When people think of a truly British shooting show, The Game Fair comes in mind. Why? In 1958 Harold Macmillan was Prime Minister, the first Paddington Bear book was published, the parking meter was launched – and the first-ever Game Fair was held at Stetchworth Park, Newmarket.
From the very beginning, The Game Fair was a statement of what Britain is, what the countryside means, and what traditions deserve to be protected, celebrated, and passed down.
Today, it stands proudly as a quintessentially British shooting show – a living piece of our national story, rooted in heritage, shaped by the countryside. Because while fashions change and decades move on, there are some things that remain unmistakably British: the landscape, the rural way of life, and the enduring spirit of british shooting.
A Show Built on British Countryside Heritage
The Game Fair was born in a Britain that understood the value of the countryside instinctively. An island nation — shaped by its land, defined by its landscapes, and connected through the traditions that grew from them.
From the start, The Game Fair brought together the people, skills, and communities that make the countryside work. It became a meeting place for those who live rural life every day, and for those who admire it, support it, and want to be part of it.
And at the heart of that countryside culture has always been british shooting. A long-established part of rural Britain – connected to land management, conservation, working dogs, game as food, and the deep respect for countryside tradition.
A Proudly British Identity, Across the Decades
The Game Fair has always felt like Britain at its best: welcoming, knowledgeable, traditional, and quietly confident.
As the years passed, The Game Fair grew into a major national event — but it never lost its character. It remained grounded in the countryside, loyal to rural values, and proudly connected to the heritage that makes Britain unique.
Even in times of rapid change, The Game Fair has been a constant presence for the countryside community — a reminder that rural Britain matters, and that traditions like shooting are part of the fabric of the nation.
That strength of purpose was captured perfectly in 1977 by the Marquess of Tavistock, President of the Game Fair Committee:
“The theme of all Game Fairs revolves around one of this nation’s greatest assets — the countryside. Each year however, urbanisation deprives us all of a little more of this beauty. The arguments for motorways, factories and other commercial and urban uses have been said many times, but it never alters the fact that Great Britain is an island community. Our land is so precious with no boundaries to its beauty.”
— Marquess of Tavistock, President, 1977 Game Fair Committee
Those words still matter today. They remind us that the countryside is not just scenery – it is a national asset. And shooting, when understood properly, has always been tied to that countryside: to stewardship, respect, and the responsibility to protect what makes Britain special.
British Shooting as a Living Tradition
What makes british shooting so enduring is that it has never existed in isolation.
It sits alongside conservation and habitat management, rural skills and employment, countryside sportsmanship, food culture and sustainability and traditions that connect generations
It is part of how the countryside has been managed and protected for decades – and it continues to be a meaningful part of rural life today.
The Game Fair has always understood this. That’s why it has remained the natural home of british shooting: not just celebrating the sport, but the countryside context that surrounds it.
Why The Game Fair Remains a Quintessentially British Shooting Show
The Game Fair has grown into a defining symbol of countryside Britain – with the history, scale, and heritage that makes it truly iconic.
The Game Fair has always been proudly British in its identity, rooted in the countryside in its purpose, historic in its origins, forward-looking in its responsibility and unwavering in its support of shooting in Britain.
It is not simply a date in the diary. It is part of the national countryside calendar – a place where rural Britain gathers, and where the story of british shooting continues to be written.
Because when people think of a truly British shooting show – one shaped by tradition, defined by heritage, and grounded in the countryside – they’re thinking of something timeless.
