Future top shot

One of our future great shots is James Attwood. I first met James on the South Downs partridge shoot when he was 19 years old. The first drive was Water Hall, presenting extremely high birds (too high for me). James was three stands away, taking partridges out left and right at 60yd plus. Unbelievable. He is now 25 years old and although I’m 70 we have been shooting together ever since, mainly stalking.

Last season, on his family’s estate on the Isle of Sheppey, myself and some other guns watched James shoot a right-and-left (one wigeon, one mallard) in a very strong wind. My springer, Yogi, retrieved the mallard 200yd behind the line. I said to James, “They are so high mate they had ice on their wings.” Apparently, two weeks later he shot a right-and-left on

pintails at the same distance. I now see why he’s in the British Sporting Team, a great mate of our top Kent man George Digweed and sponsored by Perazzi and Gamebore.

An amazing young man and it’s a privilege for my son, DJ, and our family to be friends of the Attwoods. Luckily for DJ, James gives him tuition.

Dave Rudd, by email