Warter Priory’s annual Charity Clay Shoot and Fundraising Ball were held in the middle of May and as in previous years, what an amazing event it was. With 58 teams on the Thursday and 63 on the Friday, this is the most that have ever taken part, with each shooting a mixture of seven simulated drives, including a pool shoot, all of which were perfectly sited in the estate’s valleys on the edge of the stunning Yorkshire Wolds. With excellent sport, hospitality and company, no one could fail to have enjoyed themselves.

The Holderness Hunt gave a trail hunting display before lunch each day, with hounds mingling with everyone in and around the marquee afterwards, and before the teams left for their stands on the Friday the Red Devils laid on a fantastic display which included the world’s largest Union Flag.

On both days, some truly amazing lots were auctioned during lunch, including some fabulous shooting on a number of renowned estates, two morning drives for two guns at Plas Dinam followed by two afternoon drives at Warter Priory with a private helicopter transfer between the two, a holiday in Antigua, and not for the faint-hearted, tandem parachute jumps with the Red Devils. The extremely popular High Tower Challenge was then held on the Saturday, the prize for the highest score being one gun on a 500-bird day at Warter Priory, and this was followed by a night of dancing and fun at the Bushbeaters’ Ball.

Warter Priory regard the Countryside Alliance as the leading campaigning organisation dedicated to ensuring a future for field sports, and in order to safeguard these, especially in the current political climate, the Alliance was, for the third year running, chosen to be a beneficiary of this year’s event. For this, we are enormously grateful.

In total, a phenomenal £400,000 was raised over the three days, the highest amount ever achieved. £10,000 of this will be donated to Rett UK, a fantastic charity which supports families affected by Rett Syndrome and one with which the estate has a close connection, with the balance of £390,000 split 50:50 between the Countryside Alliance and this year’s other beneficiary, the Special Reconnaissance Regimental Association; a staggering sum the importance of which cannot be overemphasised. The team at Warter Priory put in an enormous amount of work to make the event the incredible success it was, and we are so thankful to them and to all those that so generously gave their support, whether through sponsorship, entering teams, donating auction lots, or bidding for those lots.