After months of planning, a few ups and downs along the way, we finally made it to Vowley for the 2022 British Falcon Races. The children worked incredibly hard over the summer, practicing their falconry skills, honing their bird-handling techniques, and getting the birds in peak physical condition for the big day.
After an early start everyone arrived for practice day excited but also a little nervous, knowing that we would be competing against other skilled falconers from all over the country. The children were able to do one practise flight each to familiarise themselves and the birds with the race area in preparation for the real thing the following day. Given the unexpected wind, everything went smoothly and the day was finished off with food and an early night.
The early night didn’t go so smoothly for all but, everyone made it up and out on time for an early start the next day. Race day brought beautiful blue skies and a lot of nerves! The Junior Flat Race was the first race of the day with seven entries in total. The children competed as teams of two, each with one falcon. One child slipping and the other child luring. Competing against other children, some of whom were much more experienced, and despite the wind which refused to settle down, the children did us proud and all falcons finished. The rest of the day was spent watching the both the Novice Flat Race and the very exciting Novice Hunt Race.