Club life member Pat Pennell (83) was there from the very beginning and is the only surviving founding member of the club.
The other founder was Roger Maxwell.
Mr Pennell said there were many highlights from the past 50 years and it was difficult to keep track of them all.
‘‘You can't give all the details of what happens in a lifetime,'' he said.
The club celebrated its 50th jubilee over the weekend at Toko Mouth. The celebrations were held in conjunction with the club's annual championships.
Owners and their dogs from both ends of the country made their way to Toko Mouth to take part in the gundog trials.
Mr Pennell said he had made many friendships during his time in the club.
Having a common interest in training dogs helped foster those friendships, he said.
Mr Pennell had also judged national championships and been a part of the New Zealand Gundog Trial Association.
His expertise and experience was much appreciated in the club.
When the club was founded, Mr Pennell ensured there was a trophy for every one of the seven categories despite money being tight.
‘‘Fundraising was done with a bit of raffling and a bit of scrounging.''Mr Pennell's connections helped make the events successful.
He said the local farming community was very supportive of the club's need to use land for the trials.
‘‘They're very agreeable to shift stock and do what is required.''South Otago Gundog Club secretary Maree Wilson said without the support of local farmers the club would struggle.
Support also came from other gundog clubs which provided help when events were held.
Weather was not usually an issue when it came to the trials, although it did make the competition difficult sometimes.
Only twice in the past 30 years were the championships cancelled or postponed, as far as Mrs Wilson was aware. In addition to the South Otago Gundog Championships, there was a jubilee dinner on Saturday night.
The trials were held on both Saturday and yesterday, and there was a prizegiving ceremony last night.
