Teaching your gundog to balance fun with field discipline is all about setting boundaries. You don’t have to choose between a playful pet and a reliable retriever, but you do need to ensure that games don’t turn into bad habits. Here is how to play the right way with a…
Racing presenters roving the pre-parade ring are never happier than to spot Lucinda Russell. With corkscrew curly hair and time for everyone, no one exudes more enjoyment for their sport. A licensed trainer now for 30 years, with 1,095 winners to her name, Russell is one of only two Scots…
The spotlight is on the new Holland & Holland (H&H) Takedown Magazine Rifle in .375 H&H belted magnum – still one of the most versatile and applauded big-game cartridges ever to be developed. The .300 H&H (based on the same case) is another interesting, and famously accurate, option for the…
Venison pasanda is a useful way to use up your freezer stash. Venison pasanda recipe Venison marinade 80g plain yoghurt 2 tsp dried cumin 1 tsp ground coriander ½ tsp ground turmeric ¼ tsp chilli powder 1 tbsp garam masala 1 tsp ground cardamom seeds ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1…
Mid-March weather fluctuates between icy gales, downpours or more clement weather. This can make what to wear for the Cheltenham Festival a thorny problem. The key is to be prepared for both ends of the spectrum and have layers. Bear in mind, this isn’t Ascot or even Aintree. The following…
Good for: Racing fans, shooting parties, stately home visits. In days gone by you might have found Spectator ‘Low Life’ columnist Jeffrey Bernard being propped up by the bar, and legendary Daily Express racing tipster Charles ‘The Scout’ Benson lounging on a banquette in the dining room. Next to them,…
Following a year when completed Macnabs were as rare as grouse’s teeth, 2025 provided a bumper crop with 20 Macnabbers successfully taking their inspiration from John Buchan’s sporting trio: Palliser-Yeates, Leithen and Lamancha. From the Cairngorms to the Outer Hebrides and Canada, keen sportsmen chased fin, feather and fur with…
It is possible to teach your old retriever or peg dog something new, as long as you are able to change your ways too.
More than one gundog is a pack, it is essential that you keep the upper hand with labradors, spaniels, and everything else
With their light, crispy layers of buttery pastry, vol-au-vents are best eaten in the great outdoors. You can start from scratch with the cases but no one will judge you for using shop-bought ones (though sadly these often don’t come with the pastry ‘hats’). When taking these coronation pheasant vol-au-vents…
