Q&A Will Forbes from Stormwatch Gundogs
Will had been a long standing customer of Campbell’s, and we first met him back in 2015 when ordering a pair of bespoke plus 4’s. He’s been a regular customer since and by chance shares our love for cocker spaniels! We caught up with Will recently and learned a little more about one of our loyal customers .
Tell us a little about yourself?
I’m Will Forbes, a self-employed farrier living in rural Perthshire. I’ve been working as a farrier for around 15 years now and running my own business for almost 10 years. Before becoming a farrier, I didn’t have any horse experience but after seeing a demonstration at a local game fair (Highland Fieldsports Fair) – I was hooked! And I feel lucky that it’s a job I still find really interesting and rewarding. Aside from the ‘day job’, I run a small gundog training kennels, Stormwatch Gundogs. My passion for training gundogs has been I long time in the making. Dogs have always been in my life; my parents ran a boarding kennels and my father trained and trialled spaniels and labradors, so I guess it was inevitable that I was going to have dogs in my life!
Away from dogs and horses, I’ve recently taken up running and completed my first marathon last year. It was really tough, but I’ve now got the bug for it and hope to take part in another this year or next. The Edinburgh Marathon also allowed me to fundraise for the Country Food Trust, a food poverty charity who provide high-protein nutritious meals to those in need. And that links nicely with another passion in my life – food! I enjoy nothing more than a dinner out and, in my opinion, Scotland has some of the best cuisine in the world. It’s so important that we eat more food that is locally sourced and in season – and game is an ideal example of that.
Tell us a bit about Stormwatch Gundogs?
Stormwatch Gundogs was started in 1982 by my father, Brian Forbes, when he bought Stormwatch Paddy as a puppy. Paddy was his first dog and he’d planned on just using him for rough shooting and as a pet, but as he began training the dog, my father’s enthusiasm grew; he knew the dog was destined for more. This led to many awards in trials and several years competing for the Scottish gundog team. Following on from Paddy, he successfully ran other springer spaniels in trials, before gaining his A panel status.
While he hasn’t trialled in recent years, he still enjoys working his own gundogs at local shoots and will always be the first person I call when I have a query regarding an issue I may be facing with one of the dogs.
His philosophy is that ‘The harder you train, the luckier you become’ – this has always stayed with me, in more than just training dogs.
What are your top 3 gundog training tips?
For me, my three mantras are:
– Consistency is key! Creating boundaries for the dog, keeping it simple with your commands and always try to optimise success when training.
– Keep an open mind. Like people, every dog has their own unique personality and not one training method fits all. It’s important to adapt your training methods to achieve the most out of the dog. If you are in doubt, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
-Make it fun! For me this is hugely important. In order to create success in the field, there’s got to be trust in the partnership and both need to enjoy the training.
Do you have a favourite gundog breed, colour etc?
It’s hard to have a favourite when they all have different jobs, but for me it would have to be the cocker or springer spaniel. They are extremely versatile and intelligent, and always want to please you.
In all honesty, I love watching all dogs working. A spaniel hunting up a hedgerow, a retriever being handled onto a retrieve at distance or setters flowing through the heather moorland on search of grouse or terriers ratting, I find it all fascinating.
What do you like to wear out in the field?
From the Glorious Twelfth til the middle of February, I’ll often be found in my Campbells of Beauly plus 4’s. I had them made to measure in 2012 and 12 years on they are still my go to for all sporting occasions, from deer stalking to field trials. Last year, I had another pair made and just like the first pair, they’re fantastic quality and an essential part of my shooting season attire. I also shoot in one of Campbells Nehru gilets with bellow pockets
I remember visiting Campbells of Beauly when I was young – we lived nearby and whether it was popping in with my father for a pair of shooting socks, or doing some Christmas shopping, we always found just the right thing. You really get a different level of service when you support independent businesses and Campbells is a great example of this. And since under John & Nicola’s new ownership, it’s been transformed, but has retained that authentic, historic character.
