London gunmaker John Rigby & Co. is proud to announce the return of the Rigby Dagga Boy Award, for old buffalo bulls taken from January 2025 to November 2026. The competition celebrates ethical hunting practices and supports conservation efforts for African buffalo populations by emphasising age over trophy size. Hunters worldwide are invited to participate in this initiative, which contributes to healthier and more sustainable buffalo populations across Africa.
Following the success of the previous two editions, Rigby continues its mission to inspire sustainable hunting while gathering valuable scientific data on African buffalo species. The award focuses on “old dagga boys,” aged bulls that have surpassed their breeding prime.
For the third iteration of the Rigby Dagga Boy Award, the five judges have moved to a comprehensive point-based judging system, whereby a total maximum score of 21 points is available from the following areas:
- Age of the bull: 6 points maximum
- Character of the bull: 5 points maximum
- The hunt: 5 points maximum
- The story: 5 points maximum
Hunters should submit their entries electronically to daggaboy@johnrigbyandco.com no later than midnight on 30 November 2026. Each submission must include a detailed hunt report with high-quality photos of the hunter and their buffalo, highlighting features such as ears and body condition where possible. New for this Dagga Boy Award is the mandatory inclusion of side-on photos of the cleaned lower jaw showing first molar crown heights for aging purposes, and front photos of lower jaw incisor teeth. Entries where lower jaw photos are not included will be subject to an automatic two-point deduction from the total score.
Entries should also provide contact details for the Professional Hunter and outfitter who guided the hunt, along with a narrative describing the hunt experience of between 800 and 1000 words. The buffalo must have been hunted between January 2025 and the end of November 2026.
Eligible entries must meet strict criteria: only genuinely wild and free-ranging buffalo bulls are accepted; managed or captive populations are excluded. Bulls must come from self-sustaining herds and be hunted in a fair-chase manner. The focus is on aged bulls with broken horns that have surpassed breeding age. In addition, it should be noted that buffalo hunted on properties where there are no naturally occurring, free-living large predators are not eligible for judging.
A distinguished panel of experts will evaluate all entries based on hunt difficulty, the signs of buffalo age and the hunt report itself. The judges include Dr. Kevin ‘Doctari’ Robertson, Professional Hunter Robin Hurt, Professional Hunter Buzz Charlton, ranger Richard Sowry, and Rigby’s managing director Marc Newton. Signs of age considered during judging include boss wear and hardness, horn tip sharpness (or lack thereof), neck muscling, body colour, ear condition, facial markings, chinlap development and hoof size. The judges’ decisions are final and no discussion on the results will be accepted.
The winner of the Rigby Dagga Boy Award will be announced at the Dallas Safari Club Convention in January 2027 and receive a Rigby .416 Big Game rifle, while the Professional Hunter who guided them will be awarded a Rigby .450 PH rifle.
Marc Newton, managing director of John Rigby & Co. commented: “I am thrilled to see the Rigby Dagga Boy Award continue to inspire hunters worldwide. Over the previous two awards, we have been privileged to recognise exceptional hunters like Franklin D. Cean and Anton Weavind, who set a remarkable standard with their dedication to ethical hunting practices. The support for this initiative has been truly inspiring, with a high level of participation and commitment to conservation. It’s heartening to see such enthusiasm for promoting responsible hunting and contributing to the well-being of African buffalo populations. As we move forward, I am excited to see how this season’s entries will uphold the tradition of excellence established by our previous winners.”
For full terms and conditions of the 2026 Dagga Boy Award, please follow this link.