Shooting Times & Country – 17 July 2019

Crowds fl ock to Scottish fair

Safari firms banned by NEC

Morethan30,000visitors
havemadethetriptoScone
nearPerthforthe31stGWCT
ScottishGameFair.
Thepopularfixture
featuredpipebands,
foxhounds,gundogs,birds
ofprey,a stuntshow,terrier
racingandtheFrench
huntingband,LesTrompes
dela Cottenciniere.
Thereweredailyclay-
shootingcompetitions,
andfishingexpertsScott
MackenzieandGlendaPowell
dazzledthecrowds.
TheFredTaylorMemorial
Trophyforworkinghillponies
onSundaywenttoHarmony,
aneight-year-oldHighland,
togetherwithherhandler
RebeccaCantwellfrom the
Balmoralestate.
TheEnglishcarriedoff
someoftheshow’smost
prestigiousprises.Team
EnglandwontheFourNations
InternationalGundog
Competition, and the Scottish

GamekeepersAssociation

YoungGamekeeperofthe

Yearprizewasalsotaken

byanEnglishman,Ciaran

Woodman-Robinson.

Accordingtohisfirst

headkeeper,Ciaran,from

Worcestershire, ”arrived

inScotlandona voluntary

three-weekplacementwith

twoorthreesetsofclothes,a

clapped-outcaranda couple

ofPotNoodles.However,

afterprovinghimselfhe

refusedtoleaveandhasbeen

in Scotland ever since.”

Huntingsafarioperatorswill
notbeallowedattheGreat
BritishShootingShowin
2020.TheNationalExhibition
Centreannouncedtheban
aftera petitioncollected
30,000signatures.
Theauthorsofthepetition
claimedthatallowing“these
firmstopromotetheir
sickeningactivitiesatthe
BirminghamNECwillbring
shameontheBirmingham
NEC and Britain”.

Aspokesmanforthe

venuesaid:“TheNEC

continuestobea venue

thatpermitsa widerangeof

content.However,wearealso

a businessthatis builtaround

itscustomersandtherefore

listenstothem.

“Wefullyunderstand

concernsregardingthe

activitiesofsomeBritish

ShootingShowexhibitors,

andhaveacted.Taking

these concerns and the

safetyofstaffandvisitors

intoconsideration,wewill

beremovingexhibitorsthat

practisesafarihuntingfrom

theshowinFebruary.”

Inthepasttheshow

hasonlyattracteda small

numberofsafarihunting

companies,includingNamib

HuntingSafaris,whichoffers

dangerousgamehuntingin

southernAfrica,andUmlilo

Safaris,whichprovides

“fenced” lion hunting.

Hunting safari operators have been banned from next year’s Great British Shooting Show at the NEC

There was a huge variety of attractions at the Scottish Game Fair

SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE • 7

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To do this week

FISH

Astringof

feathersora

cheapspinnerareallthatis neededfor

a greatfishingexperienceanda tasty

dinnerashotweatherandwarmer

waterbringmackerelshoalstoBritish

shores.Mackerelarehighlyaggressive,

predatoryfishandcanbecaughtbya

rangeofsimplemethods,includingthe

classicstringofbrightlycoloured

feathers.Forfly anglersa gaudytrout

lurecanbeusedtohookthefish,which

put up a spectacular fi ght on light tackle.

CLEAN

Drinkersputoutfor

gamebirdsarea

potentialsourceofdiseaseandshould

bekeptcleanandhygienic.Proprietary

sanitiserssuchasCiDCleancanhelp

preventthebuild-upofbio-filmsand the

spreadofdisease.Consultyour

equipmentsupplierandensureany

chemicalsusedaresafefordrinking

water.Analternativeis toinstalla

Dosatronunitorsimilardevicethat

deliversexactlytherightamountof

sanitiser into the water automatically.

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