Crowds flock to CLA Game Fair

Clear skies have brought thousands of visitors to this year’s CLA Game Fair at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.

Around 140,000 visitors are expected to pour through the gates during the three-day event (22-42 July), to watch shows and demonstrations from some of the world’s shooting and fishing, gundog and falconry experts.

The event, set in Blenheim Palace’s 2100 acres of parkland, also features dozens of displays on related countryside activities, including gamekeeping, estate management, forestry, hounds and hunting.
As in previous years, the country sports event also acts a platform to discuss key countryside issues, and Defra Secretary Caroline Spelman opened a programme of debates in the Game Fair Theatre with a discussion about David Cameron’s “Big Society. This was followed by a debate on the practice of selling off publicly-owned forests, featuring feminist turned countrywoman Germaine Greer.

Other famous faces spotted at the event include 2010 Farmers Weekly Farming Champion of the Year Adam Henson, presenter Phil Spencer and British TV stalwart Bernard Cribbins.

2011 Game Fair in pictures: We’ll be uploading pictures throughout the event to our 2011 Game Fair Gallery. Browse the shots or add your own from the Fair at www.fwi.co.uk/community/photos/gamefair2011