Typically a male dominated sport, clay pigeon shooting is becoming increasingly popular with women. Female membership with the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) rises each year, and currently has over 10,000 since the female club began in 2011.
The Cator family estate in Woodbastwick, Norfolk, hold their trap clay pigeon shooting event in November annually, surrounded by family and friends. Based on the Burlingham Estate Shoot, partridge and pheasant are shot throughout the season. Run by Mike Adams who also looks after four other estates in the area, offers gun hire starting at £1,000. Harriet Cator (47 years) of the prestigious Cator bloodline, regularly shoots and is a member of the Woodbastwick Norfolk Clay Pigeon Shooting Club.
The Ladies Clay Shooting League held their last competition last month at Doveridge, with Sarah Ledwidge winning the league, scoring 63 points. Sponsors of the event offer Schaufel jackets and Yildiz SPZ ME shotguns in either 12 gauge or 20 gauge in either 28” or 30” barrels. Although there is no membership fees to most clubs, fees for the shoots vary, averaging £48 per event for a 75 bird shoot.
Shooters are then nominated on the Team Ground, which becomes the Team that one shoots for at the first event, and remains in this team for the season, requiring 4 out of 8 ESP league events to qualify for a league position. Winners of the High Gun and Winning Team receive awards for classifications in 1st, 2nd and 3rd, with associated monetary prizes and trophies. Competitions are held all over the country and indeed the world at both novice professional levels, with affiliations with sponsors and monetary prizes for winners.