The Great British Sim Game

Sometimes overlooked by clay shooters, sim game is fun, sociable, and a great way to sharpen up. Emily Damment goes to Shropshire for a day on the clays

- Emily Damment

Unsurprisingly, given the name, simulated game seems to be more popular among bored game shooters than it is with those whose main concern is birds of the clay variety. Sure, sim game serves the important purpose of cheering up all those pheasant-less fieldsports enthusiasts during their annual post-season withdrawal episode, but it is also a wonderful, sociable pastime that should not be overlooked by the die-hard clay shots among us. I was reminded of this in February when I attended a cracking simulated day, hosted by Drennan and Ashley Kenderdine at Beckbury, Shropshire.

Now, I love a day at the clay ground as much as the next bitumen buster, but if you’re after something a little bit special to do with a group of friends, or just fancy a change to keep things interesting, I would urge you to check out the huge range of sim game days available throughout the country. Some will be better than others, of course, and luckily for me, Drennan and Ashley are well versed in the essential ingredients required to produce the perfect day.

First on the list is the setting. Beckbury is a beautiful estate of rolling hills and farmland, with swathes of tall woodland that help create stunningly realistic pheasant and partridge simulations. It is also situated close by two absolute essentials for the travelling shooter – a nice, affordable hotel, and an even nicer traditional rural pub. We met the team of 15 shooters and five loaders in the latter for a coffee and a bacon bap before getting going, which brings me neatly onto the second and third essential ingredients of a good day – the food and the company.