retriever Team Captain for the last ten years.
I’m looking forward to judging your Championship and consider it a huge honour to be asked.
Let the best dog on the day win.
Kind regards,
Dave