The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) will host two new attractions at its Gamekeepers’ Fair 2010. Visitors to the event at Catton Park in South Derbyshire on 17th and 18th April will be able to visit Stalking 2010 – a dedicated deer stalking and management village. There will also be a new food hall which will showcase local and national producers and suppliers of high quality food and drink.
There will be a number of displays including historic firearms, pigeon shooting and decoying and falconry. There will be gundog demonstrations, terrier racing, chainsaw wood carving demonstrations and lumberjack displays. People can have a lesson with a qualified BASC shotgun coach and take part in stick dressing and gundog competitions and pigeon plucking contests. More than 150 traders will show off their wares. Chudleys dog food is sponsoring gundog scurries at the event and there will also be lurcher and terrier shows, clay shooting competitions, helicopter pleasure flights and lots to do for children, who get free entry up to the age of 15-years-old if accompanied by an adult.
BASC has created Stalking 2010, sponsored by Bushwear, to bring together recreational and professional deer stalkers and managers with people who provide goods and services in the sector. BASC’s Midlands director, Steve Bloomfield, came up with the idea for Stalking 2010 after realising that there was not a specific place for deer stalkers to get everything they needed to stalk or for newcomers to find out about stalking.
He said: “As a keen deer stalker myself, I noticed that there wasn’t any one event that offered a focus for stalkers and we wanted to change that. The Gamekeepers’ Fair is the ideal place for Stalking 2010 to take place as it is such a central location with excellent road links. This is further evidence of our commitment to maintaining the focus and quality of this traditional show."
Stalkers will be able to buy equipment such as rifles, knives, high seats, clothing and footwear. There will also be information stands about stalking schemes, training, stalking estates and letting agents and demonstrations about butchery and deer dogs.
Mr Bloomfield added: “We extend a warm welcome to all visitors to the BASC Gamekeepers’ Fair 2010 and we look forward to seeing BASC members new and old, traders and the general public at this spectacular event. The aim of the Gamekeepers’ Fair is to provide a first class country fair for BASC members, the general public and for traders.”
The fair will be open from 9am until 5pm on both days.
For a full list of activities and attractions, visit http://www.0ld.basc.org.uk/en/events/index.cfm/eid/DB05FD6C-DE25-4CE4-A593FD4B7F15BF0D
ENDS
Pictured is BASC’s director of firearms Bill Harriman with shotgun at the Gamekeepers’ Fair 2006.