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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