Summer Slinging – a look at an event just held in the UK, for catapultists...
The England Slingshot Federation, summer shoot was held in the crook of the last bend of the mighty river Severn at Milton End Farm, Gloucestershire UK. I live in the edges of the conurbation that is London but somehow the Severn seems mightier than even Old Father Thames as it reaches the sea.
Farms run as multi-faceted agribusinesses these days. This site has expansive arable and many head of cattle, but they also run a high end complete wedding venue, from ceremony to long weekend accommodation for the whole wedding party. As you make your way to the camping field, you trundle past yards filled with buses from classic to recent, as they have some heavy duty motor stuff on site too.
In my experience as a dozens and dozens of venues fisheries reporter, I can tell you that the little cluster of lakes to the end of the farm, are now a disused fishery. Once a facet of the business, I guess they never really took off in popularity, perhaps because of the mile of farm track to reach them? Totally run to wild weedy cover, they are a tree-lined, gloriously overgrown, absolute waterbird haven. So much so, that although the England Slingshot Federation got a deal to set up their HFT (Hunters’ Field Target) course around the lakes, they not only had to mow a new path around them, but also avoid the lobe with the swans and cygnets upon it.
HFT is all about imitating hunting. So the targets are at different heights and distances. You get three points if you hit it the first time, two if you get it the second and one if the third. And that’s all you get. Tough if it’s one of the far ones they set up at maximum reach over the weedy water. That was 46 metres! More than a 150 feet! They use steel gongs and only ever steel ball ammo, so they make a lovey DING sound and the balls will corrode to a ferric rust nugget in mere months, unlike lead.
As part of their shorter range target disciplines, the ESF also run a contest for ‘bark on nattys’. That means a literal Y shaped stick cut from a hedge. Many are made just for these summer slinging contests, and tradition is upheld. The short range targets were stand-up discs on rods, with an adjudicator present as they shot, to keep score. The distance is 10m or just over 30 feet and is a real challenge. Imagine hitting just the circle logo on a Pepsi can, not just the can itself!
A large part of the appeal of going to one of these weekend meets, is meeting the other catapult lunatics and finding they are just as bonkers into it as yourself. You cannot fail to learn stuff just by watching, and the social side is a treat. It’s an excuse to set up Kenyan safari grade encampments and cook steak over fire on elaborate raised fireplace ironmongery set ups. I have seen roast beef joints in dutch ovens and bread baked! The event runs on Saturday and Sunday, wrapping up before teatime, with folks arriving to camp on Friday or even the Thursday night. The field has a shack with two loos and a shower.
The beautiful trophies are always cabinet-worthy with the ESF and the competition is fierce. The skills needed are incredible to win.
They have categories for juniors and ladies and they even have a cunning idea to keep you from being disheartened as a beginner. If you have won before, you compete in “pro” only against other previous trophy winners. So it is possible to show up as a newbie and take a gong!
The Hunters Field Target trophy is the major one and is a plaque with tiny shields upon it, that are engraved each year with the victor’s name. So it is the trophy of greatness and the one they all really want to get their name upon.
Here are some pics of cool dudes taken for the ‘aiminatcha shot’ that folks enjoy using as a profile shot.. Summer slinging!
Note the natty!
Finally, I caught up with the Field Sports Britain folks at the British Shooting Show and suggested they come see the ESF at an event, as their star slinger doesn’t take part.. they came, and made this excellent video.
