Ten top attractions at the CLA Game Fair
For the fifth time in its 58-year history, the popular three-day show is returning to the Blenheim Palace estate in Oxfordshire from Friday, 18 July to Sunday, 20 July. Here are 10 not-to-be-missed attractions at the event.
1. Land Management Area
The Land Management Area includes Gamekeepers’ Row, Woodland and Forestry and Estate Management and is essential for expert advice, and all the latest equipment. All aspects of estate management will be covered – from cattle grids and fencing to countryside management and the latest vermin control. The Association of Professional Foresters, International Forestry Machinery and other industry leaders will be providing advice on woodland management and giving demonstrations from the traditional to the cutting-edge. Specifically aimed at the estate and small woodland owner, this area will help you learn how to add value to your land and improve sustainability.
See also: Read Farmers Weekly A-Z from the 2013 CLA Game Fair
Save money by booking tickets for the CLA Game Fair 2014 online before 5pm on Friday 11 July.
Visit the website or call the ticket hotline, which is open till 13 July, on 0844 776 7777. Children aged 16 and under who are accompanied by adults will be able to visit the three-day show for free.
2. The Renewables Theatre
Hear expert opinions and advice via a series of seminars and interactive panel debates on the challenges, issues and opportunities relating to onsite renewable energy generation. A panel of experts from the Country Land and Business Association, renewables institutions, colleges and official bodies will discuss the latest opinions, legislation, updates and trends, and how to benefit from the various resources available. The expert speakers will cover a range of topics from understanding and taking advantage of Feed-in Tariffs and the Renewable Heat Incentive to energy management, energy efficiency, onsite renewables, carbon emissions reduction and much more.
3. Horse & Hound
Visitors will have the chance to find out more about working hound breeds from across the UK. Four pens will each feature three-and-a-half couple including beagles, foxhounds, minkhounds and bassets with uniformed hunt staff on hand to discuss breed traits. Three times a day there will be talks and displays, compèred by hound expert Stephen Winwood in the Horse & Hound Arena. On the evening of Friday, 18 July at 6pm, there will be a cavalcade of hounds in the Main Arena, which will see all seven packs from that day come together.
4.Gunmakers’ Row
As one of the busiest parts of the fair, Gunmakers’ Row has all the latest products and services available from renowned gunmakers and leading importers, as well as all the shooting magazines with exclusive subscription offers.
5. Clay Line
This an exciting selection of daily competitions, demonstrations and have-a-go events to watch or take part in, organised by champion clay shooter John Bidwell. Not only will he be running a 40-bird competition across eight stands, but there will be “pay ‘n’ clay” for those who fancy smoking some clays with a bit of instruction. Bring your own shotgun, or borrow one on the day.
6. Airgun Expo
Organised by the Airgun Manufacturers Trade Association, this is one of largest airgun exhibitions in the country and a must for anyone interested in the sport. There is an extensive programme of events, competitions, have-a-go stands and expert tuition for all levels of experience and ages. Want to try a particular gun before you buy? No problem – the ranges are the ideal place to test-fire all your favourite brands alongside the gunmaker or importer.
7. House of Fishing
The Fishing Village has been completely revamped this year, with the re-structured House of Fishing feature at the heart of the village. There will be scores of new exhibitors, including big brands such as Airflo, Shimano and the great British brand, Turralls, will also be showing all their latest flies and tying materials. The emphasis is firmly on achievable fishing, youngsters and newcomers are especially encouraged. With support from the trade, The Angling Trust, the Fly Dressers’ Guild and many others, this will be a real participation experience for everyone. All angling disciplines are being embraced this year including game, carp, coarse and match fishing. Plus there will be exhibits from the rapidly expanding niche markets such as the saltwater, kayak and predator sectors.
8. Gundogs
On the Friday, the ever-popular Euro Challenge takes place in the International Arena where teams of three different breeds of retriever compete in exciting disciplines such as a marked retrieve following a gunshot and a blind retrieve after a jump into water. The Home International Team Competition, one of the highlights of the gundog community’s summer calendar, will take place in the International Arena on the Saturday and Sunday. In this challenging competition, teams from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales compete for the coveted top place by working five of the country’s top spaniels in the morning and five retrievers in the afternoon in a series of demanding tests designed to demonstrate each dog’s ability.
Taking place over the three days is the CLA Gundog of the Year. Launched last year, the competition will see the top gundogs in the country competing in a series of tests to identify which dog displays all the elements of the perfect gundog. The winning handler will receive the Sir John Ruggles-Brise Trophy, in memory of the former CLA president and founder of the CLA Game Fair, and the use of a Mitusbishi L200 Warrior for one year.
9. The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs
The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC), one of the largest rural youth organisations in the UK, will be exhibiting for the very first time this summer. The NFYFC heads up about 644 Young Farmers’ Clubs (YFCs) throughout England and Wales which provide their 25,000 members, aged between 10-26, with the opportunity to develop skills, work with their local community, travel abroad and enjoy a dynamic social life. A major part of the YFCs work is to tackle rural isolation and individual responsibility so members reach their full potential.
10. CLA Game Fair Game Chef of the Year competition
The competition, run in association with The Field, is designed to find an unrecognised chef who enjoys cooking with game meats and embraces the Great British countryside through their food. The semi-finals and finals will take place in front of a live audience. The four finalists are professional chef Charlie Dingley, self-taught cook Guy Paterson, amateur chef David Babington and Graham White.
Did you know?
- A walk around the showground would see the average visitor travelling a conservative 7,400 metres, just to view the shopping frontage.
- The site uses 73ha for the showground at Blenheim Palace. The campsite covers an area of over 45ha and houses about 8,000 campers. It uses 57ha to park nearly 20,000 cars.
- There are more than 1,500 individual pitches of trade space on the showground and there are between 600-700 units of tented shop frontage. These pitches home the 1,000 exhibitors.
- The showground is built and taken down by a small team of 26 people – starting with a small core-team in June and building to a full complement of staff by the end of July. More than 10,000 man hours are worked in constructing and deconstructing the showground between the beginning of June and the end of August.
- Nearly 3,000 metres of sturdy wooden fencing is erected – it’s then taken down and stored after the event.
- The site is serviced by a network of underground pipes for the removal and supply of waste and water. This network totals over 10km in length. More than 3.4m litres of wet waste (that’s sewage) is collected and removed.