Instructor of the month

Georgie Stanford is determined to broaden the appeal of shooting

Georgie Stanford still considers herself relatively new to the sphere of professional shooting instruction. Enquire about her journey so far, however, and you’ll glean an understanding of the secrets to potential longevity in her chosen field.

Georgie’s willingness to learn is abundantly clear. “I can’t emphasise enough the value of shadowing a reputable shooting instructor,” she asserts, referencing her two years spent training at Holland & Holland’s shooting ground in Northwood, London, while setting up as a freelance coach. In Georgie’s case, that exemplary figure was H&H head instructor Nathan Dudley, whom she watched and learned from over many lessons with lots of different people, each with their own style, experience level and goals.

She looks back on that time fondly.

“It was an opportunity that came about after I had completed the four-day APSI (Association of Professional Shooting Instructors) course in the spring of 2019,” she says. “Above all else, it drove home the importance of building a rapport and communicating effectively with clients.”

Indeed, learning how to shape and structure a lesson is one thing, according to Georgie, while working on the technicalities of gun mount, footwork and so on is another — but understanding how a client learns and what they want to achieve are key aspects that are often overlooked. “Everyone learns differently and no two clients are the same,” she adds. “Being

Will Pocklington speaks to some of our leading shooting instructors able to read the signs of when something isn’t making sense is crucial.”

The same goes for the way people teach — everyone has their own way of doing things. “When I first started instructing, I would think ‘gosh, I’m really sounding like my dad’, because my dad taught me to shoot. However, the more time I have spent shadowing others, the more I have grown in confidence and developed my own style,” Georgie says. “I like to think I now sound like myself, with elements picked up from very experienced instructors, such as Nathan Dudley, and the likes of Nigel Muir and Steve Turner, from Purdey At The Royal Berkshire.”

Interestingly, Georgie hadn’t initially considered shooting instruction as a fulltime vocation.“i grew up around shooting, first picking up a gun when I was 12 years old. Later, after struggling to pin down a shepherding job one year upon leaving college, where I studied agriculture, I found myself coaching the children of family friends on my local shoot in Hambledon — and I loved it.”

It’s an area Georgie feels privileged to be involved in. “I find it very rewarding working with young Shots and helping to introduce the next generation to the sport,” she says. “One of my best days last season was coaching a young boy on his first day’s game shooting on a family farm shoot. It was blowing an absolute gale and he was excited, but also quite nervous. We likened the fluid movement we were looking for to something he was more familiar with — swinging a cricket bat. He warmed to it and shot several great birds — his very first.”

Broadening the appeal of shooting is something Georgie feels strongly about.

“I’d also like to coach and encourage more women,” she says. “I’ve seen such a big change in shooting and country sports in general in terms of women participation. I know first hand how it feels to all of a sudden be surrounded by like-minded girls who share a passion that has traditionally been dominated by men.”

Georgie, a member of the ladies’ shooting team while studying at the Royal Agricultural University, adds: “Now there are more ladies’ days at clay grounds, more ladies-only competitions and ladies-only simulated days than ever. It’s fantastic.”

Finally, we discuss the importance of positivity. Overcoming the challenges of a pandemic while she was establishing herself as a coach says much about Georgie’s mindset. “A shooting lesson should be a positive experience — it should be fun,” she says. It’s hard to argue with that.

“I found myself coaching the children of friends on my local shoot and I loved it”

If you know an instructor you would like to nominate for Instructor of the month please send details to shootingtimes@futurenet.com

Georgie Stanford is heartened by the number of women looking to get involved in shooting