The Glorious 12th sees the launch of The Field's Macnab Challenge sponsored by the very sporting triumverate of Glenfarclas Whisky, Hine Cognac and Champagne Pol Roger. So shake off your ennui, and get ready for the sporting adventure of a lifetime. We suggest the places where you can do a Macnab this season.
Gannochy has seen a prolific number of Macnabs taken on the estate.
Where to do a Macnab is a frequently asked question at Field Towers. Those who have read the book or seen The Field’s Macnab Challenge want to know how to set about this sporting feat. We detail the estates that can help below.
The Field’s Macnab Challenge celebrates its sixth year, and second in association with Pol Roger Champagne, Glenfarclas Whisky and Hine Cognac. The appeal of the Macnab is attested to every year by the Macnabbers. They aren’t grouse boys, they aren’t only boys, they aren’t necessarily expert fishermen. But they are unfailingly imbued with sporting enthusiasm for every part of the Macnab.
As the season opens on 12th August and grouse shooting gets underway there are those keen to be on the moor. But for a small, sometimes lucky, always sporting, group, the brace of grouse will be a part of something infinitely more exhilarating: a Macnab.
Our modern-day Leithen, Palliser-Yeates and Lord Lamanchas are regularly afflicted with the opposite of the famous ennui. Not for them idle hours cogitating how best to enthuse the spirit. They are more likely to be looking for a pause in the relentless pace of life, an exeat to the hill being the perfect antidote for anyone of a sporting bent. But, unlike Buchan’s trio, the modern Macnabber has sporting agents and sporting estates at the ready when he wonder where to do a macnab.
WHERE TO DO A MACNAB
“If you were to imagine your dream sporting destination it is likely that it would look much like Amhuinnsuidhe. It is a bewitching place to spend any time and the wild sport is matched by the comfort of the castle,” says Mungo Ingleby of CKD Galbraith, when asked about where to do a macnab. “The Ladies Loch or the Castle river gives every chance of a confidence-boosting pre-breakfast fish, leaving the remainder of the day free to head for the hill.” Amhuinnsuidhe, on the Isle of Harris, is generally let on an exclusive use basis. Occasionally the castle and sport are let to small groups or individuals during “mixed” weeks. Macnab Challenge attempts at Amhuinnsuidhe cost £1,500; full-board accommodation (exclusive of alcohol) is £223 per night per person; exclusive use from £28,600.
The Isles of Harris and Lewis are popular locations for Macnabbing. Peter Glenser took his at Ammunsuidhe.
Eishken on the Isle of Lewis is one of the great Hebridean stalking estates. “The ability to put out multiple rifles and rods across wild hill and shimmering loch means that there is ample sport for the entire party and it all takes place in splendid isolation and great comfort. Finding a salmon among the sea-trout is the hardest part of the Challenge but there are few more magical places to attempt it,” says Ingleby. Exclusive use only: fully catered, inclusive of the use of estate boats, from £9,500 plus VAT per week.
Urrard’s 2,500 acres in Highland Perth-shire provide a more central location to undertake the Macnab Challenge. “The estate has a reputation for showing pheasants and partridges of exceptional quality. What is less well known is that Urrard has a private stretch of the River Garry, pockets of hill that always hold grouse and, in late season, a very good chance of a stag,” reveals Ingleby. Short-break and single-day trips are accepted. A Macnab Challenge attempt costs £1,600 plus VAT.
CKD Galbraith can also pull together attempts with sport from more than one estate, although this is likely to be more expensive because of the greater number of estate staff involved: from £1,750 plus VAT.
“One of the biggest stumbling blocks to success on a Macnab Challenge attempt is low water,” says Ingleby. “Due to the habitat of grouse and red deer the majority of Macnab attempts take place in the upper reaches of mainland rivers. In a spate the salmon should be the easiest part of the equation but in a dry spell catching a salmon can be very tricky indeed. If it looks like you are going to be faced with low water across a sporting week investigate the possibility of taking fishing lower down the river, where water height is less of a crucial issue.”
Tulchan saw four Macnabs (including a double) in 2014. How many will be taken in 2015?
“Tulchan estate of Glenisla, Angus (not to be confused with Tulchan in Speyside) promotes sustainable fieldsports activities and is an estate of around 15,000 acres in the heart of the Grampian mountains, marching with Invercauld, Airlie and Balmoral,” says owner Lucie Boedts. Boedts was one of four Macnabbers from Tulchan in 2014, three of them women. It is definitely one to look at on our list of where to do a macnab. “It is principally a deer forest with the prime stalking ground known as Caenlochan, and is astonishingly beautiful. While it feels remote, it is, in fact, less than two hours’ drive from Edinburgh. The highest hill is the 3,504ft Glas Maol, from which the views are truly spectacular.”
Two rifles are allowed on the hill per day, on the east and west beats. Although there are no salmon rivers on the estate there is an arrangement with nearby Dalnaglar Castle for guests to fish the water there, under the eye of Dougy Morison from Kinnear Fishing.
“There is also the ‘Tulchan Macnab’ or double Macnab,” says Boedts. This comprises two stags, two salmon and two braces of grouse and was managed in less than five hours by Vincent Le Brun last year. A week at Tulchan, including cook and assistant, costs £4,800 plus VAT for up to 14 guests. The Tulchan Macnab costs £1,600 plus VAT, exclusive to guests at Tulchan Lodge. It’s available through George Goldsmith.
“Borve estate on Harris is owned by an ex- war correspondent and both he and the estate manager have been busy developing it,” says George Goldsmith. “The main lodge has just finished renovations and is now ready to take guests.” The estate runs to more than 3,750 acres and also owns the island of Taransay, where the stalking takes place. Salmon fishing is from a boat on Loch Laxdale or Loch Fincastle, or sea pools that are fishable from the bank. Hiring the lodge, which sleeps 18 guests, includes all fishing and the services of three gillies. For 2016, the rate is £20,000 inclusive of VAT on a fully catered basis. Stags are charged at £500 including VAT.
Borve Lodge on Harris provides a spectacular location as well as good sport.
Peter Swales is a sporting agent based in Scotland. “I work with Mark Adams of EJ Churchill. We provide sport at various times for each other’s clients,” he says. Swales has already organised a Macnab attempt for a group in August at a lodge which has been tenanted by a friend. “Anywhere there are stags, salmon and grouse a Macnab is pos-sible,” he says. “But nothing is guaranteed. The main thing is to have enough personnel available to make it happen, so when you have caught your fish you are ready to go straight to the hill. It is much harder to organise as an individual but it can be done. It is either forward planning or completely accidental.”
Finally, the most successful hunting ground to date for Macnabbers has been the Gannochy estate in Glen Esk, Angus, which is geared up to the Macnab Challenge. Head-keeper David Clement is the man who makes the Macnabs happen. If an early start on the North Esk (six miles of which is owned by the estate) results in a salmon before breakfast, the Gannochy rules state that the Macnab is on and the shooting and stalking take place on the hill above. This compact estate is paradise for potential Macnabbers but the opportunity to savour a Macnab is available only to those taking a whole sporting week at The Steadings. Price on application.
And of course when you have finished on the hill finish with an equally sporting tot of Glenfarclas Whisky or Hine Cognac. Or perhaps a celebratory glass of champagne?
Tarquin Millington-Drake has witnessed numerous grouse shots get it right, and sometimes wrong. He explains how to shoot grouse safely and avoid the three big grouse shooting errors.
Be aware of the safety rules and your time in the butt will be rewarded.
How to shoot grouse safely is the primary concern of anyone standing in a grouse butt. You must be aware of the issues before you set boot to moor. Grouse shooting is thrilling but it should always be a matter of safety first. For succinct safety advice read the editor’s top ten tips for grouse shooting in safety. For more in depth advice see below.
SHOOT GROUSE SAFELY
A key to shooting well and making the most of your opportunity is to feel relaxed and avoid hesitancy. And to feel relaxed you need to be sure that your approach to safety is the best it can be. Everything you may have heard is true, and it is too easy for accidents to happen. To my mind, how to shoot grouse safely starts with understanding the most common errors and organising yourself to avoid making them. Then you can shoot with confidence.
1. SWINGING THROUGH
Error number one is swinging through the line and shooting your neighbour. This can be avoided by using the sticks placed either side of your butt. You are responsible for your sticks and you need to feel confident they are correctly placed to prevent you making a mistake, and to suit your style of shooting in terms of footwork and position. Ask your loader’s opinion on placement. If in doubt err on the side of caution; you will be far more at ease and shoot better.
Be aware that, for the right-hander, the more likely side on which to make an error is the left. For the left-hander, it is the right. Pheasant-shots have a tendency to swing through a crossing bird starting from behind but the speed of the grouse is such that a dramatic catch up is required, therefore guns end up swinging through and leaning round or clattering the sticks. Do not swing over your sticks, do not put the gun through the sticks, and do note that the most dangerous butts are the beautiful big, round, stone ones. Their shape means you are able to get ahead of your sticks. Therefore, if placed safely, sticks on a round butt often seem to have a very restrictive window. If you find yourself in one, walk forward and think it through.
2. WALKING PAST YOUR STICKS
“Walking past your sticks” when shooting behind is the second and perhaps the most common error. The sticks will not prevent you making a mistake if, when facing out the back of the butt, you move from within to beyond them (possible in some butts) and are therefore able to address the bird with no restriction. So, the advice here is to stay within the boundaries of the butt sticks when shooting behind; do not walk to the back of the butt where there are no sticks to prevent you making a mistake and addressing a bird as it passes your neighbour.
3. BE AWARE OF THE FLANKERS
The third mistake concerns the safety of the flankers: the men and women with flags on the end of the beating line whose job it is to squeeze the line so the birds go through the line of butts. They are the most vulnerable people on the moor. If you are on the end of the line, how to set up to avoid them may be obvious but if you are one butt in from the end, you will find them less prominent and may hit them, so take extra care. If pieces of moor are being brought in on an angle due to wind direction, those in the middle of the line may also need to be careful in the latter stages of the drive. Some guns and loaders will tell you just to be aware and careful. I like to move one set of my sticks as the flanker moves to protect him or her from me at all times. This involves moving the sticks from time to time but it does not cost you opportunities. You may end up with what seems to be a very narrow window between your sticks but it is not as small as it looks and usually the space to shoot behind safely is enormous. Flankers do not appreciate being peppered, so make sure you are visually in touch with them at all times and ask your loader to keep an eye, too, as in the time it has taken for a couple of shots much can change in a flanker’s position.
My final word on safety is to go easy on the alcohol the night before and on the day itself.
Lobster is often referred to as the king of the ocean. Philippa Davis puts the opera cape on Lord Lobster for her grapefruit and fennel salad. This is a salad with a dash of extravagance.
Lobster, grapefruit and fennel salad, rich in taste and contrast.
Lobster, grapefruit and fennel salad is an elaborate dish; the sour grapefruit contrasts well with the richness of the lobster making the salad rich in taste with a zesty contrast. For more shellfish recipes take a look at our refreshingly tasty lobster soup recipe and our fabulous scallop and prawn broth.
With its exotic associations, it is extraordinary to think that lobsters were once so abundant and plentiful. They were inexpensive to prepare and often found washed up on the seashore with no home to go to. Today we value lobster as a delicacy, owing to its pure deliciousness. It is a brilliant ingredient to add to a salad recipe. Try making this lobster, grapefruit and fennel salad at home.
LOBSTER, GRAPEFRUIT AND FENNEL SALAD
Serves 12 alongside 1 or 2 main dishes
■ 12 cooked lobsters
■ 6 grapefruit peeled and segmented (keep juice that escapes; if there is none use 3 tbsp grapefruit or orange juice from a carton)
■ 2 tbsp olive oil
■ 1 fennel bulb, finely sliced (keep the fronds for decoration)
■ 6 avocados, skin and stone removed and cut into 1cm (2⁄5in) cubes
■ 20g (3⁄4oz) flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
■ 100g (31⁄2oz) red radishes, cut into circles
To begin making your Lobster, grapefruit and fennel salad, split the cooked lobsters lengthways, cutting up the back and down the belly using kitchen scissors. Remove the meat from the tail and claws and slice into large chunks. Wash the shells and place them on your serving platter.
Whisk the grapefruit juice and olive oil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Gently toss through the lobster meat, fennel, avocado, grapefruit segments, parsley and radish. Fill the lobster shells and decorate with the fennel fronds. This salad is excellent as a starter or served with other fish/meat salads for a main course.
Pick the best of your crop and roast some root vegetables for the perfect warm salad. Philippa Davis has introduced toasted macadamia nuts and pomegranates to lighten the texture.
A tasty combination of warm roasted veg, pomegranates and toasted macademia nuts.
Roasted root vegetable salad with pomegranate is a superlative addition to the salad smorgasbord. With the extra garnishing of toasted macadamia nuts and pomegranates, this salad is filling without being too heavy. To test just how keen guests were for something different I went through a stage of putting this salad next to the steamed/buttered vegetable plates. The roasted root vegetable salad platter was cleared every time; the plain veg had to be made into soup. Point proved.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. In a bowl toss the celeriac, thyme and
3 tbsp of the olive oil. Season. Lay the celeriac and thyme flat on a roasting tray and cook till tender and slightly caramelised, turning occasionally. This should take about 40 minutes.
Boil the carrots in salted water till just tender, drain then toss through the cinnamon, honey and 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Season. For the perfect Roasted root vegetable & pomegranate salad, roast for 20 minutes turning occasionally. Toss the parsnips with the chilli flakes and 2 tbsp olive oil. Season. Lay flat on a roasting tray and roast for 30 minutes or until tender, turning occasionally.
Whisk the balsamic with the extra-virgin olive oil. Just before serving toss the lettuce, chicory, seeds and nuts through the dressing, then the warm roasted vegetables. This Roasted root vegetable & pomegranate salad tastes great with roasts.
The original Subaru Outback has ripened into a refined, elegant car that cruises reliably on all terrain. This model has new off-road features, adaptive cruise control and a sharp Eyesight system.
The Subaru Outback has adopted a more sophisticated and conservative look as it cruises along the coastline.
The Subaru Outback is still holding on to its old rugged roots, but this time with more class and dexterity. The new Subaru Outback is mature, modern and classy boasting a whole new range of features allowing more capability in different weather conditions.
The latest Subaru Outback brings good news: the design team responsible for hideous front ends has been given a stern talking to. Whatever they were smoking or drinking that inspired them to produce questionable gems such as the Mk 2 Impreza and the Mk 1 Tribeca, and was threatening to send the Outback – our favourite Subaru – down the same scary visual path, has been confiscated.
The sixth Outback to reach these shores has adopted a more conservative look and is far better for it. The ugly dropped nose has been pulled up, the yoof-impressing slash in the bonnet has gone and the whole package looks more rural than urban.
This is a bigger car than its predecessors. It is a beefed-up version of a standard legacy.
It is a bigger car than its predecessors and seems to have moved on from being just a beefed-up version of a standard Legacy. It now dwarfs a standard estate car. This, of course, means more room inside. Everyone benefits, in the front, in the back and in the estate load area. Subaru has made great efforts to catch up with the opposition in the quality of the trim, and it pays off. The whole cabin has a more upmarket feel to it, with a much higher level of fit and finish.
My diesel test car came with the CVT gearbox, which combines fully variable transmission with a “stepping” system to give the impression of different gear ratios. When it’s in infinitely variable mode, you have to lose the habit of using engine note as a speed guide. They are no longer mechanically locked. Having slowed to 30mph, it’s all too easy to find that, with no increase in engine revs, the Subaru has crept up to 45mph.
The Outback is moving away from its rural roots. The interior is modern with improved suspension.
In many ways, the Outback is moving away from its rural roots; there’s no dual-range gearbox and the suspensions has been firmed up again to cope with the extra size and height, although the ground clearance is as good as ever. Perhaps the least useful features for our world are the multiple gadgets and gismos posing as driving aids: lane wandering detectors, movement sensors and the much-vaunted “Eyesight”system that slams the brakes on if thinks the object in front is getting closer suddenly. I couldn’t help casting my mind back to a summer evening in 1996, when I had to use my brand-new Legacy to help herd 80 escaped cattle back out of the silage clamp, through the effluent (perfect for 4WD), over the ruts (thank goodness for low ratio) while being butted and nudged by several tons of Hampshire beef, still on the hoof. I dread to think how all the warning systems would have reacted to multiple black-and-white objects approaching from all sides.
Somehow I can’t see myself using a new Outback for cattle chasing. A hearty hoof to the front grille followed by a stream of steaming fresh May-grass manure would ruin its look. And we’ve waited years for Subaru to stop doing exactly that.
This car will automatically slam on the breaks if it thinks it is getting too close to another vehicle.
SUBURU OUTBACK 2.0 DIESEL SE PREMIUM CVT
Engine: 1,998cc “flat four” diesel Power: 150PS Max speed: 119mph Performance: 0 to 62: 9.9 seconds Combined fuel economy: 46.3mpg Insurance group: 22E Price: £32,995 Website:www.subaru.co.uk
Would suit nervous nanny
Beluga lentils glisten when they're cooked, causing them to look like beluga caviar. The flavours meld well with vinaigrettes and marinades making them the perfect salad ingredient..
The natural ebony color of Black beluga lentils fades to a rich nut-brown hue during the cooking process.
Beluga lentil, goat’s cheese and avocado salad is an ample dish to serve both in the summer and winter. Dark and shiny, beluga lentils are perfect for use in salads as they hold their shape when cooked and have a delicious, earthy flavour.
These chosen lentils differ from the ordinary garden variety. They are much smaller in appearance and soften much quicker when cooked. This lentil type is named after beluga caviar owing to their similarity in appearance. During the cooking process, the colour of the lentils fade and turn to a rich nut-brown.
Beluga lentil, goat’s cheese and avocado salad is a great end of summer choice. For more Field lentil recipes, take a look at our puy Lentil, bacon and sausage broth.
Before you begin making your beluga lentil, goat’s cheese and avocado salad, place the lentils in a pot with the garlic and shallots. Cover them with 600ml (21fl oz) cold water, bring to a boil then simmer for 25 minutes or until just tender. (Add water if necessary during cooking.) Once cooked, drain off most of the excess water (if there is any) and season with salt, pepper and the 2 tbsp good olive oil. Remove the garlic cloves. In a large bowl whisk the honey, mustard and vinegar, then olive oil and tarragon. Season. Fry the lardons in 1 tbsp olive oil till crispy. To serve mix the lentils with the lardons and dressing then carefully mix in the goat’s cheese, avocado and watercress. This beluga lentil, goat’s cheese and avocado salad is delicious with roast chicken or pheasant.
If you're game to try something different with your deer, put it in a salad.
The crunch of the almonds contrasts well with the tenderness of the venison.
Thyme-crusted venison fillet salad is the perfect dish if you’re tempted by the earthy seasonal flavours of game meat. Slice it finely into your salad and you can get more bang for your buck.
Here, the crunch of the almonds contrasts well with the tenderness of the thyme-crusted venison fillet salad. This game meat is best when it is still tender in the centre, not too gamey-tasting, sliced into thin strips and served with a fresh salad. It is best to cook venison using a hot pan and sear the fillet at high heat until golden. The resting time is the most important part; remember to rest your fillet for at least five minutes after frying it on the pan. If you don’t, the juices from the meat will flow leaving your fillet dry. Resting allows everything that’s going on within the steak to calm down. This will ensure the best flavours for your thyme-crusted venison fillet salad
Before preparing your Thyme-crusted venison fillet salad Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Mix the onions with 3 tbsp cooking balsamic, 3 tbsp of the olive oil and 3 tbsp water. Place in an oven-proof dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake for an hour or so until soft. Stir through the horseradish, good balsamic and the extra-virgin olive oil. Keep warm. Smear the remaining olive oil on the fillet and season with salt, pepper and thyme. Sear it in a hot frying pan, then roast the fillet for four to eight minutes at 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. When cooked, let it rest for five minutes before slicing thinly.
To serve your thyme-crusted venison fillet salad: toss the warm red onions and venison with the almonds and rocket. Works well when served with tarts/quiches or with other fish/meat salads.
Laying the table without salt and pepper is a sign of a good dinner ahead. The Field's smoked mackerel, orange and labneh salad is full of flavour and certianly won't need anything else added to it..
Smoked mackerel is flavourful and satisfying in a salad.
Smoked mackerel, orange and labneh salad is is an unusual but delicious dish to try. The unsubtle emulsion of mixing a smoky fish with a zesty organge gives a really exciting taste. Along with something hot, in this case chilli, and lots of sea salt, this smoked mackerel, orange and labneh salad will not disappoint.
Labneh is a strained Lebanese yoghurt that will really enhance the taste of your Smoked mackerel, orange and labneh salad. This fresh cheese originates from the Middle East and is very easy to make at home and is the perfect complement to this healthy fish dish. This recipe will make approximately 12 oz.
SMOKED MACKEREL, ORANGE AND LABNEH SALAD
Serves 12 alongside 1 or 2 main dishes
For the labneh
■ 1 litre plain yoghurt
■ 11⁄2 tsp fine sea-salt
For the salad
■ 6 oranges, skin and pith removed and thinly sliced (keep any juice for dressing)
■ 4 tbsp good, extra-virgin olive oil
■ 2 red chillies, halved, deseeded and thinly sliced
■ 1 cucumber, sliced into thin rounds
■ 6 baby gem leaves, separated
■ 2 tbsp finely chopped mint
■ 12 skinless fillets smoked mackerel, broken into large chunks
■ 3 tsp black onions seeds
To make the labneh, whisk the yoghurt and salt together. Lay a cheesecloth in a colander that’s set above a bowl. Pour in the salted yoghurt then bring up the sides of the cloth and tie into a bundle. Place a light weight ( a small plate, for example) on top and leave in the fridge to drain for 10 hours then scoop into a container until you’re ready to use it.
When ready to serve: in a large bowl whisk the juice from the oranges with the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Toss through the oranges, chilli, cucumber, lettuce, mint and mackerel. Pile the salad on to your platter with spoonfuls of labneh and sprinkle with onions seeds.
A great starter or good with other fish/ meat salads. pepper. Add everything else and mix thoroughly, box up and head for the hills. Good with fatty meats such as pulled pork.
Before handing over your stale pitta bread to the ducks and swans, use it wisely in this Middle Eastern inspired fattoush salad.
This Middle Eastern salad has a bold, tangy, lemony dressing.
Fattoush Salad is great way to put your garden summer herbs and stale bread to good use. This Middle Eastern fattoush salad with crispy pitta bread has a bold, tangy, lemony dressing and a great crunch.
Fattoush salad is a popular choice, especially in Lebanon population. The great thing about fattoush is that you can alternate different veggies according to your preferred taste and the season. In fact, fattoush is the official Lebanese peasant salad, farmer’s just add in suitable harvest ingredients that they have in their kitchens at home. The variations ate endless; if you find the bite of pitta a touch spiceless, you can also use French or Italian bread instead to bolden the flavour and texture.
FATTOUSH SALAD
Serves 12 alongside 1 or 2 main dishes
■ 6 pitta breads
■ 100g (31⁄2oz) butter, melted
■ 2 cucumbers
■ 2 red peppers
■ 2 green peppers
■ 4 ripe large tomatoes
■ 1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
■ 200g (7oz) red radishes quartered
■ 50g (2oz) flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped
■ 4 tbsp sunflower seeds
Dressing
■ juice of 2 lemons
■ 3 tbsp olive oil
■ 3 tsp sumac (a dried, tangy red berry available in some supermarkets) plus an extra pinch
Before preparing your fattoush salad, reheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Split the pitta in half horizontally and brush both sides with melted butter. Lay the bread on a baking sheet and bake till crisp (about eight minutes), turning halfway. Remove, allow to cool and then break the pitta into rough chunks.
In a large bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients. Cut the cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes into 1cm (2⁄5in) chunks. Keep all these ingredients separate till you are ready to serve. When ready, mix everything together and sprinkle extra sumac on top. This fattoush salad is excellent with grilled meats such as venison or lamb.
This whole roast grouse recipe is perfect for early season - young - birds. Team the whole bird with ripe figs and tomatos for best effect.
The perfect recipe for an early season bird.
Whole roast grouse is safest attempted with a young bird. This is the perfect early season recipe, paired with tomato, fig and bread salad. For an alternative game salad try thyme-crusted venison fillet salad. Or to keep your grouse as old school as possible, our traditional roast grouse recipe is unbeatable.
Philippa Davis explains how to cook your whole roast grouse below.
WHOLE ROAST GROUSE WITH TOMATO, FIG AND BREAD SALAD
Serves 2
■ 2 slices white sourdough bread
■ 2 grouse
■ Salt and pepper
■ 1 tbsp olive oil for cooking
■ 4 bushy sticks thyme
■ 2 garlic cloves
■ 1 small bunch oregano
■ 1 small bunch flatleaf parsley
■ 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
■ 1 dsp good balsamic vinegar plus a little for serving
■ 2 tbsp good olive oil
■ 4 or 5 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges (I like a mix of colour and size)
■ 3 ripe figs, cut into wedges
A tasty and interesting sort of “bread sauce” with sweet figs and ripe tomatoes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 400°F/Gas Mark 6.
Toast the sourdough in the oven for a couple of minutes until just turning gold and a little dry.
Season the grouse with salt and pepper and rub with the 1 tbsp olive oil. Sear the birds in a hot pan till browned on all sides then stick the thyme, garlic and some of the oregano and parsley into the cavity.
Roast, breast-side down, for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on size.
Remove from the oven, loosely cover with foil and leave to rest for at least eight minutes.
Meanwhile, tear the toasted bread into chunks and mix in a large bowl with the vinegars, the good olive oil, 2 tsp each of roughly chopped oregano and parsley, the tomatoes and figs. Add salt and pepper.
Serve the whole roasted grouse on a large plate with a mound of the tomato salad and a little good-quality balsamic drizzled on top.
Looking for some shoot lunch inspiration? The Field's top 7 best salads for shooting lunches will not leave you hankering after more. These robust and hearty combinations are ideal to serve when the thought of another stew sinks the heart. And act as ideal accompaniments too.
Philippa Davis promises that these salad recipes will go down as well as the pies and stews.
Here are some of the 7 best salads for shooting lunches that you can try at home. Some may be suspicious of salads as not quite macho enough for the guns’ lunch. Get them right, says Philippa Davis, and they’ll go down as well as the pies and stews. When guns and guests come bounding into the dining-room or bothy, ravenous from their morning’s exertions, you want them to be delighted and salivating when they spy the food. Need inspiration for yet another shoot lunch? Then lettuce begin with our 7 best salads for shooting lunches…
For the host, getting lunch right is unquestionably an important part of the day. It is also one of the few elements you can definitely control, unlike the weather, your dog or the birds. When planning the menu you are probably lucky enough not to have to worry about catering for allergies or intolerances but you do need to consider that, even in the shooting field, tastes are broadening. Pies, stews and casseroles will, of course, always go down well but just as critical is what you serve with them.
Fattoush Salad is great way to put your garden summer herbs and stale bread to good use. This Middle Eastern More…
Having cooked for countless shoot lunches up and down the country for all ages, nationalities and ranks I can tell you, salads are in. Not a bowl of undressed leaves that’s left to wilt over lunch but platters of bright, bold flavours and varieties of texture and temperature that add taste and interest to the feast. When deciding on salads for your menu, the same rules apply as to the rest of cooking. Think about what’s in season and note what the weather is doing. For instance, my light mackerel and orange salad is perfect for a partridge-shoot on a warm September day whereas the spicy chorizo and couscous works well for pheasant-shoots later in the season when guests need something fiery to keep out the chill.
These 7 best salads for shooting lunches recipes have proved popular at recent shoot lunches.They will feed a dozen when served with one or two main dishes.
When it comes to mid season grouse the key is to use the breasts - make stock with the legs. This method works perfectly in a grouse salad. Combined with walnut tarator, roast cauliflower, pomegranate and mint this Middle-Easter-style dish is delicious.
When you have a mid season bird use the breasts in a salad.
Grouse salad with walnut tarator, roast cauliflower, pomegranate and mint is an ideal mid season starter. Philippa Davis uses just the breast meat but roasts the bird whole and uses the leftover as stock. If you still want to try the bird whole, and stick with tradition look to our traditional roast grouse recipe.
GROUSE SALAD WITH WALNUT TARATOR, ROAST CAULIFLOWER, POMEGRANATE AND MINT
Serves 2 as a starter
■ 1 roasted grouse, cooled or cold
■ 1 small cauliflower
■ 1 tsp turmeric
■ 1 tsp cinnamon
■ 1 tsp sweet paprika
■ 2 dsp olive oil (cooking quality)
■ 50ml (13⁄4fl oz) water
■ Salt and pepper
Tarator sauce
■ 1 slice white bread, crusts removed
■ 50ml (13⁄4fl oz) whole milk
■ 50g (13⁄4oz) walnuts
■ 1⁄2 garlic clove crushed
■ Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
Salad
■ 1 small handful rocket
■ Few small parsley leaves
■ 10 small mint leaves
■ 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
■ 1 tbsp finely chopped red onion mixed with 1 tbsp white vinegar
■ 1 dsp good, extra-virgin olive oil
Grouse meat is delicious cold and works beautifully in this Middle Eastern-style grouse salad. I prefer to use just the breast meat at this stage, so I roast the bird whole then use the leftovers in stock.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 400°F/Gas Mark 6. Cut the cauliflower into small florets and mix them with the turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, the cooking-grade olive oil and water. Lay flat on a tray, season with salt and pepper and roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until just soft.
Soak the bread in the milk for a couple of minutes then blitz till smooth with the walnuts, garlic, lemon juice and seasoning.
To assemble the grouse salad, thinly slice the grouse breasts, briefly mix the rocket, parsley and mint with the cauliflower and scatter on a plate. Add small spoonfuls of the tarator, the pomegranate seeds and soaked red onions. Lay the slices of grouse on top and drizzle over the good olive oil.
If you have an old grouse on your hands, or have dug one out of the freezer, the only way to cook it is to pot roast it. Philippa Davis pot roasts grouse with the brandy, tarragon and cream. Ambrosial.
With a late season bird on your hands the best thing to do is to pot roast it.
Pot roast grouse is the only way to deal with a late season bird. Any older grouse or bird that you have dug out of the freezer should be cooked long and slowly. Do not attempt to serve it like a traditional roast grouse. It will be tough. But by long cooking and combining it with some serious good flavour combinations you will wonder why you ever hankered after a young season bird.
If you still want to attempt to roast it, Mike Robinson has an excellent cheat for reviving a dry old bird.
POT ROAST GROUSE WITH BRANDY, TARRAGON, WILD MUSHROOMS AND CREAM
Serves 2
■ 2 whole grouse
■ Salt and pepper
■ 2 dsp olive oil
■ 6 shallots, peeled
■ 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm (4⁄5in) wedges
■ 6 chestnut mushrooms
■ 6 garlic cloves, peeled
■ 2 tsp dried tarragon or 3 tsp chopped fresh
■ 40ml (11⁄2fl oz) brandy
■ 600ml (1 pint) water
■ 150ml (5fl oz) double cream
■ 2 tsp wholegrain mustard
This works well with end-of-season grouse or birds that have been frozen and defrosted. Not one to eat on your best linen as it’s easy to get carried away with the creamy, boozy, meaty sauce.
Pat dry the grouse and season with salt and pepper then sear on all sides in a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the shallots, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, tarragon, half the brandy and all the water (it should almost cover the birds). Bring to a simmer and cook half-covered with a lid for an hour or till the grouse is tender (test the inside thigh).
Remove the grouse. If there seems to be a lot of liquid, reduce for a few minutes then add the cream and mustard and check the seasoning. At the last moment, add the rest of the brandy. Serve with buttery mashed potato or French fries and a decent bottle of red.
The whippy green shoots of the current year's growth are yearning for a trim. Learn how to prune wisteria and enliven the walls of your house.
Good pruning will enhance the beauty of your home.
Knowing how to prune wisteria wisely is key to keeping the outside of your house attractively covered. Let it go and you may start to resemble an overgrown secret garden. Wisteria is an ornamental plant and climbs gracefully when taken care of. If left to ramble and tumble into the gutters, it will be begin to look barren and stop producing flowers. The end of summer is a popular time to prune wisteria. It allows more sunlight to reach the young growths and will encourage better ripening of the wood.
If a touch of pruning prompts thoughts of a garden spruce, consider reading our practical advice on garden hedges and boarders for some advice.
QUERY: My husband has a tendency to prune large shrubs with a chainsaw, with dramatic results. He has offered to prune the wisteria, which has got rather out of control. It’s wonderful on the front of the house and I am determined to make sure it survives by pruning it myself. Help! When should I do this? Can you advise me how to prune wisteria?
HOW TO PRUNE WISTERIA
ANSWER:
The ideal time to prune wisteria is in July/August and again in January/February. It is important to keep the growth and size under control and this makes it more floriferous. To prevent the wisteria from raiding the guttering and windows, cut back the whip-like green shoots of the current year’s growth to six or seven leaves after flowering. This will encourage the wisteria to form flower buds instead of green growth. Take care to water it if there is a dry spell between July and September as the flower buds are forming for next year; a drought at this time can result in a failure to bloom. In January/February cut the same growth back to two or three buds – this will ensure that the flowers are not blocked by the leaves during flowering.
Ensure you can handle an Englishman or red-legged partridge with aplomb. Mike Yardley imparts his partridge shooting knowledge with some top tips for everyone.
Partridge shooting
Partridge shooting tips can help all guns, not just the novice shot. A day partridge shooting is a day shooting the most English of gamebirds. They may have them in Spain or love partridge shooting in Portugal, they might immigrate from France, but the hedge hopping partridge shows best in our green and pleasant land. So when you do take to the field, heed Mike Yardley’s partridge shooting tips for the best day possible.
PARTRIDGE SHOOTING TIPS
1. LOCATION
The attitude and the location of the shoot is all important. My preference is usually for the old East Anglian estates. That is, if the estate has the right owner or shooting tenant and a right-thinking gamekeeper.
2. QUALITY OF THE BIRD
Partridges are regularly sold around the same price but birds are definitely not all equal. Try and find those that are worth the trip and the price. You want proper sport, not feathered clay pigeons lobbed over the nearest hedge.
3. KEEP GOOD COMPANY
Finding the right group of people to shoot with is as important as finding the right shoot – you need fellow guns who share your sense of sport: safe, jolly guns who recognise what a good bird is and won’t raise a gun to a poor one unless it’s to administer the coup de grâce.
4. DO YOUR RESEARCH
As they say in the Army, time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted. By taking the time to look into the day you will get the sport you want at he price you need.
5. NUMBERS, WITH QUALITY
I don’t need numbers: 100-250-bird days provide an enjoyable experience as, sometimes, bigger days do not. I shot a 350-bird day a while back at a famous estate and remember thinking the last 100 birds were forced and a waste of my host’s money. But that’s not to say the bigger days are in any way wrong provided the quality is there.
6. HOW ARE THE PARTRIDGE PRESENTED?
In British partridge shooting there are two styles of presentation. Partridges are either high, perhaps too high, mini-pheasants in effect, or they’re redlegs shown like greys in the traditional English manner over spinneys and copses. Both are challenging.
Then there are the many shoots where the partridges are somewhere in between, with the birds coming over at 20yd to 35yd. These, too, can give good sport if approached in the right way.
7. SHOOTING REDLEG PARTRIDGE
One of the most challenging partridge-shoots that I have ever been to presented fast, strong, birds at mid height but, critically, at longer (but not silly) range. Shooting with a 28-bore, the birds coming fairly evenly (something so hard to achieve), I had one of the best partridge days of my life. The keeper stood behind me and we took tremendous satisfaction in the longer birds when the wind got behind them. (The smaller-bore gun improved my day and, tightly choked, promoted head-down, hit-or-clean-miss shooting.)
If you do go on a bad shoot, the birds will be too weak and easy and you will get no pleasure from it. You will also perform poorly, because your heart will not be in it. You may have to endure lunch listening to your new-gun neighbour’s interminable and smug account of his extraordinary consistency and kill-to-cartridge ratio. In fact, one of the great truths of shooting is that no one is much interested in anyone else’s shooting unless he is a royal or named Digweed (which amounts to the same thing in our eccentric community). Shooting poor-quality birds is bad for your technique and for the reputation of the sport as well as your pocket. Poor-quality partridges, like poultry pheasants, are not only boring but no test of a sportsman.
Don’t expect high birds where the topography makes it unlikely. Partridges naturally hug the ground rather like grouse but flying slower, somewhere near the 30mph mark usually, whereas grouse and pheasants are up to 10mph faster under normal con-ditions (and sometimes much more). I am not particularly fond of high partridges, anyway. The concept of beating guns with distance irritates. I like to shoot good, strong partridges at sensible ranges presented in the classic English manner or walked-up over pointers – which still has a special charm. Indeed, the partridge was once our most popular gamebird.
8. SHOOTING TRADITIONAL ENGLISH PARTRIDGE
The traditional English way of showing driven partridge, developed in the mid 19th century, suits their natural flight pattern very well.
To do it justice, one should try to take birds well out in front, at 30yd or thereabouts. This is truly challenging wing sport and allows for a second shot. A bird behind, however, at £30 or more a pop, is barely worth the effort and certainly not the money.
To be a decent partridge-shot, keep quiet both when walking to and on the peg. In my experience, partridges are more sensitive to sound than just about any other feathered quarry species. “Live on peg” is often the rule when partridge-shooting (and if in doubt ask).
Keep your wits about you and stay alert and don’t go for early pigeon. Partridges tend to come on rapidly and unexpectedly. You must be able to spring into action quickly.
You must constantly be thinking about safety, too.
With lower birds and more open chokes (not my preference, but commonly used) there is a real need for caution. Think about your arcs of engagement and safety angles carefully before you start shooting.
With English partridges, the cardinal sin was “browning” a covey, in other words not picking your mark but firing into the concentration of birds. With modern redlegs, especially in early season, the problem can be a mass of birds that’s not quite a covey but more than enough to confuse. You must pick your bird every time. Decide on it as a safe and proper shot and “stare it to death” as you bring the muzzles to it.
Partridge-shooting can be a fast business but you must not rush. Good preparation and address will help. When the action starts you may want to have a fairly high ready position, so the gun does not have to travel far to the shoulder. I don’t normally worry greatly about seeing lead deliberately at close and mid ranges provided visual discipline and focus lock are maintained. But there are some caveats.
Close birds (the one’s you shouldn’t bother with and/or come on you suddenly) and tall ones are often missed in front. This is because they are not flying as fast as you might think. Keep the gun high and don’t let yourself get wrong-footed.
I tend to shoot game in Stanbury fashion with front shoulder over front foot (the left as a right-hander) and straight but relaxed back. But occasionally a lower – but shootable – bird will catch me out to the right, most notably when I am flank gun with no one to that side. Not having time to move my feet, I may adopt the Robert Churchill technique of deliberately transferring the weight on to the right foot to facilitate this shot (this is may be practised on a skeet layout on a clay-shooting range on stations six and seven shooting at the “high house” bird).
9. NO NEED FOR LONG BARRELS
Don’t be overgunned. You will not need a long-barrelled, heavy 12-bore. My suggestion is for a handy 12-bore with barrels of conventional length or a 30in 20-bore. Side-by-side or over-and-under does not much matter but the speed of loading of the side-by-sides because of their increased gape may be worth considering. You will not normally want your high-pheasant gun on a partridge shoot.
10. USE THE RIGHT LOAD
Don’t overdo the loads, either. Partridges are small birds and don’t need large shot sizes or extreme payloads (though I must confess to a degree of hypocrisy on this and the previous count as I tend to shoot 5s at just about everything these days through my 32in Guerini 20-bores). Sub-1oz (24g or 25g) of 6 shot will do the job perfectly well and be easy on the shoulder, too. If you use more than an ounce, it is only for confidence.
11. KEEP AN EYE ON LINE
Very few birds are truly straight on. Remember to keep the barrels perpendicular (over-and-unders) or parallel to line (side-by-sides)when they are anything other than true, straight incomers. Or, if you prefer, shoulders parallel to line. On higher birds make an effort to start on the tail feathers or just behind and push through. Note the line, “insert” the muzzles on it and push on holding line as you swing. If you fail to connect on high partridges consider whether you are missing in front (because they are not quite as high as you think). Or, if you are really convinced you are behind, start by deliberate effort with the muzzles a yard or two behind the bird – in other words, about as far behind as you wish to go in front.
12. BE ON RED ALERT
Always stay on red alert when there are birds in the air. Make sure your neighbours realise, as you do, that one must commit to the shot instantaneously as birds break hedges. “After you”, isn’t going to work here because the birds are not “committed” to line. It’s probable that you will “poach” birds that might be your neighbours’. Don’t let this spoil your day but sort it out with the team before the day (the host should do this). Assess the ground. Take a good look at the height of the hedge and if the shot’s safe be prepared to shoot birds that cross your front, too. You will often see them following the line of the hedge (and being missed repeatedly by the rest of the line). If possible, avoid shooting behind; if you have to, because a bird is pricked, be extremely careful and consider where others may be.
Partridge shooting tips in a nutshell
Scan your zone in front, ready for that sudden but well-considered shot or two.
See the first bird, point your gun at its head, push on and fire.
Next customer… Don’t over-swing, always remember the line, always see sky.
If you move your feet, keep returning to centre as soon as you can.
Watch out for the smaller body and different colour of Englishmen and let them fly on.
Don’t overlead but do keep your head down and your eyes focused until you see the bird’s head fall.
We might not all be capable of making it to Burghley on our own horse. But being an event horse owner, with the thrills and excitement to match, is even better. Lucy Higginson tells you how you can
Henry (a.k.a. Miner's Frolic) has had an incredible eventing career.
Owning an event horse is thrilling. The discipline that evolved form the hunting field and army training is now a top flight international sport with BBC coverage and a slew of famous owners. Does it have the same glamour as owning an Aintree foxhunter? Its disciples would be glad it doesn’t.
OWNING AN EVENT HORSE
Owning an event horse means you pay the bills, share all the nerves and thrills but are hardly ever spotted on TV at Burghley or Badminton. So why would you decide owning an event horse is for you? For many, it starts by accident. Each weekend for years you are roused from your bed long before dawn by a horsy daughter intent on flinging herself over monstrous fences. Gradually, the adrenalin rush from surviving with all bones intact becomes addictive, along with the countryside and the friends you make in the lorry park. But the daughter disappears to university, leaving you with a half-decent horse to muck out.
Before putting it up for sale, you toy with the idea of asking a professional rider to look it over. Within nanoseconds, a charming, bronzed demigod in breeches is in your kitchen offering to take the horse on, and suddenly you are dreaming of walking round Burghley sporting a prized owner’s badge. Before you know it you’ve joined the team supporting a talented and hard-working rider, your name echoing from rural PA systems. The bills rapidly become more terrifying than the fences, but – no matter – you have become an event horse owner – or should that be an O W N E R (Over-your-head With No Escape Route?) As with everything equestrian, you’re in for roller-coaster ride involving euphoria and heartache in equal measure, as Sarah Pelham can testify.
The sister of racehorse trainer Roger Charlton, Pelham has always ridden and fell into ownership when her daughters stopped eventing. She ended up with interests in a couple of horses with rider Tina Cook and was lucky enough to strike gold when one of them, Miner’s Frolic (stable name Henry) co-owned with Nick and Valda Embiricos, got a late call up for the British team at the Beijing Olympics (run in Hong Kong). He re-turned with team and individual bronze, and later won two European golds. “We were the real juniors on the team for Hong Kong,” says Pelham. “But Henry just loved the whole thing. He adores people and only wants to please. And he’s gorgeous-looking; he knows that.”
Yet within three years, the horse who had galloped effortlessly through Asian heat was fighting for his life, suffering from colitis after a long period on antibiotics. “It did him in; his gut went,” says Pelham. At one stage Cook advised her that Henry might well die; she rushed to the vets to see him.
“He looked like a skeleton,” she recalls. “I told him: ‘Look, if you can just pull yourself together, you can come and live with me forever.’” To widespread astonishment, the horse recovered completely to win a further team silver in London. By the time he retired last year, aged 16, he had won a staggering six championship medals. “It’s been the most incredible 10 years of highs and lows, and being on teams, travelling to championships, is wonderful,” says Pelham, who is now breeding from Henry’s full sister.
HOW DOES OWNING AN EVENT HORSE AND OWNING A RACEHORSE COMPARE?
With all her racing connections, however, she is aware how ownership differs between the sports.“With racing it may be possible to cover your costs,” she explains. “I am sorry, but in eventing you don’t, even if you have a good horse. Eventing prize-money is hopeless unless you win Badminton or Burghley.”
While a promising young event horse may be bought for less than a smartly bred racehorse – about £20,000 – the running costs are similar, ranging from about £15,000 to £20,000 a year for a novice horse, and up to £30,000 for a top one (as travelling costs and entry fees increase). But while a racehorse can be on the track at two, an eventer won’t reach his prime until he’s at least eight or nine.
On the other hand, “finding a good racehorse is like finding a needle in a haystack,” says Clive Smith, who nevertheless managed it several times, not least with the wonderful Kauto Star, who died in June. Smith now has an exciting event horse, Pamero, with Laura Collett, and may be correct in thinking it’s easier to find raw eventing talent.
He is ideally placed to compare a racehorse owner’s “raceday experience” with that of an eventing owner. “It’s quieter and a slower day, until you reach the big time. Racing is quick-fire stuff. But then I’ve been spoilt, with horses in major races,” he says. “On the other hand, the people are different in eventing; everyone helps one another. Racing is more individual and cutthroat – because there’s so much more money in it, I suppose.”
Fellow owner Cathy Butler goes further: “In no other discipline will you see an owner washing their horse off or grazing it by the lorry,” she points out. “Most event-horse owners have a real passion for horses and have had other interests in the equine world. You don’t find people doing it for champagne and boxes. We don’t need that.”
BECOMING AN EVENT HORSE OWNER
Butler became an owner when she realised she had “a pretty smart horse and I wasn’t going to be able to develop his full potential”. Slightly to her surprise, perhaps, she finds owning a horse with another rider just as hard on the nerves as riding it herself. “When I sent one out I thought it would be much more exciting and less nerve-racking. It’s not! You’re not in charge of your own destiny and I’m just as much of a gibbering wreck.”
She is chairman of the Event Horse Owners Association (EHOA) which was founded around 17 years ago to give owners more clout. It’s partly down to this organisation that owners are better recognised these days in prize-givings and programmes and have freer access to their horses at top events.
The EHOA runs awards and hospitality marquees at 15 or more big events and publishes guidelines on running a syndicate and setting up agreements between owners and riders. It recommends written agreements about everything from dividing prize-money to thorny “what if” scenarios, including the worst… an injured or irreparable horse.
“The biggest blow is an injury,” agrees Butler. “They can be off for a year or even forever.” Which is all the harder when the horse has an adoring owner who’s looked after it back home every holiday. One owner, who bred a very talented eventer only to see it collapse and die of natural causes after completing a three-day event, still cannot bear to discuss it years later.
Everyone agrees there is a particularly talented crop of young riders coming through now with whom an owner could have a lot of fun. The trouble is that there are more riders than owners to go round. Since there is a finite number of people prepared to sink a fortune into a sport purely for fun, excitement and almost zero chance of breaking even, no one with a potentially interesting horse should be frightened of contacting a big-name rider. “People are surprised sometimes that I’m interested in their daughter’s quite nice ex-Pony Club eventer,” says Harry Meade, who helped Britain win team silver at last year’s World Equestrian Games.
Harry Meade won the Cotswold Life Trophy at Badminton in 2014.
Apart from the major events – at which a rider may take the horse’s owners to a cocktail party in The Big House – an owner’s fun stems usually from the picnic and debrief offered at the rider’s lorry at the day’s end.
“Win, lose or fall we always open champagne and toast the fact we’ve finished in one piece with a happy horse,” says Grant McDonald, who with Daniela Sieff, Ali Gill, and his friend Jason Gray, owns Lissa Green’s top horse Malin Head Clover.
Malin Head Clover is ridden by Lissa Green.
McDonald breaks the typical owner mould of a lady of a certain age whose horsy offspring have flown the nest. A former horse owner, he met Lissa’s mother, six-times Badminton winner Lucinda Green, on a riding safari, and introductions were duly made. “Instead of a Porsche, I’ve opted for a portion of an event horse for my mid-life crisis,” he laughs (although Lissa Green’s famously bubbly personality and fabulous legs may have been contributory factors).
Owning an event horse is all about being part of the team.
Now, instead of a fortnight in the sun each year, McDonald spends his holiday “on long weekends in Travel Lodges near horse trials”. Many men would think him crackers but for McDonald, visiting Badminton as an event- horse owner (even if the horse is not competing there yet) was a “money can’t buy experience”. “The whole Green family are a barrel of laughs, and though Badminton is the goal for Lissa, my own goal is just to see them both reach their full potential, clichéd though that sounds.” As he’s competed in the past, she invites him to ride the horse now and again on the gallops. “It’s lovely for me to be able to do that and not have to own him from afar.”
Harry Meade agrees that “the family feel of [event horse ownership] is probably the biggest draw. You don’t feel part of a business but of an extended family. You often become very good friends with your owners, and they play a big part in your career.” However, he is mindful that people may want different things from the relationship and does his utmost to provide them. While Lissa Green is, according to McDonald, a “Facebook addict”, Meade speaks to his owners “weekly, if not daily” by phone. When he shattered his elbows in a terrible fall in 2013 it was to the owners he spoke first from his hospital bed.
Besides throwing some sort of picnic at every event, Meade and his wife host owner parties during Badminton, a Christmas supper and so on; another leading rider has booked a hospitality tent near Badminton’s lake for his supporters.
Inevitably, the sport has witnessed some spats and unpaid bills but it says something about the people eventing attracts that this happens rarely.
Though success does not bring riches, for the small tribe of owners who do not just own a horse for themselves or their offspring, it can clearly brings other rewards. “It’s about the whole excitement of going and then the relief when the competition is over,” says Pelham. “Being on a team is absolutely wonderful; so many people want to see your horse do well. “I was physically sick, mind you, before the show-jumping at the European championships in France when Tina was in the lead on Henry. It was agony. But the highlights are amazing. My son came to [the London 2012 equestrian events at] Greenwich and paid it the ultimate compliment. ‘Mum, this is almost better than seeing West Ham win.’”
OWNING AN EVENT HORSE: DOS AND DON’TS FOR POTENTIAL OWNERS
DO
Call British Eventing (02476 698856) and ask for expert advice if you want guidance on choosing a rider for your horse.
Visit the rider’s yard and have a good look around to check whether the horses appear happy and the staff welcoming.
Have a broad conversation about the arrangement you will put in place with a rider, discuss all the “what ifs” and put something in writing before embarking.
Read the advice on the EHOA website; www.ehoa.org.
Get to every competitive outing that you possibly can.
Help wash off/graze your horse if you wish; it’s your horse. And this does not raise eyebrows in eventing.
Join the EHOA in order to maximise your enjoyment of ownership.
DON’T
Expect to make any money out of your horse. If you do, it’s a bonus.
Ask your rider whether the horse is likely to get to Badminton when it’s five years old. It’s just too early to know.
Be afraid to approach like-minded friends about coming into partnership with you if the horse reaches advanced level and starts becoming more costly to run.
Miss out on having your ownership recognised because you haven’t joined British Eventing. “Owner’s membership”, now costs is £80 rather than the usual £140.
NOTABLE OWNERS OF EVENT HORSES
Trevor Hemmings may be better known for owning racehorses but he hasn’t missed the trick. He owns two eventers registered with Zara Phillips.
Catherine Witt used to compete herself and is one of the most prolific owners, with eight horses registered to event, almost all
of them with William Fox-Pitt. Her horses all spend their holidays and retirement at her Rookery Park Stud in Cheshire.
Soft-drinks tycoon Andrew Cawthray has seven horses competing with Oliver Townend, a former Badminton and Burghley winner who also produces horses to sell on. Publicity-shy Cawthray says, “I’m not a typical owner, and my partnership with Oliver is very much a business arrangement.”
Tennis ace Tim Henman’s wife Lucy (right) is an owner-rider at the lower levels, with one of her horses called Courting Success.
Lady Lloyd Webber, wife of Sir Andrew, is a former top-level rider and their daughter Bella is now competing.
Actress and comedienne Jennifer Saunders (left) is among British team rider Piggy French’s band of owners, having first met her while filming a documentary, Back in the Saddle, in 2012.
Trevor Hemmings (below with Zara Phillips), who made his fortune owning thousands of pubs, properties, Pontins holiday clubs and more, is better known for his racehorses – he has had three Grand National Winners. But he also has two eventers registered with Phillips, including her 2012 Olympic team silver medallist, High Kingdom.
Partridge pot-roasted with thyme, hay and cider makes a wonderful Sunday lunch. Try this hay-baked recipe and add your own variations.
Enjoy this hay-baked partridge before the clocks go back.
Partridge pot-roasted with thyme, hay and cider is a wonderful way to serve partridge. The simplicity of ingredients means that you can add your own variations to the recipe and experiment with using different types of vegetables to add to the dish. For more inspiration on what to cook, take a look at our 7 best partridge recipes.
PARTRIDGE POT-ROASTED WITH THYME, HAY AND CIDER
Serves 4 ■ Big bunch of thyme ■ 4 partridges ■ Olive oil ■ Salt and pepper ■ Double handful of hay ■ 2 cloves of garlic ■ 275ml (1/2 pint) cider ■ 200g (70z) flour ■ 100 ml (3 1/2fl oz) water
Stick a small sprig of thyme up each partridge. Then preheat a heavy pan and pop the birds in with a little oil to brown. When each one has a good colour take them out and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Find a good casserole with a metal lid (I use copper pans in the pub, but a casserole works just as well) and place the hay in the bottom. Lay the bunch of thyme on top of the hay and nestle the garlic cloves in the middle. Place the partridges on top of the hay and pour in the cider to begin the makings of your Partridge pot-roasted with thyme, hay and cider.
Mix the flour with a tablespoon of salt and enough water to make a dough. Roll this out into a two-foot long sausage and place it around the rim of the pan. Stick the lid on, and you have a hermetically sealed pan that will retain all the steam, juices and flavour. Put the pan in the oven at 350 degrees F/ 180 degrees C/ Gas Mark 4 for 20 minutes, and then remove. Run the blade of a knife around the rim and theatrically pull the lid off in front of your guests so they can see how clever you are. Then return to the kitchen and serve the birds with anything you like (I would suggest cabbage, bacon and mash, which always goes down a treat). Lastly, tilt the pan and pour the juices over the top of your Partridge pot-roasted with thyme, hay and cider.
Holt's Auctioneers took part in the 'Walking With The Wounded' charity shoot last month and raised over £30,000.
The Sandringham Gamekeepers looking chirpy.
Holt’s Auctioneers: Walking With The Wounded managed to raise over £30,000 last month. Everybody was thrilled by the efforts.
Holt’s Auctioneers is one of the world’s leading auction houses for antique and fine modern guns. Located in Norfolk, England, Holt’s has been in the auction business since 1993. First established in 2011, the Charity Shoot is growing in its success year on year. The excitement of fast and furious sporting clays combined with the enjoyment of being on one of the finest shooting estates in the UK makes for a superb and highly sought-after day.
1967 – Holts Team.
With the great success last month, Holt’s Auctioneers were proud to be a part of the Walking With The Wounded charity shoot held on the Sandringham Estate by gracious permission of Her Majesty the Queen. A huge thanks to the headline sponsor William Evans Ltd., as well as Holland & Holland, James Purdey & Sons, Longthorne (Gunmakers) Ltd, Sowerbys Lettings & Property Management, Lings Country Goods, Adrian Flux Insurance Services, Tyrrells Crisps, Jardine Motors Group and Six Mile Bottom Shoot without which the day could not have been such a great success.
Winning Team – ‘Home Counties Hopefuls Plus A Welshman’.
Holt’s Auctioneers have a cabinet housed in the Gun’s shoot room at Belvoir Castle displaying a small selection of forthcoming meaning that Guns who are shooting at Belvoir (or visiting in the off-season) may view these items with a degree of privacy. Should they wish to, they can also leave items at the castle for appraisal and possible consignment for sale. In addition to this Holt’s Auctioneers will be holding regular valuation days at Belvoir attended by our local representative, Simon Grantham and a member of the valuation team.
2007 – Andrew Cook (WWTW) presenting winning team.
The best sporting estates in the country are brought together in our list. From West country hunting to Yorkshire shooting and Scottish salmon on the fly. Which makes it on to your wish list?
50 best sporting estates. The shoot bus at Houghton Hall
A sporting estate is on the top of most people’s wish list. Tradition dictated that once a pile had been made in the city you would retire to a pile of matching substance with all the right accompaniments. And today, an estate with a spot of fishing, a lawn meet and a decent shoot remain the sporting Holy Trinity. But as those who have tried to find the perfect sporting estate know, such elysian fields are much sought after. If the ideal estate if proving elusive at the moment, cast your eye over our list of the top 50. There is something for everyone; grouse shooting on Gunnerside, hunting in the West Country and sporting birds in the Home Counties.
The breadth of the country is covered in this definitive list. And if you have a sporting estate that makes the grade then let us know.
What are the hallmarks of a great sporting estate? Britain’s top agents have leant their knowledge and helped The Field compile the list of the 50 best. And if you find yourself onthe receiving end of an invitation form one of these greats count yourself very lucky. And to ensure a return make sure you follow our shooting tips:
11 Pheasant shooting tips to guarantee great sport before the end of the season.
BEST SPORTING ESTATES
Ardverikie, Inverness-shire
A shimmering Highland estate and a lead role in the BBC’s Monarch of the Glen might attract uninvited visitors but they can’t reach you on the other side of Loch Laggan and the midges are mighty effective bouncers. Fishing on the loch and stalking across 45,000 acres of deer forests. The Baronial-style house sits on a promontory overlooking King Fergus’s Island. Queen Victoria liked it.
Ashcombe, Wiltshire
Ashcombe’s 1,100 unspoilt acres across chalk valleys with steep contours present high, testing partridges and pheasants as part of an outstanding, well-managed shoot. There is a lovely Georgian house and an orangery for lunches. Guy Ritchie, Madonna’s ex-husband, has plans which include bringing back the vegetable gardens, lock, stock and two smoking beetroots. A beautiful divorce settlement.
Balmoral, Aberdeenshire
The Scottish home of the Royal Family beneath Lochnagar in Royal Deeside, with the granite castle and its sporting lands not expected on the market any time soon. Heather-clad hills, ancient Caledonian woodland and the River Dee weave over 50,000 acres. There is grouse-shooting at Corgarff and stalking in the forests. Balmoral chatters with the noise of silence, with the water running from the burns.
Barningham and Holgate, North Yorkshire
Like a bit of everything? This estate, on the edge of the Dales, has trout fishing, wildfowling, a pheasant-shoot and a productive two-day grouse moor. Throw in English partridges, duck- and goose-flighting, roe-stalking and a Grade 11* listed house. Listen to the singing; proof that moorland well managed for red grouse can produce an infinite variety of birds.
Bereleigh, Hampshire
Owned by the Tyrwhitt-Drake family, this 2,500 acre estate with its largely Georgian house provides one of the county’s best shoots, with great woods. The terrain is more down-land Sussex than Hampshire, creating challenging high birds. You also get to shoot lobsters to upset the Crustacean Alliance. (Its lobster shoot – clays the quarry and lobster the fare – raises lots of money for the Countryside Alliance.)
Bleasdale, Lancashire
Bleasdale Tower sits in the head of a lovely bowl, with a stunning view south. The house, not too big, is ideal for a shoot party. “The shoot has some spectacular drives off the moor edge and can show pheasants and partridges that are ridiculously high,” says Frank Speir of Prime Purchase. There is a grouse moor of 6,000-plus acres, too, with a lot of work done on upland management to regenerate the moorland.
Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire
A 30,000-acre sporting playground on the banks of the Wharfe, with 13,500 acres of moorland. High pheasants and quick grouse sate the shooting appetite and for anglers there are brown trout and grayling to be had on the fly. Take food and shelter in the estate’s splendid Devonshire Arms, with a wine list Bacchus compiled. Play cricket, too. But beware the ghost of Fred Trueman telling you to “Pitch it up lad.”
Brimpsfield Park, Gloucestershire
High pheasants and partridges fly over the roof of the Cotswolds. Steep valleys and woods are the ingredients for a shoot transformed by the Larthe family over the past 25 years. The mellow stone house has had a refurbishment, too. The property gets a mention in the Domesday Book but with no explanation as to how one of its drives came to be called The Fat Controller, although the sausage rolls are legendary.
A high bird makes the day at one of the 50 best sporting estates
Broadlands, Hampshire
History in every Hampshire pore. Once the seat of Earl Mountbatten of Burma, now home to Lord Brabourne. Fly fishermen ask to be baptised in the Test, such is its nobility among chalkstreams, with brown and sea-trout and salmon, while a wild shoot promises snipe and duck. Royalty and statesmen decorate the honours board. A Game Fair host, its centrepiece is a lovely house in Capability Brown parkland.
Castle Hill, Devon
Some think it is the greatest pheasant-shooting in the world. “Many drives provide birds that are genuinely unkillable,” says William Duckworth-Chad of Savills. The highest of pheasants in the deepest of Devon valleys over thousands of acres make it difficult to beat, with brown trout, sea-trout and salmon on the Bray. The house is special, too.
Caerhays, Cornwall
On the south Cornwall coast, Caerhays has a variety of shooting in spectacular surroundings. The Rookery is the pick of the drives, where the guns get the view down Porthluney Valley, with pheasants flying out of the canvas of the Nash-designed Grade I listed castle, which in the mid 19th century was so derelict geese drank in the drawing-room. The Vean lodge is very plush.
Chatsworth, Derbyshire
If you like estates big, as in 35,000 acres, then Chatsworth is your quarry. You have the pheasant-shoot, a trout stream on the Wye, parkland and stable blocks. It is the heart of the Peak District National Park and most of its lung, too. There is moorland and woodland, with a rare collection of ancient oaks. Chatsworth House, across the Derwent, puts the stately into home and has a few spare rooms for sporting guests.
Compton Manor, Hampshire
“Brought up fishing the River Itchen, I had to choose perhaps the greatest estate on the Test or the Itchen – Compton Manor. A fine house, thousands of acres of good partridge- and pheasant-shooting, but, most importantly, one of the premier beats on unquestionably the premier chalkstream in the world,” says Mark McAndrew of Strutt & Parker.
Catching a salmon on the fly is on the list at some of the 50 best sporting estates
Conholt, Hampshire
The lovely house sits in a park and the estate runs one of the finest shoots in the south of England. Wildlife and conser-vation is at its core, with a third of the estate woodland. There are valleys at Conholt where no machine has been allowed to venture. The guns move around on foot and the game cart is pulled by a horse, with damson gin in the saddlebag. An estate with magic in the mahonias.
Corrour, Inverness-shire
“Can somewhere so remote still exist in this day and age? It is so quiet you can hear yourself think,” says Anna Thomas of Savills. The lodge is a thoroughly modern castle with views over the loch. More than 50,000 acres to play in. Go stalking on the hill and get distracted by golden eagles, or try some trout fishing. This is sporting estate meets natural wilderness. It also produces its own venison.
Delfur, Speyside
A fly-fisherman’s dream and one for the purist – and that’s before you take the whisky trail and pay homage to the glens of Fiddich and Livet. The lodge sits on the banks of the Spey and you get to catch an Atlantic salmon on the finest fly water. An unbeatable and challenging beat on a top performing Scottish river. There is also high- and lowground shooting.
Drumlanrig, Dumfriesshire
A Buccleuch estate with pheasants and partridges, salmon on the Nith, trout in the lochs, driven grouse, roe- and wild-goat stalking and a castle. “I grew up at Drumlanrig, shooting pigeon, ferreting, sea-trout fishing at night, beating on the smart days. Then I had my first chance at driven grouse and pheasants. Part of my shooting soul will always be there,” says Jonathan Kennedy of CKD Kennedy Macpherson.
Elveden, Norfolk
Ownership passed from the Singhs – 846 partridges shot before lunch on a September day in 1895 – to a brewing dynasty. Curry and Guinness – sounds like a night out after the rugby. The idea for a Guinness Book of Records came from a shooting party in Ireland in 1951 when guns argued about the relative speeds of golden plover and grouse. Fine shooting and lavish parties. Is there a toucan in the gamebook?
Encombe, Dorset
Desirable? You want to take it to bed. A Georgian house of great beauty, 2,000 acres on the Isle of Purbeck and an outstanding pheasant shoot – this is high-bird heaven on sea. The golden bowl of 1,000 acres at the heart of the estate is a stunning landscape and the first glimpse of the house as you turn into the drive jaw-dropping. Fish from the rocks, be you keen fisherman or inquisitive child.
Faccombe, Hampshire
Does not usually get this good so close to the capital. This is renowned and testing pheasant- and partridge-shooing on a very well run estate. The rolling valleys provide for roe- and fallow-stalking. A beautiful house is concealed behind a high wall. “If you want to be close to London but feel hidden away in unspoilt countryside, this is the place,” says Toby Milbank of Knight Frank.
Firle, Sussex
“Whether you are following hounds over the Downs or swinging through a fast covey of partridges, the Firle estate has it all,” says David Steel of Smiths Gore: 3,500 acres of stunning South Downs countryside and a house of Tudor origins with Georgian tweaks. Try the local beer, Harveys, dating back to 1790. I start drinking it around 1800.
Fonthill, Wiltshire
A 10,000-acre estate with a large lake in a lovely landscape. “Fonthill has special valleys, fabulous for deerstalking, pheasants and partridges,” said Ed Sugden of Savills Country Department. Plenty of woodland, as well as farmland and gardens. The main house, built in the Sixties, is a far subtler creation than the old abbey, a neo-Gothic shocker, which eventually collapsed – hoist with its own façade.
Garrowby, North Yorkshire
Partridge- and pheasant-shooting in the Yorkshire premier league – deep, wide valleys and hanging woods are the top-ography of top sport on this 13,500-acre estate. Even the hall started life as a shooting box. Garrowby Hill is the highest point on the Yorkshire Wolds. If you swing an invitation here make sure you know your nags, for this is racing country. Actually, if you swing an invitation, you’re incredibly lucky.
Glenfeshie, Inverness-shire
Glenfeshie is 45,000 acres of the Cairngorms, a landscape of vast natural wares, including ancient Caledonian pine forest. Grouse, salmon and red deer are all here, under an hour from Inverness. If you want remote grandeur and your own private kingdom, trek here. This is wild beauty married to great sport. Take your painting oils as well as gun oil. Glenfeshie was the backdrop to Landseer’s Monarch of the Glen.
Gunnerside, North Yorkshire
If grouse-shooting were an Olympic sport this would be the venue for 2012. Half-marathons have been run in the time some drives last on this trophy estate of more than 30,000 acres. It has been described as a Highland estate in England. The shooting is exhilarating across a breadth of moors and the lowground shooting is worth texting home about – if you can get reception. A mighty fine lodge, too.
Hawnby, North Yorkshire
Another prized Yorkshire pheasant-shooting invitation, the deep, sheer valleys challenge the finest shots. Besides the pheasant-shoot there is a grouse moor, which can produce at least a day’s driving and an island moor giving an excellent “walked-up” day. Arden Hall dates back to the 17th century and has lovely gardens. This estate has demonstrated award-winning excellence in woodland management.
A wild-bird shoot and the pride of Norfolk across 25,000 acres. Wildfowling to die for and excellent driven game-shooting, with the keepers resplendent in bowler hats. A Palladian hall and a range of brick-and-flint cottages and Georgian farmhouses make up a considerable portfolio. The estate’s beach is a National Nature Reserve, and Lord Nelson had both eyes open when he explored this stretch of coast.
An historic Palladian mansion, grand parkland and a restored five-acre walled garden, Houghton also has its own private army. Well, a remarkable toy soldier collection any-way. Plenty of wild grey partridges on its rolling acres – challenging birds and a noble tradition. There is stalking, too. Houghton Hall was built in the 1720s by Sir Robert Walpole, Britain’s first prime minister and the 4,000-acre estate is the seat of the Marquess of Cholmondeley.
Shooting at Houghton Hall is a coveted invitation to one of the 50 best sporting estates
Islay, Western Isles
Sport as varied as the landscapes and as numerous as the distilleries. Brown and sea-trout fishing in the lochs, as well as salmon and sea-fishing and stalking. “Islay stags average over 18 stone and have heads like Christmas trees. There is the occasional grouse to give pointers a purpose and the chance of a Macnab. But the wildfowl and woodcock is the real secret of Islay,” says Robert McCulloch of Strutt & Parker.
Llanarmon, Denbighshire
This is a topside of rare Welsh sporting beef in the Ceiriog valley. Neck braces are worn here not after a tough afternoon in a rugby scrum, but after straining to see the highest pheasants. Go on, pronounce and spell the drives. Head for the West Arms, shooting hospitality at is finest, and you can taste that topside of beef. Llanarmon is run by Bobby McAlpine, an excellent shot, who knows his wine. Tidy. Lush.
Loch Choire, Sutherland
A mere 35,000 acres of breathtaking Highlands wilderness, largely made up of two deer forests either side of a three-mile loch. The lodge sits at the head of Loch Choire. The Mallet flows into the loch. Salmon and trout and fine red deer-stalking, with some grouse and ptarmigan on the top. “The scale is staggering. And the fact that all the sport is wild, makes it a very special place,” says Jon Lambert of John Clegg & Co.
Melbury, Dorset
Park, woodland, farm and a stunning Grade I listed late-17th century house. I know a chap who owns The Swan, but chatelaine Charlotte Townshend is allowed to own swans which puts her on a list of, er, two, alongside HM The Queen. Lady Charlotte is married to James Townshend, chief executive of Velcourt, the farming company. The couple are de-voted to fieldsports. Both hunting and shooting thrive here.
Mertoun, Roxburghshire
Languid stretches of Tweed to fish, with high cliffs and deep pools. The house, overlooking the river, has been lovingly restored; I am told by an insider that the entrance hall is 16ft high, so no need to take down your 15ft salmon rod. The river acts as a sublime backdrop to the pheasant- and partridge-shooting. There is excellent roe-stalking, too.
Millden, Angus
“As a grouse moor Millden stands supreme… Better-broken dogs were never seen on a moor,” wrote top Edwardian shot AE Gathorne-Hardy. It continues to inspire awe. In the heart of Glen Esk, it has eight days’ grouse-driving, 10 miles of double-bank salmon fishing on the North Esk and a great pheasant- and partridge-shoot. The sport is based round a refurbished lodge, overlooking the river.
Muggleswick, Co Durham
Sportsmen who meet a genie ask for three things: a great grouse moor to call their own, to be hailed as a great shot and to be a wizard fly fisherman. The fourth would be personal wealth. Meet Jeremy Herrmann, master of Muggleswick and, indeed, East Allenheads, who rubbed the right bottle. Herrmann even called a hedge fund after a predatory trout. Envious? Good lord, no. I think he just turned 40.
Newton Ferrers, East Cornwall
One for the romantics , tucked away in the hidden valleys of south-west Devon. This was a labour of love, started in 1994 by Andrew and Darcie Baylis. They restored the 17th- century manor house, revived a shoot dormant since the 1880s and cleared choked river-banks. “Shooting high birds amid ancient hardwoods and salmon fishing on the Lynher is any man’s dream of a perfect world,” according to Crispin Holborow of Savills.
If you leave Burgundy, as the family did in the 12th century, it has to be for somewhere special. Powderham Castle remains the seat of the Earl of Devon and what a 3,500-acre armchair it is. The pheasants and partridges are high and fast, the gin sloe, as was Timothy the tortoise which lived to 160. The architecture of the 14th-century castle is as rich as its tales.
The Earl and Countess of Devon at Powderham Castle, one of the 50 best sporting estates
Presaddfed, Anglesey
A cracking mixed shoot over a 10,000-acre estate. With several excellent lakes and marshes, there is fine duck-shooting: morning and evening flights to top and tail any day. To wildfowlers’ heaven add snipe and driven, migratory woodcock. Presaddfed Hall is a 17th-century manor house, set in woodland. There is fly-fishing on the lake for brown trout.
Raby, Co Durham
A Durham all-rounder to rival Sir Ian Botham, who has surely fired a few shots in these parts, from bat and gun. Driven grouse, pheasants, grey partridges, woodcock and snipe – take your pick, for this is mixed sport in stirring landscapes. There is also roe-stalking – just don’t cull them from the turrets of the magnificent 14th-century castle. The Raby estates straddle Teesdale, Co Durham and Northumberland.
This all rounder estate in Durham has exceptional mixed sport
Roxburghe, Roxburghshire
More than 54,000 acres, including pheasant-shooting amid mixed woodland and two grouse moors. The pheasant guns have lunch in the state dining-room; the grouse guns in a hut on the moor. There is salmon and sea-trout fishing on Tweed and, if you have any energy left, a stud farm. Floors Castle, complete with fairy-tale turrets, sits on a natural terrace surveying Tweed. Difficult to find flaws on this estate.
Sandringham, Norfolk
Wild pheasants, stunning grey partridges and wildfowling, all with a Royal pedigree – formal days in the company of kings, queens and smartly dressed keepers. “Rabbiting with an army of keepers strengthened one’s resolve to shoot straighter, as the insults flew. Ferreting the hedgerows, tickling the trout and being one of the guns for the annual field trial defines the breadth of the sport available,” said Charles Loyd of Strutt & Parker.
Stowell Park, Gloucestershire
A 5,500-acre estate in the Cotswolds, known for both pheasants and partridges, with the acres a mix of woodland, grassland and arable on the banks of the Coln. Stone walls and deep valleys stud the estate. Stowell Park has been owned by the Vestey family since 1921 and in the Second World War was an American hospital, where pioneering surgery took place to remove shrapnel and bullets.
Sydling, Dorset
A beautiful, 2,500-acre shooting estate set in a bowl of chalk downland straight out of Hardy. The shoot has been deliberately toned down commercially and is all the better for it. Change is organically driven: the farm animals are rare and well bred and a shop sells meat, eggs and honey. Owner Alastair Cooper is a rare breed, too – a former investment banker to be applauded.
Temple, Wiltshire
A 2,000-acre estate deep in the Marlborough Downs. “I live near Marlborough and love its countryside and landscape. Temple is a fantastic sporting estate because it provides ex-ceptional mixed partridge- and pheasant-shooting in a beautiful setting,” says Mark Lawson of The Buying Solution. Rolling hill and valley, strategically placed woodland and cover crops add to the sporting table. The house is relatively new and there is a collection of estate properties, too.
Trewithen, Cornwall
It is a love at first sight house for architectural aesthetes and has barely changed its outward appearance since its 18th-century beginnings. Then there are the gorgeous gardens, with Trewithen, which means house of trees, internationally renowned for its magnolias and camellias. For sport, there is the pheasant-shoot and all sorts of wildfowl, as well as snipe, woodcock and partridges, to keep Cornish shots keen.
Weardale, Co Durham
Under Michael Stone, Weardale has developed into one of the top moors in the country, with grouse and pheasants in good numbers. And to think a few years ago you could not find a North Pennines bird to illustrate a whisky bottle. The house is beautifully positioned in a bowl at the top of Weardale and well equipped for a shooting team. Only the hardiest of sheep apply for upland grazing rights.
Wemmergill, Co Durham
“You have to be totally mad to own a grouse moor. It makes no sense at all. But I would not swap it for anything,” says Michael Cannon of his Wemmergill estate. This is 17,000 acres of possibly the world’s finest grouse moor, with Cannon spending millions, made mainly from beer, restoring the moorland so successfully. Guns dream of standing in the Shipka Pass, waiting for the feathered red Indians.
Grouse come thick and fast at Wemmergill
West Woodhay, Berkshire
On the Berkshire/Hampshire borders in lovely downland with hidden valleys and high, very high, pheasants, thanks to the ideal topography. There is partridge country, too. Only 75 minutes from central London – when agents had fast cars – but those who love this estate, Russians and Arabs mainly, prefer to land a chopper on the front lawn (the house is Georgian and gorgeous.). Clay days take over in summer.
West Wycombe Park, Buckinghamshire
Plenty of bang for your Bucks estate here. A lovely stately home and grounds and some very good pheasant-shooting. This is 5,000 acres in the Chiltern Hills, with the house a cracking example of early 18th-century Palladian architecture. Shoot in the morning then scramble over the valley to watch Wasps play rugby. If you can wipe the owner’s eye you are doing well – he’s Sir Edward Dashwood.
Willey Park, Shropshire
The estate’s shooting records date back to 1825. “Lord Forester values quality over quantity and enjoys the company of those who, when presented with two birds will go for the more challenging,” says Lydia Forester of Carter Jonas. She should know; she married him. Lord Forester is supposedly one of the few men allowed to wear a hat in the presence of the monarch. Hats off to the Salopian splendours of Willey Park.
There is still time to get some fishing in before the end of the season. Charles Rangeley-Wilson picks the best trout rivers in the UK and Ireland for fly fishing.
Wild trout fishing is an aspiration for many fishermen.
The top 10 trout rivers in the UK and Ireland offer the opportunity of brilliant sport wherever in the country you find yourself. From the Piddle in Dorset to the Lyon in Perthshire and the Suir in Ireland these rivers are top spots to catch trout. Just pack your bags and go fishing. And when you have caught your trout we have the best trout recipes to ensure you are never bored by your catch in the kitchen.
TOP 10 TROUT RIVERS
EAST LYN
When I lived in the South West my season would open on the East Lyn. In March and April early hatches are as good as guaranteed in the sheltered gorge that the Lyn has carved itself in its journey off Exmoor. There’s no hurry to fishing here in spring: start late and fish on through till tea. Large dark olives will hatch on and off for three hours and the fizzy little trout of the Lyn strike at them like rattlesnakes. You need a light rod and an ability to look on a 12oz fish as a specimen. There’s a great pub in Rockford for somewhere to stay, eat, drink and buy permits: The Rockford Inn.
FROME
One of the best all-rounder game rivers in England: record grayling, record sea-trout, record brown trout and, if not quite record salmon, then bloody big ones. The story (“A Dry Fly Record”, Fishing Gazette, 11 September 1907) of Filleul’s monster 13lb brownie landed in the dark in a clothes basket on the outskirts of Dorchester sums up this river’s ability to surprise. But for plain old sublime dry fl y-fi shing, for big hatches and game, free-rising wild trout, head upstream to the fat of the river between Dorchester and Maiden Newton on the 30th of May – give or take a fortnight. Richard Slocock can provide permits for beats at Maiden Newton, Frampton, Grimstone and Wrackleford: visit Go Fly Fishing.
PIDDLE
The Frome’s neighbour and also inclined to throw up the odd surprise – such as a 200lb sturgeon back in the day. I love these Wessex chalkstreams because they are so scruffy and unpretentious. And there is a verdancy in the water-meadows of Dorset that is mirrored in their fat trout. There aren’t many rivers that can breed bruisers like the Piddle: solid fish that will spin your reel handle into your knuckles. A trout needs to be 4lb here before you bother to tell anyone about it. This is an early river – it’s all over by late June. But in mid May it is drop-dead fabulous. Richard Slocock is the gatekeeper to beats at Warren Lane, Culeaze, Throop, Briantspuddle and
Tolpuddle Go Fly Fishing.
The River Piddle is a small rural Dorset river which rises next to Alton Pancras church.
ITCHEN
I love chalkstreams: constant, cool, fertile – they make the best of trout rivers. Or they would do if we hadn’t sacrificed them to cheap food and easy water. There are few that flow quite as they should, but of those that do the Itchen is the tops. I mean that in the sense that it is the ultimate expression of what a chalk river is all about: it has the clearest water, the biggest hatches, the fussiest fish. And in the few miles between the Worthys and Alresford it is as perfect as perfect gets in that blousy valley of boggy, snipey meadows. It fishes well all season long, trout rise on the upper river all the time – it is phenomenal. And up here it isn’t stocked either. It is not an easy river to get to fish, but keep an eye out for days in the Wild Trout Trust auction.
USK
A river I used to fish all the time but hadn’t been back to for years until last April, when I reminded myself all over again how fab it is. The Usk rises on red sandstone but flows over
limestone, too. It is a fertile river with big hatches and big fish. I’m not sure I have ever fi shed the Usk without catching a trout that nudged 2lb. It is a great place to go in spring when
march browns and large dark olives hatch in waves and the trout turn on and off like a disco ball. And while it used to be a tricky river to get access to, a new passport scheme has opened huge tracts of the stream to easy day-ticket access: Wye Usk Foundation.
DERBYSHIRE WYE
Auden wrote a poem In Praise of Limestone and ended it when I try to imagine a faultless love/Or the life to come, what I hear is the murmur/Of underground streams, what I see is a limestone landscape. Which might be the same as saying that a limestone landscape is heaven on earth. It is. He starts the same poem: “Mark these rounded slopes/With their surface fragrance of thyme and, beneath,/A secret system of caves and conduits; hear the springs/That spurt out everywhere with a chuckle,/Each filling a private pool for its fish and carving/Its own little ravine whose cliffs entertain/The butterfly and the lizard.” Last summer I fished for a day through a landscape like this and if I had one day left or an eternity of days just the same, I’d choose it again. If you haven’t fished the Derbyshire Wye you haven’t fished. You can get access through Cressbrook and Litton Fly Fishers and The Peacock at Rowsley.
TAY
It seems just too big to be a trout river, but if you can unlock it the Tay will, when it fi nally shines on you, open trout fishing in a different dimension. I’ve cast size 22 gnats to 7lb trout in a river 50yd wide. I’ve caught two dozen fish in a non-stop June evening, none of which weighed less than a pound and one of which dragged me 200yd downriver. I’ve hooked fish I swore were boulders but for the fact they were swimming. The Tay is an inscrutable trout stream all right, but when it smiles – wow! My favourite spots are at Dunkeld (tickets from the Spar Shop, 3 Murthly Terrace, Birnam, Perthshire, tel 01350 727395) and Kenmore (tickets from the Post Office, The Square, Kenmore, Perthshire, tel 01887 830200). Further details available from Angling in Tayside.
LYON
Like its downstream cousin, the Lyon is moody. Actually the Lyon is bipolar. There are days when you’ll swear there is nothing in it. But there are days when it boils like porridge. The morphology of the Lyon creates miles of nothing interspersed with pockets and runs full of trout. Or full of one big trout. You need to winklepick the Lyon. And you need to cover a lot of ground, judging carefully where to spend your time. You’ll learn it by being there when it lights up, by seeing the fish where you thought there were none. It is worth the effort; there are some whoppers in that glen. Did I mention that it also happens to be about the most beautiful place in Scotand? Permits are available at the Post Office, Bridge of Balgie, Glen Lyon, tel 01887 866221.
SUIR
Thirteen years ago now I was shown the River Suir at noon on a remorselessly hot day in June. Only a few fish moved, the far side of a wide stream, and once only. The place looked underwhelming and I might have left but Andy Ryan told me to hang about, mentioning – in that take-it-or-leave-it manner which in Ireland signifies a pearler – that the bluewinged olives might get along a bit before long. I have never seen a hatch or fall like it. A biblical plague. A darkening of the sky. And later, as the real dark fell, the river like fly soup, and trout rising in it – spotty whales gorging on krill. For access contact Andy Ryan at Fly Fishing Ireland.
AWBEG
I had six days here the same year I found the Suir and can’t think why I’ve not been back, but for the fear it might not be as good. It flowed lazily through plashy meadows full of wild orchids and only the occasional cow. It flowed fast between beards of green weed and in deeper parts it curled up like a snake. For a while it dropped through a deep, cold wood. And it was bonkers full of trout. They weren’t massive, though they were fat. But nowhere else have I experienced the crossword puzzle of match the hatch in quite such a cryptic way. Talk about nibbling your tippet down to the quick. Be prepared to change flies 50 times in one evening. For access visit Fly Fishing Ireland 0r email Andrew Ryan.
Originally selected in May 2009.
BEST TROUT FISHING FLIES
As for the top five flies you’ll need to fish these heavenly spots… you won’t go far wrong with these.
If you forsake all else keep a Parachute Adams in your box. Carry it in all sizes, 12 through to 20 and you’ll do a decent job of matching most hatches, mayfly through to teeny olives.
An Elk-hair Caddis will take care of another large chunk of the watery insect kingdom. Again, sizes 12 through 20.
Going underwater one fly will catch fish no matter what: a Hare’s Ear Nymph. Either tie them yourself or order them with black tungsten beads, and make sure they are skinny, not fat and overdressed. In all honesty, you won’t really need another nymph.
The Hawthorne fly is a gangly-legged beastie that gets blown on to rivers early season. But the pattern used to represent it also does a fab job of looking like a whole menu of gangly legged, midge-, ant- or beetle-like flies, insects that trout jump on all season long.
Make room for a Sherry Spinner, again in a range of sizes. You won’t need it often but when you do, on late summer evenings, nothing else will suffice.
THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY
Like any top 10 list mine will cause an argument with anyone whose top 10 would be different (just about everyone) and especially those whose favourite haunt is not on it. I could have written about so many others: in the South West the Dart and the Barle – both fabulous moorland streams like the Lyn. From the chalk country I have left out rivers such as the Wylye, the Ebble and, of course, the river they run into, the famous Wiltshire Avon. From the north of England the Wharfe, the Eden, the Swale, the Ure. In Scotland how could I not have included the Don or Tweed? But like any top 10 it is a personal list. It is composed of the rivers I know well and that you can get to fish, too. If I had to confine my efforts from here on in to 10 only – well, I’d stick to these.
