Rigby Dagga Boy Award III Updated Rules And Conditions For 2025-2026 Season

To participate in the Rigby Dagga Boy Award, hunters are invited to share their entries electronically by emailing a detailed hunt report, along with photos of qualifying buffalo bulls taken during the eligible hunting period to daggaboy@johnrigbyandco.com. Your entry could make a significant contribution to buffalo conservation efforts, so don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of our mission

Eligible buffalo criteria​

Buffalo bulls only: No cows from any buffalo species are eligible, only bulls that have surpassed breeding age.

Wild and free-ranging requirements: Bulls must come from self-sustaining herds and be hunted in an ethical, fair chase, track, walk-and-stalk manner. The term “wild and free-ranging” signifies that these buffalo populations depend solely on their natural environment for sustenance.

Acceptable practices:

• Concession operators may enhance water supply by drilling wells or building dams
• Disposal of old, used salt from skinning sheds at the conclusion of hunting season (offering no nutritional value to wildlife).

Prohibited: Managed Populations

Bulls from ranched, captive-bred, artificially managed, handled, sold, or traded populations are ineligible regardless of geographical location, size, or fencing. Additionally, buffalo populations receiving any form of nutritional assistance during the year are considered ‘managed’ and therefore not eligible. This includes:

• Access to improved pastures
• Hay or alfalfa
• Protein supplements
• Mineral licks or complex mineral mixtures
• Any supplementation to maintain body condition, enhance reproductive performance, or improve growth rate

Special Note on South African Buffalo: Strict criteria apply to ensure only genuinely wild and free-ranging buffalo from truly “open” areas are eligible for entry.

Predation Requirement: Buffalo hunted on properties where there are no naturally occurring, free-living large predators are not eligible for entry, regardless of country.

Old dagga boys: The emphasis will be on ‘old’ and ‘broken-horned’ bulls who have surpassed breeding age.

Hunting season: Bulls must have been hunted between 1st January 2025 and 30th November 2026.

Submission deadline: Entries must be submitted by email before 30th November, 2026.

Judging criteria and 21-point scoring system​

All entries will be reviewed by a distinguished panel of judges with extensive expertise in buffalo hunting and conservation. The panel includes:

• Dr. Kevin ‘Doctari’ Robertson
• Professional Hunter Robin Hurt
• Professional Hunter Buzz Charlton
• Ranger Richard Sowry
• Rigby’s managing director, Marc Newton

Each judge will individually evaluate all qualifying entries using the following scoring system:

1. Age of the bull (6 points maximum)

Factors considered in determining signs of age include:

• Boss development/wear/hardness
• Horn tip position and sharpness or lack thereof
• Degree of muscling in the neck and shoulder region
• Overall body colour
• Ear condition
• Facial markings
• Development of chinlap
• Degree of wear of the lower jaw’s two first molar teeth (critical aging indicator)

2. Character of the bull (5 points maximum)

Assessment of the bull’s physical characteristics, trophy quality, and overall presence as a mature dagga boy.

3. The hunt (5 points maximum)

Evaluation of the effort, skill, and ethical approach taken to secure such a quality bull, including hunting conditions and challenges overcome.

4. The story (5 points maximum)

Assessment of how well the hunting experience is written and presented, including detail, clarity, and engagement (800-1000 words).

Total maximum score: 21 points

Individual judges’ scores are totalled for a final score, with the highest total score determining the winner.

Final authority: Judges’ decisions are final and no discussion on the results will be accepted. All applicants must acknowledge and agree to this condition upon entry.

Competition Details​

Eligible Species:

Wild, naturally occurring, free-ranging, and ‘unmanaged’ buffalo bulls from all Syncerus species are eligible for entry, including:

• Cape/Southern
• East African Savannah
• Central African Savannah
• West African Savannah
• Dwarf Forest

Winner’s prize: Rigby .416 Big Game rifle

Professional Hunter prize: Rigby .450 PH rifle (for the PH who guided the winning hunter)

Announcement: The winner will be announced on the Rigby booth at the 2027 Dallas Safari Club

Convention. (TBC)

Submission

Entries should be submitted electronically to daggaboy@johnrigbyandco.com

Mandatory submission requirements

Required photographs: All entries must be accompanied by electronically supplied, good quality photographs

including:

Hunter and buffalo:

• Photos of the hunter with their buffalo
• Full body shots of the buffalo

Critical age assessment photos (mandatory):

• Good quality side-on photos (at eye level) of each side of the cleaned lower jaw, clearly showing the crown heights of the first molars (third tooth from the rear)
• ‘From-the-front’ photos of the lower jaw incisor teeth
• Photos of the ears and overall body condition

Important: Failure to provide the required lower jaw photographs will result in an automatic deduction of two points from the entry’s total score. This penalty emphasises the critical importance of these photos for accurate age assessment.

Hunt details

Entrants must provide:

• Name and contact details of the Professional Hunter who guided the hunt
• Name and contact details of the outfitter
• Detailed description of where the hunt took place (specific location/concession)
• Detailed description of when the hunt took place (dates)

Hunt story

The “story” of the hunt is a crucial part of the application and judging process. A detailed description of the effort and experiences that resulted in the hunting of such an old bull is essential. Note: Please keep submissions concise and focused to ensure fair evaluation across all entries.

Conservation and research purpose

An important aspect of the Rigby Dagga Boy Award is to collect ‘age’ data from all African countries where free-living buffalo naturally occur, enabling determination of their ‘look,’ ‘character,’ and predicted life expectancy across different regions and populations.

Terms and Conditions​

Publication rights

Entrants must agree to allow their photos and stories to be printed in a magazine/book/online format should this be deemed worthy at a later date.

Prize conditions

By entering the award, winners agree not to sell their prizes and to enjoy using them for their intended purpose. Failure to comply with this condition will result in disqualification from entering any future Rigby competitions.

Entry agreement

By submitting an entry, participants acknowledge they have read, understood, and agree to all rules and conditions, including that judges’ decisions are final and not subject to discussion or appeal.

How to enter

To enter, submit your complete entry electronically to daggaboy@johnrigbyandco.com. Ensure all required elements are included for your entry to be considered. We look forward to receiving your submissions and making a positive impact together.

This award celebrates the conservation of Africa’s magnificent buffalo while honouring the tradition of ethical hunting and the pursuit of true dagga boy buffalo bulls.

I spoke with ‘Doctari’ Kevin Robertson last night at SCI and he asked if I could encourage those would like to participate in the third award to submit their entries as soon as possible. He is concerned that there will be a rush of entries near the deadline, making them very difficult to judge. Thanks you all!

Hi, do you know when volume 2 will be published and available to buy?

Good morning, it will actually be the third edition and I believe it is currently scheduled to be released in electronic print. If something changes, I will be sure to notify everyone.

RIGBY said:

Good morning, it will actually be the third edition and I believe it is currently scheduled to be released in electronic print. If something changes, I will be sure to notify everyone.

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Ah I see. I have a copy of the 1st volume. Is there not a 2nd volume? Or has this already been published?

Hi, what's going on with the second edition of the book? I took part in the Rigby Dagga Boy Award II and our stories were supposed to be published in a book at the end of 2025. However, I haven't received any information, and my question on social media have remained unanswered for several months. I'm sorry, but I find this behaviour very unprofessional for a company that prides itself on trust and tradition.

Jäger_Ivo said:

Hi, what's going on with the second edition of the book? I took part in the Rigby Dagga Boy Award II and our stories were supposed to be published in a book at the end of 2025. However, I haven't received any information, and my question on social media have remained unanswered for several months. I'm sorry, but I find this behaviour very unprofessional for a company that prides itself on trust and tradition.

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I can ask the team about the status of the second edition tomorrow and will get back to you.

Im sorry if I missed a prior inquiry about that. I do my best to look for questions and topics in public threads that request a response but have likely missed some in the past.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out through a direct message if you ever have a needs or questions.

The second Rigby Dagga Boy Award book will also only be release in an electronic format. I am waiting for more details on the timeline for the release and will share that when I have it.

I am currently reading Volume One, and it is incredible!

RIGBY said:

The second Rigby Dagga Boy Award book will also only be release in an electronic format. I am waiting for more details on the timeline for the release and will share that when I have it.

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That’s a real shame, as (aside from the great prize) being featured in a beautiful book like volume 1 is surely one of the main appeals of submitting an application for the award.
I love my copy of volume 1, but I presume the sales just weren’t high enough to justify releasing volumes 2 & 3 in book format

Yes, I think it's a great shame. I wrote the whole story and photographed the buffalo teeth as instructed in order to write and send an article that could be published in a book. I wanted to be able to give this book to my friends and keep it in my trophy room at home. However, since the book will only be published electronically, I am disappointed and will not participate in the future. I don't know if it was financially worthwhile, and I don't want to judge, but given how much money is spent on advertising and celebrations, I think the book could be published. But that's just my opinion.

I look forward to hearing when this will be available in an electronic format. I would also like to read the stories of other hunters. However, I'll print them out because I can already read lots of stories electronically on this great forum, for example.

There are dozens of book printing companies online. That will print it for a reasonable price.

Altitude sickness said:

There are dozens of book printing companies online. That will print it for a reasonable price.

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I do hope Rigby see how much people would appreciate a hard copy and do choose to print it!

As a different perspective I wish they would publish the original version and the 250th history book in a kindle version. The stories are more important to me than the pictures and I’m not going to carry a coffee table sized book on a plane with me. I travel a ton and planes are where I do most of my reading.

Muntjacer23 said:

I do hope Rigby see how much people would appreciate a hard copy and do choose to print it!

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I certainly understand the disappointment and also wish that having a printed edition was a viable project.

There was some interest in the first printed edition, but unfortunately, it wasn’t significant.

RIGBY said:

I certainly understand the disappointment and also wish that having a printed edition was a viable project.

There was some interest in the first printed edition, but unfortunately, it wasn’t significant.

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Is it possible to produce it on a smaller scale in a cheaper book that can be sold for less than £20? As the first volume is a beautiful book but is quite expensive at over £50. But It was certainly worth the money as I love my copy and I’ve been reading it whilst waiting for my first buff hunt next month.

Muntjacer23 said:

Is it possible to produce it on a smaller scale in a cheaper book that can be sold for less than £20? As the first volume is a beautiful book but is quite expensive at over £50. But It was certainly worth the money as I love my copy and I’ve been reading it whilst waiting for my first buff hunt next month.

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Im not sure, but I can certainly pass on the suggestion to the marketing group.

Perhaps suggest a pre buy period and if enough commit they print.

RIGBY said:

Im not sure, but I can certainly pass on the suggestion to the marketing group.

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I can't imagine releasing it via kindle has much cost at all. I would appreciate if you could look into that.

it’s very unfortunate that there will be no printed version. My family took great pride in helping my dad write the story of our hunt together for his first dagga boy. We were looking forward to showcasing them in our homes as well as sharing with friends. It would be nice if at least the individuals who took the time to provide a story be given a printed version. All that being said it seems like an awful long time to problem electronic version.