We recently met with Rachel Draper, co-founder of Stile Country, the social app that brings fieldsports and countryside together. With a lifelong passion for rural life and a career shaped by the shooting industry, Rachel shares how she got into fieldsports, what inspired her to build Stile Country and the role the countryside plays in her family and future.
From traditions and role models to honest advice for women in the industry, this conversation offers a genuine look at behind the band and the woman driving it forward.
Thank you for joining us, Rachel. To start, could you tell us how you first got involved in fieldsports?
Honestly, I feel incredibly lucky. My parents introduced me to fieldsports when I was growing up on a smallholding in Warwickshire. I use to tag along to the local farm shoots with my dad, where I'd spend the day beating or picking up.
In my early teens, dad encouraged me to try clay shooting. He was so supportive, and once I found my confidence, I started to share a peg with him on game days. Everything just grew from there.
I say 'lucky' because I know how daunting it can be to break into fieldsports on your own. Having someone in your corner, family or friends, makes all the difference.
It sounds like those early experience really shaped you. Is that what eventually led you to co-found Stile Country?
In a way, yes. My husband is a gunmaker and runs his own business, and I previously worked in digital marketing for shooting-related brands. We consistently battled with social media restrictions, from posts being blocked to content being removed, there are just too many hoops to jump through to share something we're passionate about.
Plus, the rise of AI generated content and the lack of genuine connection online got us thinking...social media has incredible potential, but it's lost its way. I've always believed if you don't like something, don't just complain - change it.
So we decided to build an alternative - something better, suited to fieldsports, farming and countryside life. That idea became Stile Country.
The countryside clearly plays a huge role in your life. Was there a single moment that you realised you wanted to build something around it?
I'm not sue there was one defining moment - the countryside has shaped me from day one. My mum comes from a line of dairy farmers, and my dad is a livestock auctioneer, so the love of the land and livestock is in my DNA.
Having a family of our own, I've become more aware of what I want their childhood to be. I want them to understand where food comes from, to embrace green spaces and to feel proud of their dad's career.
Fieldsports has shaped my life in so many ways, I even met my husband at a clay ground. Many of my closest friendships and biggest inspirations came from this community. So in hindsight, I think this path was always meant for me.
The real catalyst though, was last February when we took a huge leap and sold our house. Instead of putting the proceeds into savings like sensible adults, we backed ourselves and invested in building Stile Country.
That's a huge lead of faith. How do you balance running a business with the realities of countryside life?
Living in the countryside actually fuels my work with Stile Country, it reminds me daily why the app matters. We rent a cottage on a farming and shooting estate and the sense of community here is unbelievable. The coffee shop is run by my neighbour, we got married in the local church, and our reception was on in a barn on the estate.
We created Stile Country to be a digital reflection of this close-knit world. A place where community comes first. Living here keeps me motivated.
Balancing family life with running a business though? That's the bit I haven't mastered.
With a lifestyle so rooted in tradition, what countryside traditions or rituals do you never skip?
Picking apples and blackberries to make a crumble will always be special to me - it's pure childhood nostalgia.
We always try and make the Boxing Day Hunt meet. And on a shot day, elevenses is sacred, I'm a sucker for a sloegasm.
You've mentioned how much the rural community means to you. Who are your role models within the industry?
I really admire Jade Holland Cooper, she's built an incredible brand while being so open about her motherhood journey. Alexandra Henton, editor of The Field, is another woman I look up to. Before Stile Country, I wrote for The Shooting Times and The Sporting Gun, so I really respect the path she's taken.
But my biggest inspiration is definitely my husband,. I've seen the blood, sweat, and tears behind his business. the criticism he's navigated, the hurdles his cleared, the determination he's shown - its honestly inspiring.
Speaking of people you admire, who would you most love to share a peg with?
Karli - my wonderful friend from days working at Atkin Grant & Lang. She's just so much fun and would make any day in the field even better.
Women in fieldsports is a growing conversation. What's the biggest misconception about women in fieldsports?
This is a tricky one because things have changed a lot in the last decade. Some women feel that men assume they're inly on shoot days for the social side, but I personally haven't felt that.
I think we have to be careful not to assume people have preconceived notions about us just because we're women. Sometimes that doubt comes from out own lack of confidence..
My experience has been overwhelmingly been one of support. If you show up with skills and confidence, you'll be taken seriously.
What's the best piece of advice you've been given, and do you have any to share?
One phrase that has struck with me is "extraordinary results require extraordinary effort". It's so true, whatever you want to achieve you have to put the work in.
As women, we're often sold the idea that we can 'have it all' - the perfect career, home, family, friendships, hobbies...but not all at once. You have to prioritise and accept that sacrifices are part of the journey.
My own advice?
Back yourself. No one else can do that for you. If you believe in what you are building, people will follow.
And lastly, can you give us a sneak peek into what's coming up for Stile County?
We're entering a really exciting stage. We're currently raising funds to improve the app's features and functionality and to grow our brilliant community.
Our mission is simple: to connect people online so they can become friends offline and put their phones away to enjoy fiendsports and the countryside.
There's so much more to come, and we're only just getting started.
For more information about Stile Country and to download the app visit Stile – Connecting the Countryside.
You can also follow Rachel at @girl_in_the_gunroom
