Fabulous Lucinda, who wears what she shoots, wins best dressed lady competition at the Game Fair

Lucinda Southern, a rural businesswoman from Nottinghamshire, won the fifth annual Best Dressed Lady competition at The Game Fair 2019, taking home the stunning prize worth more than £600 which included a countryside coat and boots.

The stunning lucky lady, 32, went home with an amazing Welligogs Demelza Grey Coat and a fabulous pair of Mayfair Black waterproof boots, while runner-up Jane Wagstaff from Thirsk received jewellery provided by County Equestrian Jewellers.

Sponsored for the fifth year running by British clothing brand Welligogs, a family-owned company renowned for blending style with performance and elegance, the fun competition on the opening day of the festival of the great British countryside involved scouts touring the showground at Hatfield House, Hertfordshire to persuade 33 ladies dressed with flair and style to put themselves forward.

Lucinda, who owns her own company called Shootday Upcycling – Gundog Girls and is a regular at The Game Fair, was wearing a beautiful family vintage peacock dress that she’s had at the back of her wardrobe for “quite a while” and an eye-catching hat.

“What everybody is talking about are the feathers on my hat,” said the winner. “They all come from a shoot at Iford Downs in Sussex. I’m wearing what I have shot. My company uses everything from the birds. The meat goes to The Country Food Trust to help feed the homeless, and we process the feathers and cartridge ends and make into different accessories.”

She added: “My dress is a vintage and in the family. It has sat in the back of my wardrobe for quite a long time, but I love it. It’s lovely to win this competition. It’s an amazing feeling and a great prize. I’m really thrilled with the Welligogs outfit – exactly what I had in mind for the Cheltenham Gold Cup 2020.”

This year’s judges included Maxine Groucutt, a regular judge at RHS Chelsea Flower Show and visual merchandiser for many brands, including Prada and Liberty of London; her stylish seven-year-old daughter Theodora Groucutt; and Marc Stevenson of Stevenson’s Rocking Horse fame.

Kim Annan, founder of Welligogs added: “We were so thrilled with the number of people who wanted to take part and join in the fun. There were more than 30 competition entrants and each twirl on the catwalk showed the entrants’ personality and style impeccably. With so many stunning ladies, it was hard to choose a top two.”

Jane Wagstaff, a retailer from Thirsk, was runner-up. One of the volunteers running the BASC scurries at The Game Fair, she was wearing a Really Wild clothing tweed suit, with Schöffel shirt and Dubarry boots.