Get to know Director of Countryside Alliance Wales, Rachel Evans

The latest member of staff in the hot seat is Director of Countryside Alliance Wales, Rachel Evans! Read through her Q&A, which first appeared in the Summer issue of My Countryside magazine.

When did you join the Countryside Alliance and what is your role?
I joined the Countryside Alliance in December 2008 as a regional Director for South Mid and West Wales, then swiftly became the Director for the whole of Wales when my colleague Barry Henderson retired. I arrived at head office on the day of the annual Christmas party. I was pretty farm-fresh and excited to be back in London – it was a baptism of fire.

What are your sporting interests?
I love following hounds and fishing. I haven't managed to become a decent shot yet, my eyesight isn't great when it comes to moving targets! I also follow a little bit of National Hunt racing.

Have you always been a country sports enthusiast?
I grew up on a dairy farm in Carmarthenshire and both my parents hunted twice a week with different packs until they got married and had me. My father used to take us fishing on the River Bran which ran through the farm after milking in the summer and my mother taught me to shoot tins on the washing line with an air gun. My first hunting pony was only hunted once. He bucked and pranced his way out of the village and I cried for the first three miles. Then dad took him home.
I hunted a friend's horses in my twenties as well as my trusted Welsh Cob mare Gornoeth Rhosyn, she was a gem. I have to mention a mare called Marley she was amazing and to this day I owe her for so many great days hunting. She was my mare when I was a master of my local pack.

How did your previous roles prepare you for working at the Alliance?
I was a member of the Young Farmers Club and that absolutely put me on track to do the work I do today. I was trained in public speaking by the parents of Wales and Lions rugby prop Wyn Jones!

What challenges are you anticipating our Welsh members will face in the year ahead?
It is undoubtedly going to be challenging for shooting in this Welsh Government term. There are a number of concerns coming our way, a new gamebird code of practice, the ban on snares and the lack of support for shooting in general coming out of parliament. My focus will be to continue promoting the multitude of benefits shooting provides for the people of Wales and scrutinising Government on proposals they make.

FUN FACT
Rather embarrassingly I was once the Rose Queen of Llangadog followed by being crowned the Carnival Queen. I only ever made it to Fairy Queen attendant though – I was obviously not "fairy" enough!

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