A team from Sparsholt College in Hampshire has won the BASC Gamekeeping College Challenge Trophy, coming first out of twenty teams of student gamekeepers from across the country in a competition clay shoot. The event, which was sponsored by Honda, was held at the Doveridge Clay Sports ground in Derbyshire.
Each team member shot an 80 bird sporting layout. Sparsholt College’s winning score was 171/320. The winning team consisted of James Boiston, Tom Bevins, who was also the individual high gun for the day with a score of 55/80, Cameron Hart and Frank Bere.
Second place went to Easton College, Norfolk, and Plumpton College, East Sussex, took third place. The top three teams received prizes including gun slips, cartridge bags, game bags and boot bags.
Huw Lloyd, BASC’s game and gamekeeping officer, said: “Congratulations to Sparsholt for winning the BASC gamekeeping college clay shoot this year; they were up against some tough competition and some tricky clays. I would like to thank Honda who sponsored the whole event and extend our appreciation to Swarovski, Marsdens Game Feeds, Biolink, Arthur Carter Fieldsports and Modern Gamekeeping for sponsoring the prizes and to Doveridge for providing the venue.”
All of the competitors were entered into a prize draw. The top prize, a pair of Swarovski binoculars, was won by Dominic Humphries of Plumpton College. Second prize of a £100 voucher from Arthur Carter Fieldsports went to Sam Heath from Walford College, Shropshire. Mike Bosworth from Bishop Burton, Humberside, and Jack Bond from Myerscough College, Lancashire, both won tickets for the BASC Gamekeepers Fair at Catton Park on the 13th and 14th April 2013. In addition to the prize draw, all of the competitors were given a year’s free subscription to Modern Gamekeeping magazine.