A DORSET gamekeeper will be remembered with a tribute at one of the industry’s largest gatherings.

Don Ford, who died earlier this year, was one of the most respected gamekeepers in the country, said a spokesperson for the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC).

He was head gamekeeper for the Earl of Shaftesbury at the St Giles estate, and followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who were also both head gamekeepers in Dorset.

Mr Ford was also a trustee of the Gamekeepers’ Welfare Association, a member of the BASC committee and a supporter of the National Gamekeepers Organisation (NGO) and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).

Now these organisations are coming together to support the Don Ford Memorial Challenge Cup, which will be the top prize in the gamekeepers’ clay shoot at the Gamekeepers’ Fair. As well as the cup there will be a £300 cash prize from Round Lodge Sporting, who are based at Catton, and who are also donating £200 to the Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust, of which Don was a founder member, serving as a committee member and trustee for many years.

Lord Aylesford, who is chairman of the GWT and whose home is Packington Park, where the first Gamekeepers’ Fair was held 40 years ago, said:” I’m delighted that we are remembering Don in this way He was a passionate advocate of the GWT, which does a fine job in helping keepers and their families in times of difficulty and hardship. I do hope as many keepers as possible will attend this great gathering which not only supports the gamekeeping charity but offers a great opportunity to meet old friends and fellow professionals and to take a well-deserved break at the end of the season.”

For its 40th anniversary the fair will be raising money for the Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust and the GWCT, NGO and BASC are hoping to make it the biggest-ever gathering of gamekeepers in the UK.

Steve Bloomfield, BASC director England said:; “This will be a special weekend dedicated to the work of the country’s gamekeepers and I cannot think of a better tribute to one of our most respected and long-serving keepers.”

The Gamekeepers’ Fair takes place at Catton Hall in Walton-upon-Trent, Derbyshire on April 16 and 17 April.

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