NEWS
A genuine game changer
1
The Ptarmigan Story - celebrating 25 years of an industry icon A
quarter of a century ago Schöffel Country founder Corry Cavell-
Taylor had just returned home from a skiing trip where he had discovered the revolutionary GORE-TEX skiwear made by German outwear brand Schöffel. But it was not until a bleak wintery shoot day at Rockingham Castle in Northamptonshire, that the thought first crossed Corry’s mind: why is anyone yet to utilise GORE-TEX in the shooting industry? And, whilst “freezing himself half to death” in a humble wax jacket, he decided it was about time somebody did. The aim was simple: to take the very best elements from Schöffel’s award-winning performance outdoor and skiwear and mould them into an innovative technical shooting coat that would offer discerning game shots levels of comfort, reliability and performance in the
50 | Tackle & Guns | June 2018
field that had never previously been available in a shooting garment. As they say, the rest is history. An industry icon was born – the Ptarmigan coat. A genuine game changer. Every icon deserves to be celebrated and to mark the 25th anniversary of the Ptarmigan coat, 25 teams of three gathered at West Wycombe Park in Buckinghamshire on a Tuesday in May, for the inaugural Schöffel Ptarmigan Trophy. The day began with a buffet
breakfast served in the south facing entrance hall of the grade one listed Palladian mansion, home of the Dashwood family. Guests chatted with excitement of the day ahead, the anticipation of the unknown. With that, teams were ushered out onto the landscaped lawn, where they were officially welcomed by Schöffel Country’s brand director,
Marcus Janssen, who introduced the two people responsible for the launch of the original Ptarmigan coat in 1993; Schöffel’s CEO Peter Schöffel, the seventh generation to preside over the 214-year old, family-owned company, and Corry Cavell-Taylor who founded Schöffel Country in the UK. After a briefing from E. J. Churchill, who were running the simulated game shoot, the teams were soon scrambling towards their squad leaders, eager, nervous even, to get started. The first of five Promatic flushes – simulated woodcock on the Christmas Tree drive. “Are we ready?” called the squad leader, “Load up, eyes forward.” Finally, the competition was underway; game on. Each team had 100 clays so had to make every shot count. Watching the GunsOnPegs team take to the stand first allowed some time for the other teams to put together
www.tandgmagazine.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
