Is that fizzing redleg sporting or too high?

It is defined as fairness and generosity, but what do we mean when we apply the word ‘sporting’ to shots taken, asks Will Pocklington

- Will Pocklington

I’d rather be sporting than just put stuff on the ground,” the end Gun muttered as the horn sounded and his neighbour’s old cocker bumbled over to where the first of her master’s redlegs lay dead. I was on the flank of the beating line, from where I’d watched Mr Mutterer leave anything below 40 yards high and struggle with the rest.

His fellow Gun had taken three partridges as they fizzed over energetically at half the height — all folded neatly and pickable. It got me thinking, what does ‘sporting’ really mean… and why do people’s perceptions of the term differ?

Pinning down a definition for all fieldsports without straying into the realms of vagueness is tricky, yet most of us seem able to decide whether or not something is ‘sporting’ in a split second. Or do we?

The Oxford English Dictionary interpretation is simple enough: “Fair and generous in one’s behaviour or treatment of others, especially in a contest.” But what does that mean in the context of shooting and other country pursuits?

I put the question to a few friends. While terms such as ‘fairness’, ‘level playing field’ and ‘hard-earned’ were thrown into the melting pot as expected, so too were factors such as personal skill level, familiarity with a place, weather conditions, the kit we use and the status of the quarry itself.

Might they have been overthinking it? It seems that deciding what is and isn’t sporting is more straightforward for some scenarios — and some people — than it is for others.