From clay shooting with friends to working gundogs in the field, Charleigh has fully immersed herself in the world of shooting. Her journey started just three years ago when she got her first spaniel, Summer, and since then, she’s never looked back. Now a regular on the beating line and a keen advocate for women in shooting, she shares her experiences, advice, and favourite moments from the sport.
In this Q&A, we chat about how she got started, the joys and challenges of working gundogs, and the lessons she’s learned along the way.
Thanks for joining us Charleigh, we’d like to start with how you got into shooting?
I got into it properly about three years ago, but before that, I’d only really done a bit of clay shooting with friends. I always loved the social side of it, but it wasn’t until I got my first spaniel, Summer, that I wanted to get more involved.
We love seeing Summer, and the rest of the pack, on your socials. How did your gundog journey begin?
It all started with Summer—I took her to gundog classes because I wanted a well-trained spaniel. Then I got into beating, and that was it, I was hooked! Now I’ve been beating and picking up all over Yorkshire, and I’ve even had some days on peg. But my favourite part is definitely working my dogs and seeing all that hard work pay off—it’s so rewarding.
Working dogs are incredibly rewarding, but they also come with their challenges. Can you share some of the highs and hurdles you’ve experienced along the way?
Both my spaniels came to me from previous homes with no training at all, so I’ve had to tackle different challenges than I would have with a puppy. But when things finally click, it’s the best feeling! The biggest challenge for me has been learning to work multiple dogs together. I use all but one of my dogs for beating and picking up, so I expect a lot from them—but I always make sure to give them time off if I can tell they’ve been pushed too far, mentally or physically.
Is there a particular piece of kit that you couldn’t be without when working your dogs?
Definitely my Acme whistle—and I always keep multiple spares in the car just in case!
How did you come across ladies' shooting groups, and have they helped you along the way?
It was actually quite tricky at first—I struggled to find a group that had events close to me and suited what I was looking for. But then I came across Prestige Sporting through having lessons with Jo, and it’s been brilliant. I’ve met some lovely people, been to some amazing events, and I can’t wait for more!
Do you have any advice to give to someone looking to get into shooting?
I’d say don’t limit yourself and make sure you surround yourself with the right people. If you find a place that doesn’t feel quite right, don’t be afraid to move on—there are so many opportunities out there! And if you’re on a shoot and find that one aspect isn’t for you, try something different. There’s always another option.
That’s fantastic advice. As someone who is out in the field either shooting, beating or picking up, do you have a non-negotiable?
Warm clothes and a good pair of boots—no question!
A non-negotiable that we live by too! Finally, what’s the biggest misconception you hear?
One I hear a lot, both in the field and online, is that beating dogs are somehow less important or easier to train than picking-up dogs. I think because so many gundog training classes focus on retrieving, and the photos of dogs picking up look really impressive, it’s easy to see why people think that. But beating dogs have so much to deal with—they have to think on the go, and their steadiness needs to be top level. No matter what role they play, every gundog takes hours of training and hard work to get them to where they are, and that should always be recognised.
We hope you enjoyed this interview with Charleigh as much as we did. Find out more about and follow Charleigh, and her pooches, journey on Instagram @charleighanita
