Fieldsports was once a world where men took the lead, but today, women are making waves and changing the game. Louisa Clutterbuck is a key figure in this shift—not just a participant but a leader, actively shaping how fieldsports are viewed and practiced. As a co-founder of Women Who Work in Fieldsports (WWWF), a dynamic network empowering women in the industry, Louisa is redefining what it means to be a part of this evolving landscape. We spoke with her to learn more about her passion for fieldsports, hear her insights, dispel some common myths, and explore the journey behind WWWF.
Thank you for joining us, Louisa. To start, could you tell us how you first got involved in fieldsports?
I first got into fieldsports as a child, beating with my Grandpa or on my Uncle’s small shoot. Always a beater never a gun, my father didn’t really seem a fan of women shooting, although he has changed his opinion now. I also spent a lot of time at Pony Club and out Hunting so horses were my first love.
When I started at the British Game Assurance (BGA) the opportunity to leave the beaters and join the guns appeared. I was lucky enough to shoot my first ever partridge whilst my very over excited colleague blasted instructions at me. Leon is now the Eat Wild Culinary Director and a close friend whom I am hoping to shoot with for many years to come.
We were hosting a chef shoot day to try and encourage more high-end chefs to use game at their restaurants. In the line was Thomasina Miers, Callum Franklin and Tom Booton to name a few. On arrival, Tom Adams our then MD, announced that I was absolutely having a go and Leon and I could share a drive. Well as the partridges started to fly over, I was wobbling around with Leon moving my arms and ‘Bang!’ I got one! I sure let everyone know in the valley know about it, such shouts of glee that I think on any normal day I would have been asked to leave, Leon had to finish the drive as I was bouncing up and down with such excitement.
My husband, Jack, was then the real instigator in helping me shoot. As a patient boyfriend he would stand next to me on the peg on his Uncle’s estate while I missed every bird in sight, before gently suggesting it might be a good idea to have a few lessons before I next go out. Dylan Williams is my ever-imperturbable instructor; every lesson a new issue seems to have appeared and the problems we worked on previously have disappeared. I now love introducing friends to shooting and stood with my little sister when she got her first pheasant.
We admire your efforts to make game a staple in every household’s weekly menu. Do you have any role models in the industry?
Teresa Dent, CEO of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust is absolutely my number one, she carved her career when there really was no other women in the sector doing it and she has been instrumental to my only personal development.
Alexandra Henton, Editor of The Field, is another real inspiration as she worked so tirelessly and relentlessly to get to her position and has faced some real backlash for being the first female editor.
There really are so many incredible women, great choices. If you could share a peg with a friend, who would you choose and why?
I love introducing new people to shooting so any girl friends who want to get involved in it are so fun to share a peg with. I also really enjoy sharing a peg with my husband as it happens so rarely now and we really wind each other up if we miss an easy bird. He also still can help me improve with my shooting; it is like having a date, no phones, just the two of you whilst you wait for the birds, absolute bliss.
Love this! What’s the best piece of advice you have been given and do you have any advice to give other women?
Keep going and stand up for yourself. I found at the start of my career that I put up with a lot of behaviour from senior staff that I simply wouldn’t stand for now. I am glad I persevered as it meant I ended up in the job at Eat Wild but there were times when I didn’t know if I could continue. Always ask for help and advice from others and they can help you come up with a clever strategy for coping with some of those difficult misogynists still among us.
Wise words, I think we’re all slightly guilty of that one. Let’s move onto your inspiration behind co-founding WWWF ?
The inspiration to co-found WWWF came from trying to connect with more women in the sector. When I first started there were very few women working in fieldsports and every meeting I turned up to I was the only woman. I got asked if I was Tom’s girlfriend, and found I was constantly being pigeonholed so I was desperate to try and encourage more women to work in the sector and also to meet other women who may have had similar experiences. I never dreamed that WWWF would get as much traction as it has, and I never could have done it without Iona and Vanessa. It is all about giving women a space where they can come together, support each other, and feel part of a bigger community. Fieldsports can sometimes be quite male-dominated, and we wanted to change that by showing that women can be just as involved and passionate about it all.
What’s the biggest misconception about women in fieldsports/shooting?
The biggest misconception is that women don’t have a place in fieldsports or that they’re not as serious about it as men. There’s still a bit of an old-fashioned mindset in some parts of the industry, but that is definitely changing. Women can be just as passionate, skilled, and involved as anyone else, and we bring our own unique energy to the sport.
For more information about Women Who Work in Fieldsports and how to get involved visit www.womenwhoworkinfieldsports.co.uk or follow them on Instagram @womenwhoworkinfieldsport
Read Iona Campbell's interview here.
Co-founds of Women Who Work in Fieldsports, from left to right Vanessa Steel, Iona Campbell & Louisa Clutterbuck.
