C A M P A I G N S • C O M M E N T • C U L T U R E • C O M M U N I T Y COUNTRYSIDEAUTUMN 2015 £3.50 (when sold) ALLIANCE countryside-alliance.org.uk The Minister for Rural Affairs writes for youyou HUNTING SIDE SADDLE Celebrating SCOTTISH “daring and AIRGUN elegance” in the fi eld LEGISLATION What you need to know TOP GUN New Chief Executive Tim Bonner on our mission Moorland Rules Staff from the iconic London The magazine of restaurant visit a grouse moor CA AUTUMN JH2.indd 3 04/09/2015 12:28 2015 WIN A PEG COMPETITION A superb days shooting for two guns at Ripley, North Yorkshire, worth over £4,000. Prize includes luxury accommodation. Second Prize - £500 worth of Cordings clothes Third prize - £200 worth of Cordings clothes Enter online at www.cordings.co.uk or in store 19 Piccadilly, London W1J 0LA Phone 0207 734 0830 ½ a minute from Piccadilly Tube Station. cordingsad.indd 1 01/09/2015 10:37 PLUS POINT-TO-POINT Contents SPONSORSHIP AUTUMN 2015 ADVICE Page 43 EDITOR’S LETTER here is plenty of good news to report this issue. T As Tim Bonner takes over as Chief Executive (p16), The Countryside Alliance Foundation assumes the running of the 46 www.hamishmitchellphotography.co.uk wonderful Casting for Recovery UK & The Arundell Arms is a sumptuous sporting paradise Ireland, the fl y fi shing programme for ladies Photo: with breast cancer (p36). Not only that but the Countryside Alliance Awards, aka the ➺ IN THIS ISSUE Rural Oscars, are back in 2015 and await your nomination (p14). 4 News 30 Airgun legislation in Scotland We welcome new Defra Minister Rory Our new season shooting badge and sweepstake Scottish Director Jamie Stewart updates you Stewart to our pages (p50) as he writes card, Fishing 4 Schools update, our new website and 32 The Facts of Rural Life about his love of the countryside and, in Hunting Newcomers’ Week Author Charlie Pye-Smith introduces his new book something of a fi rst, Olympic Dressage 10 Bringing down rural crime 35 Game survey results medallist Carl Hester is to give recently Police & Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan writes Jack Knott reports on our survey’s fi ndings retired Champion Jockey AP McCoy a about the results of a recent survey 36 Casting for Recovery dressage lesson at our own Cheltenham 12 Know the Rules The unique medical fl y fi shing charity joins The Countryside Race Day in November (p28). Chef and his brigade from Rules restaurant visit a Countryside Alliance Foundation The elegance of riding side saddle is grouse moor to enrich their knowledge 38 Dogs with Jobs celebrated on p25 while the Chef and 14 The Rural Oscars are open for Jim Barrington visits the West Midlands Police Dog team from the famous Rules restaurant business training centre in London marked the start of the grouse The 2015 Countryside Alliance Awards need your vote 41 Seasonal game recipe season by touring a grouse moor just 16 Tim takes the reins A mouthwatering grouse recipe ahead of the Glorious 12th (p12), the better New Chief Executive Tim Bonner will continue on 43 Point-to-Pointing to understand the wild and delicious meat Barney’s path Peter McNeile urges hunts to gain sponsorship and they are serving. 20 Our updated hunt country map visibility to boost their events George Butler’s new offering will enhance any 45 Feedback “Carl Hester will be sporting art collection Letters to the Editor 22 Park Hill Farm 46 Top sport at the Arundell Arms giving AP McCoy a Shropshire’s Rural Oscars Champions share their Tim Bonner and family have a sporting time of it on dressage lesson at farming and education secrets the Devon/Cornwall borders. 25 Elegance aside 49 Autumn events Cheltenham.” The Side Saddle Association’s Sally Lane is on a Including Countryside days at Aintree, Ffos Las and mission for hunting’s heritage Cheltenham Racecourses It’s not all good news, however. Jamie 28 Cheers to Cheltenham 50 My Countryside Stewart reports on Scottish airgun Carl Hester will be giving AP McCoy a dressage lesson Rory Stewart MP, the new Minister for Rural Affairs legislation (p30). Also of concern were the at our Countryside Day on Friday 13th November writes about his love of the countryside summer’s events around the Hunting Act and the SNP u-turn, but we put your mind at rest that our campaign for repeal is still 24-hour Countryside Alliance Fax Countryside Alliance in high gear. legal hotline Ireland 020 7793 8484 magazine is published 0871 919 3505 [email protected] four times a year To complete this issue we feature a rural Acting Chairman 02892 639911 Website on behalf of Lord Mancroft Insurance hotline countryside-alliance.org the Countryside crime survey (p10), working dogs (p38) and 0871 919 9172 Scottish Countryside Alliance by BPG Media Chief Executive Alliance Email 01476 859849 the delights of the Arundell Arms (p46). Tim Bonner Campaigns infosca@scottishcountry info@countryside- www.bpgmedia.co.uk 020 7840 9250 sidealliance.org alliance.org EditorJill Grieve 0131 335 0200 Events Advertising Jonathan McGee Jill Grieve, Editor Publisher and fundraising By post Charlie Coups BPG Media 020 7840 9298 Countryside Alliance, [email protected] @CAupdates 1 Spring Mews 01476 859838 Membership hotline PR and media Tinworth Street 020 7840 9300 020 7840 9220 London SE11 5AN Cover photo: photo: Cover 4-5, 7, 9 News ah OK.indd 1 01/09/2015 15:35 ➺ MORE NEWS Sign up for our regular Grass e-route newsletter: www.countryside-alliance.org/ca/grass-e-route Review Round-up of the stories that matter to you Welcome from our Chief Executive It is a great honour to be welcoming you to this issue as Chief Executive of an organisation for which I have worked since 2002, and supported for as long as it has existed. I extend great thanks to Sir Barney White-Spunner for his commitment and passion during his tenure as Executive Chairman. Barney leaves an impressive and POLITICS AND HUNTING high profi le legacy and I know he will continue to support our efforts Scottish MPs and the across our campaigning and fundraising. I also inherit a great hunting vote that never was team of staff and volunteers and look forward to continuing to work SNP u-turn sees hunting used as a political alongside everyone who appreciates our aims. football yet again You can read on p16 my thoughts about the countryside and the n early July the Government was on the Hunting Act which only affects Alliance’s place within it, but I can due to introduce amendments to England and Wales. be straightforward from the start: I the Hunting Act under a free vote, As recently as February, SNP Leader we are fi ghting the right battles which would have represented Nicola Sturgeon said: “The SNP have a and campaigning in the right areas. a signifi cant improvement. The longstanding position of not voting on Our commitment to the rural way amendments would have removed the matters that purely affect England – such of life will remain the same whether arbitrary two dog limit in exempt hunting, as foxhunting south of the border, for defending hunting, safeguarding making it legal to fl ush and shoot foxes example – and we stand by that.” Ahead shooting interests at home and using packs of hounds. If the changes of the Westminster vote, however, the in Europe, pushing for superfast had been passed it would have been SNP said they would be voting against broadband and rural mobile signal, legal to manage foxes and some other the proposals to remind “an arrogant UK backing our farmers with honest food wild mammals using packs of hounds, government of just how slender their labelling or trying to get game meat a signifi cant improvement for many majority is”. onto the national menu. All of these farmers and hunts, whilst moving the law In the face of the SNP’s u-turn the issues are of benefi t to everyone who into line with Scotland. Government postponed the vote. This loves the countryside, as are projects For political reasons the Scottish was the correct decision. This is now like Fishing for Schools and Casting National Party decided to break their clearly a constitutional issue rather for Recovery, of which we should all often repeated commitment not to vote than one about wildlife management be proud. or animal welfare, and we look forward I look forward to meeting even to the Government bringing the more of our members and supporters “...amendments amendments back to Parliament in as I begin my newrole in earnest, but to the Hunting due course. Our thanks to those who in the meantime I wish you a sporting lobbied their MP on this, especially the season and hope you enjoy this issue Act... would have many Welsh farmers who also wrote to of our magazine. represented Nicola Sturgeon expressing their views Tim Bonner and explaining with great dignity why Chief Executive a signifi cant they hoped she would have supported Follow Tim on Twitter improvement.” hard-pressed rural livelihoods. @CA_TimB 4 COUNTRYSIDE ALLIANCE l AUTUMN 2015 www.countryside-alliance.org.uk 4-5, 7, 9 News ah OK.indd 4 01/09/2015 15:36 SPONSOREDSPO NSO RED BY t: +44(0)1488 689 788 e: [email protected] For all your sporting requirements www.roxtons.com GAME SHOOTING The Quarter Buy your new season shooting OUR HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PAST THREE MONTHS badge and sweepstake card JUNE THIS SEASON’S shooting badges are solid colour and the £15 supporter ● The Midsummer available now, so please support our badge in a camoufl age version.