Daughters of the land
In honour of International Women’s Day, we recount the stories of female gamekeepers in history who blazed a trail for generations to come.
BASC Northern Ireland women’s shooting day a fantastic success
A group of 14 shooters took part in the BASC Northern Ireland women’s shooting day on Saturday 21 June at Sperrin Sporting Ranges, Draperstown.
The event formed part of BASC’s Women in Shooting initiative, which promotes the inclusivity of fieldsports and encourages more women to become involved in shooting and related activities.
With one of the hottest days of the year forecast, the event got off to an early start. The sun made cooking lunch over a charcoal BBQ for 14 participants, plus staff and volunteers, quite a challenge.
After a thorough safety briefing, the women got to try a range of firearms, including:
- rimfire rifles
- medium calibre centrefire rifles
- large calibre centrefire rifles
- target handguns
All shooting was carried out under close one-to-one supervision to ensure safety and confidence at every stage.
A memorable day all round
Participants were also given the opportunity to try part of the Deer Stalking Certificate 1 (DSC1) shooting assessment. It was fantastic to see genuine interest in progressing further. Several attendees expressed the desire to complete the full DSC1 course in the future.
The glorious weather, friendly atmosphere, and tasty BBQ lunch made for an unforgettable day. We’re hugely grateful to everyone who took part and we look forward to putting on more events soon.
We’d also like to express special thanks to all those who helped make the day such a success:
- To Sperrin Sporting Ranges—a top-class venue we highly recommend. Our thanks go to Derek McGeehan for hosting us and providing such excellent facilities.
- To Gavin McClure and the team at Tannyoky Guns and Ammo, Poyntzpass, for their generous sponsorship and continued support.
- And finally, to our incredible team of volunteers and safety staff. Your time, professionalism and dedication make events like this possible.
Category winners
Congratulations to our category winners on the day, who were:
- Rebecca McMaster – rimfire rifle
- Rebecca McMaster – medium calibre centrefire rifle
- Clayre Evans – large calibre centrefire rifle
- Adelle Chambers – target handgun
To find out more about BASC events in Northern Ireland, visit our regional page here.
Share
BASC vice chair issues rallying cry to women in shooting
“We all have a duty and we all have a responsibility” said Claire Sadler to more than than 100 people attending BASC’s Women in Shooting event at The Game Fair.
Nominate your BASC Ladies Star of Shooting for 2021
Nominations for this year’s BASC Ladies Star of Shooting awards are now open.