Only girls allowed: A day out with The Country Girls UK

In this article from My Countryside magazine, James Aris, Campaign for Shooting Manager, spends a day with The Country Girls.

Aim for the high mark and you will hit it. No, not the first time, not the second time, and maybe not the third. But keep on aiming and keep on shooting for only practice will make you perfect. Finally, you'll hit the bulls-eye of success." So wrote Annie Oakley in the early 20th century. We're not in the Wild West, but her words perfectly represent the spirit of my game day with The Country Girls UK (CGUK).

By all accounts, this was a typical day's shooting. I pull up at Prestwold Hall, near Loughborough, to find the classic line-up of Land Rovers, Mitsubishis and Nissans huddled outside a rather beautiful barn nestling in the gently undulating hills of Leicestershire. It's the shoot's penultimate day of the season, and the shoot captain tells me that it's been an 'absolute corker' thus far.

Just as we start to discuss the finer points of cover crop rotation, an eruption of music and laughter belts through the landscape. The shoot captain and I turn in unison toward the entrance gate as six cars emerge in quick succession. The Country Girls have arrived.

The brainchild of Tania Coxon, a full-time arable farmer on her family farm in the northeast of England, CGUK is a membership organisation aimed, you guessed it, solely at women. Founded during the pandemic in November 2020, they have gone from strength to strength and have produced sold-out live and simulated game shoots and tuition events across the UK and Ireland every weekend. More than 500 members have been welcomed into its community to date, with this figure growing daily and many more joining them just for specific days.

I was joining them having followed their progress on social media since inception. I have been intrigued by their approach, relying solely on Instagram and Facebook to promote their wares and attract members. This type of marketing is not new, but The Country Girls have taken it to an extraordinary level, with photographers and videographers chomping at the bit for an opportunity to snap a shot and to become part of their online community.

Over bacon rolls, I introduce myself to the ladies. Such a welcoming atmosphere, if not met at first with a little trepidation as to who I am and why I'm there! Only a few know each other from previous days, however, so I had no difficulty fitting right in.

As we walk to the first drive, I take the opportunity to speak with Alice and Jordanna, the former on her first game day, the latter an experienced shot. We are shown to our unmarked pegs by the shoot captain, where we wait. These are the moments I love most about our sport, standing in truly stunning scenery, waiting in anticipation. From across the field, there is lots of laughter; nervous energy surrounds the new shots, of which there are six today, Alice being one of them. While we wait, she tells me how she got into the sport and why she chose CGUK.

"It's safe with the girls, and supportive," she explains. "I've gone from tuition days at clay grounds, to simulated game days and then today I'm going to hit my first bird! The entire way through the system I've been encouraged by hundreds of incredible ladies that have made me feel comfortable every step of the way."

As she finishes, we hear the familiar two-note calls as the birds are disturbed and begin to fly. Alice is first on the peg, but the birds are flying low and sound advice is given by Jordanna to wait. The first shots are fired and with her third a hen drops -- and the field erupts with cheers of congratulations for Alice's first blood! Across the field another gun hits her first bird, then another. It's an incredible atmosphere, and even the pickers-up behind are whooping. Jordanna explains to me that this is not an uncommon occurrence -- every game day on which she has joined the Country Girls this year has seen at least one newcomer hitting their first. By elevenses, all six ladies that were shooting live game for the first time have successfully connected with birds.

As we stand around the gun bus, refreshments in hand, I try to put my finger on what makes this day feel so different to others. Alice's words on the first drive resonate as I ponder – that she feels 'safe'. Is this why, out of the hundreds of days I've been on, I've only ever seen a handful of women? One of the ladies offers up an answer.

"I've been beating for years," she says, "but haven't felt comfortable going on a shoot since an experience I had on a very male-dominated day when I got comments such as 'I suppose that your breasts get in the way', and 'if you need any pointers babe, holloa across the field and I will be there'". It does seem shocking that these types of comments still exist in our modern world, but she is one of many who told me of such experiences throughout the day.

When we consider that 96 per cent of shotgun certificate holders in the UK are male, and yet a recent GunsOnPegs census found that 50 per cent of men that shoot have at least one female family member who is involved in shooting, it's no wonder the offering from the CGUK has been snapped up. The word I hear from so many of the ladies when expressing their feelings on Country Girls days is 'comfortable' – and it is comfortable.

It left me in no doubt that groups such as this are a key part of ensuring our sport survives. Not only is it "As we discuss the finer points of cover crop rotation, an eruption of music and laughter belts through the landscape" paving the way for more women to get involved, it's also offering a package of days from training for complete beginners, to game days at home and abroad. With prices ranging from just over £100 to £1000+, it's inclusive of all.

We're all familiar with the sense of community shooting offers, and indeed better mental health is being linked more and more to the sport as every season passes. However, I can honestly say that I have never been on a shoot where that sense of togetherness and friendship glowed quite so brightly as that day with the Country Girls.

You can follow The Country Girls on Instagram and visit their website.

Photo credit: Andrew Cavanagh