A life-long love of poultry, specifically the Old English Game breed saw Gilgandra poultry breeder, Ian Young, scoop the pool at the annual Narrabri Poultry Club Show recently.

If taking home Bird of the Show trophy, Grand Champion Large Fowl, Champion Hard Feather Large and Reserve Old English Game wasn't enough, Mr Young also picked up the Brian Croker Memorial for Champion Old English Game and the Phil McGregor Award for Champion Black Red Old English Game.

"I got into the breed as a kid," Mr Young said. "A friend and his father had Old English Game birds and so I sort of just followed that."

Now 45 years into his poultry breeding hobby, Mr Young is a veteran and has collected several prizes including a major win in at the Sydney Royal Show in 2021 where he took home the "Champion Old English Game" in his first year of competing there.

Mr Young said his hobby is time consuming and he is definitely in it for the love of the birds, not the money.

"In winter there are shows almost every weekend because that's when the birds are at their best. Breeding season is spring and summer and not much is happening then."

Mr Young's breed of choice originated in England and was originally bred for cockfighting - which has been outlawed in Australia since 1850.

They are known for their compact, muscular bodies, upright posture and aggressive nature and come in a wide variety of colours and patterns. These days they are purely for show, and are a popular breed with the breed's National Club having members in every state.

The Old English Game Club of Australia's Annual Show is being held in Goulburn in July and is Mr Young's main focus for his champion birds.

"The event in Goulburn is like the Olympic Games of the industry," he said. "The Annual Show is held in a different state each year and luckily this year is only six hours away."

Mr Young currently has around 30 birds and said if the Old English Game birds are well looked after, they "pretty much look after themselves."

"There's not a huge amount of show preparation other than a good wash and clean," he said. "My winning bird from Narrabri is pretty much my number one male at the moment. They have a showing life span of two or three years and then are kept for breeding."

With the Harden Poultry Show next on the agenda, before the "Holy Grail" at Goulburn, Mr Young is looking to add one more win to his tally.