Dear Rowland Ward Supporter,
The past year was a landmark for the Rowland Ward Foundation, as we distributed more grant funding to field projects than ever before. The Foundation currently supports six active programs in North America, Africa, and Asia. For more details on our conservation efforts, Click Here.
Record-Breaking Entries & Medals
Entries submitted to Rowland Ward’s Records of Big Game in 2025 include truly extraordinary specimens that demonstrate the power of sound game management:
- Tanzania: An incredible elephant with tusks weighing over 120 lbs.
- Alaska: A massive grizzly bear that has officially replaced the longstanding world record.
Both animals were honored with the Rowland Ward Fair-Chase Hunting & Conservation Award, a solid silver medal. There is no entry fee for this award; the only requirement is that the animal meets the qualifying criteria for Rowland Ward’s Records of Big Game and is entered before the deadline, which this year will be 1 October 2026. While we offer medals in four regions—Africa, the Americas, Asia/South Pacific, and Europe—they are only granted for truly outstanding trophies. This year, only two medals were awarded.
A Historic Discovery
Perhaps the rarest entry in our 150-year history occurred this year–we received our first-ever entry for a Queen of Sheba gazelle (Gazella bilkis). Found on the hillsides of Yemen, this species has not been sighted since the 1950s, making this a significant addition to our records. The animal was in a collection in Europe and since it was well documented, we were proud to accept it. It is so rare that even the British Museum, which has the largest depository of mammals on earth, apparently does not have one in its collection.
Besides this gazelle, we had a number of very large markhors entered, as well as a huge water buffalo from Australia. We also had numerous excellent trophies from Africa, including warthogs (one of them a pickup with a 20-inch tusk!), Southern greater kudus, Cape buffaloes, and a very good mountain nyala.
Youth Entries
In 2025, we recently received two outstanding youth entries: one, a Southern impala from South Africa shot by Mia Pienaar, and the other, a Damara dik-dik taken in Namibia by Audrey Koehn—both of which clear the minimum. We are eager to encourage more young hunters to get involved in conservation and record-keeping, and if we receive enough entries from participants 18 and under, we will issue an annual award for the best entry.
Digital Evolution: Records of Big Game
We are thrilled to announce that the Digital Record Book is officially in motion. Thanks to generous funding from hunters worldwide, we are moving the entire Record Book online for easier searching via the internet.
The transition will happen in three stages:
- Migrating current data to a modern, high-performance database.
- A testing phase to ensure system stability.
- Launching the searchable database via subscription on RowlandWard.org.
We will continue to publish our traditional printed record books alongside this new digital platform.
From the Field
I recently returned from the Congo (Brazzaville), where I personally measured several excellent dwarf forest buffaloes. I also measured an Angolan waterbuck—the first entered in decades. (Waterbuck are not currently on license in the Congo; this particular animal was taken years ago when the season was open).
Finally, the latest issue of Rowland Ward’s Magazine was published this past October. If you haven’t seen it yet, you can Subscribe Here..
If you are attending any of the 2026 conventions, come and see us at:
Wild Sheep Show, 22-24 January, Reno: Booth #913
Dallas Safari Club Convention, 6-8 February, Atlanta: Booth #1654
Safari Club International Convention, 18-21 February, Nashville: Booth #1936
