Behind and Beyond the Trigger, is a made-in-Yorkshire book, by John and Annie Robinson who live in Dalby Forest.
Launched to coincide with the Glorious Twelfth – traditionally the start of the grouse shooting season – it highlights the people who are at the centre of the game tradition and rural economy on the North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales and further afield.
They include deer stalkers and head keepers, farriers, saddlers, gundog breeders and butchers; makers of tweed, sticks, shotguns and leather goods; gunsmiths and gun engravers, and even a wildlife artist.
Says John. ‘There are many great characters involved within the industry, but behind every gun, there are probably around 50 people employed in some way – this book celebrates their remarkable talents and shows how important they all are to the rural economy.’
Andrew Orr, Head Grouse Keeper on Olly and Laura Foster’s Egton Estate on the North York Moors. (Image: Annie Robinson)
The Head Keeper
In the role of a modern-day grouse keeper, qualifications have become the norm and you are unable to do anything nowadays without them. For anything to do with machinery, you must have done the courses for chainsaws, brush cutters and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Then there is spraying, controlled burning, wildfires, and use of rodenticides.
With 4,900 acres of grouse moor to manage, Andrew Orr must make all this happen, aided by his Beat Keeper, Morgan Campbell. The controlled skills in the hands of the Head Keeper to have a successful season range from medicated and non-medicated gritting with the use of GPS, tick control through sheep, heather burning and cutting depending on peat depth, road/track building and maintenance, grouse butt building and maintenance, training and directing beat and under keepers, detailed record keeping, and bracken spraying with scrub clearance.
The Stick Maker
If you think it is just a stick, then think again. Used for just about everything you can think of whilst stalking, shooting, beating, flanking, picking up and everything in between, the stick comes into its own.
The skill, time, and patience needed to produce a great stick is enormous.
Occasionally in life, you come across one of those rare individuals who can turn their hand to anything, and if you take a trip to Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales you may come across the timber worker, joiner, former dairy farmer, and sheep keeper William Lambert. This is a man who has made sticks for his majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla, who is also a busy judge at agricultural shows in the north of England where stick making thrives.
William Lambert made his first stick at the age of 12, only to be disqualified by the judges as they didn’t believe anyone could make a stick of that quality at his age. He went on to win the National Young Farmers competition aged 14 with his next stick. Some years later he was commissioned by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society to make a pair of sticks to be presented to the future King and Queen of England.
The rest, as they say, is history!
The Leather Artisans
Leather goods in the shooting field serve important purposes. Shotguns need protecting and must be able to be carried safely over rough ground, whilst cartridges need the same attention whilst being protected from the elements, but still giving easy access to both shooter and loader.
The rifle slip will be dragged through peat bogs, mud, heather and snow and shale on the hill. When you have just stalked for five hours, that rifle needs to be accurate and fit for purpose.
In Malton Jackie and Allistair Croot’s hand-crafted products are born from many things. ‘Our craftsmanship, our heritage, our proximity to some of the world’s most magnificent country estates, our insistence on only ever using the best materials, and our commitment to creating the finest field sports accessories and luggage. All these things come together in Malton, the market town we call home, and the gateway to the shooting grounds of the magnificent North York Moors. This is where our family-run company still produces every item under one roof. Where we’re inspired. And where our sense of place shines through. Each item is a testament to our sense of place. A nod to our past, and to the spectacular shooting country that surrounds us. When we make our shotgun slips, cartridge belts and bags, we know choosing the right materials is crucial. That’s why we always insist on hand-picking our own hides. And we only ever use natural, vegetable-dyed leather to give us that unbeatable combination of suppleness and performance. We’ve also learnt that our preferred grade of sturdy cotton canvas can’t be bettered, and that pure, natural rubber provides the best waterproofing by far.
From first-class beginnings to the finest of finished articles, our dedicated craftsmen imbue every detail of our perfectly made pieces with all their experience, knowledge and expertise, every time.
The Saddler
Imagine what it might take to be a master saddler and saddle fitter; what you might have to make, and for what. The equine world is full of ponies and horses of different sizes, and they are used for a myriad of uses, and no two horses, or ponies, are the same.
In short, seven years of exams, which will include benchwork saddlery, equine anatomy, physiology, behaviour, biomechanics, and saddlery fitting.
Kieran Forsyth and Jocelyn Danby of Danby Equestrian say, ‘Our general ethos is that the horse must always come first and we are constantly looking for the best ways to improve equine welfare and comfort in the most efficient ways. A section of society today believe that horses should not be used for work, sport, or leisure. Therefore, to maintain and improve the social licence to use the animal in this way we must strive to provide the very best in welfare for all the animals involved.
The Gunsmith
Like a car, a gun needs to be repaired, serviced, restored and finished to a very high standard to be fit for purpose. Shotguns and rifles can get heavy amounts of use in all weathers and conditions in the field. As a result, the gunsmith becomes an incredibly important part of the shooting day.
Chris Caine, one of Yorkshire’s finest gunsmiths is owner of W. Richards Ltd of Pocklington.
The history of W. Richards has connections with gun-making going back to 1780, and was patronised by royalty from all over the British Empire. Richards, still very much a family business, passed from one family member to another and survived the depression of the turbulent 1920’s. Chris purchased the name, goodwill and intellectual property of W. Richards in the late 1990’s, relocating to Pocklington, East Yorkshire, where he repairs and manufacture guns to order with the finest materials and workmanship as made for hundreds of years by time-served craftsmen.
The gundog breeders, trainers and handlers
Dogs are used in every sphere of shooting, from the beating line for grouse, pheasant, and partridge, the picking-up team, grouse counting, deer tracking and stalking, and all-round companion in the field. That simply means that the variety of breed, type and use is substantial.
You may be a professional stalker and keeper using a variety of dogs within the role or indeed a recreational stalker and rough shooter. Whichever you choose to be, the dogs are indispensable in the field for all of us.
Richard King takes on this task as a gundog breeder, trainer, and handler at the very top level: an England International for 15 years, World Cup winner on four occasions and winner of the Home International on seven occasions, backed up by winning the International Gundog League Retriever Championships in 2014.
