PROMINENT Conwy-based hill farmer Gareth Wyn Jones is on a mission to extol the wider benefits of conservation and field sports to his fellow countrymen.
A regular on TV, the outspoken countryman is vociferously backing The GWCT Welsh Game Fair, which is being held for the first time from September 9-11 at the Vaynol Estate in Gwynedd.
The three-day family-friendly event will feature fishing, clay shooting, gundogs, falconry and hounds, as well as rural crafts, food and drink.
Fellow Welshman chef Bryn Williams will also be fronting the on-site fine dining restaurant that will be showcasing the best of game cookery.
Gareth said: “I am not being paid by the organisers to promote this new event - I am supporting it because North Wales genuinely needs a proper game fair to call its own, where we can educate people about the countryside, farming, food production and country pursuits.
“This remote part of Wales was in real need of an annual event that can be used to bring town and country together.
When I heard that Stable Events was launching one of its hugely successful game fairs here I jumped at the chance to support it.
“Events like these help secure our way of life for future generations.”
This latest venture is the fifth event in the Stable Events portfolio, with the largest and longest running being The Game Fair in Warwickshire.
The father-of-three belongs to a shooting syndicate which is made up of farmers, plumbers and electricians.
He added: “There are around 18 of us in total, so we alternate between shooting and beating on drives.
“It is a real grassroots shoot that is highly inclusive. Everyone is welcome, and it’s a proper family affair. All the pheasants, partridge and duck that are shot are taken home for the table.”
Together with his brother, Gareth is also a keen fly fisherman, saying: “There’s a two-acre lake on the Carneddau mountains behind my house which has wild brown trout in it.
“Sometimes, when I am checking on my stock, I will also take a fly rod with me. It is a great way to spend a few hours.”
The farmer, who farms in partnership with his family, runs 4,000 sheep and 300 cows on 2,000 acres and 27,000-acres of open mountain which is just 15 minutes from the Vaynol Estate.
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Gareth said: “Keith Jones, the estate owner, is a great friend of mine. He loves his shooting and field sports.
“I am sure The GWCT Welsh Game Fair will be a huge success as Keith’s team is used to running large-scale events.”
Dubbed the nation’s favourite farmer, Gareth is also fervent about how field sports benefit wildlife conservation.
This event is an important fundraiser for the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, a charity that funds research into vulnerable Welsh species such as woodcock and seat trout.
He added: “Organisers are expecting 20,000 visitors, so it will be a superb platform to raise awareness of the charity’s vital work.
“I have worked with the GWCT for many years; I really believe in their cause.”
Gareth will be speaking on the stage on Saturday, September 10 at 2pm.
More information is at www.welshgamefair.org.
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