To complete my Spanish partridge season, I began my journey to Madrid via London Heathrow at the end of February. The deviation from using my nearby ‘Northern’ airports was due to the need to fly out with a client’s pair of guns, which British Airways were able to accommodate.

Travelling with firearms

This being my first attempt at travelling with firearms, I was slightly apprehensive what to expect. I found out, after completing the process that it was an absolute breeze, mainly thanks to efficient preparation from the Roxtons office team. The key points I found here, to ensure smooth passage are as follows: Arrive earlier than usual to check-in, I would allow a minimum of 3 hours prior to take off time to allow for extra admin to take place.

• Ensure all relevant paperwork is correct and you have hard copies of each; this includes your current shotgun/firearms license that has the specific gun details contained within. Any specific import permits by the country the country of destination. Triple check that all gun serial numbers are exactly as appear on all paperwork – being in the gun trade prior, I have seen plenty of clerical errors on SGC/FAC paperwork.
• Guns are packed in a hard, lockable case that will protect them in transit and can be secured when this is handed over.
• You remain calm and let the process play out – most airport & customs employees do not have specific firearms knowledge as we may do. They are in most cases following a set of procedures that have been trained to do. To aid this, try to explain everything as clearly and where necessary, in laymen’s terms to avoid confusion. Allowing yourself plenty of time, for the process in place to run its course and for occasional extended wait times between steps is the key take away here.

Arriving at Ventosilla

Arriving in beautifully sunny Madrid I was hit by a blast of warm air as I left the aircraft A/C, not something we associate with February. The temperature read 24c in my car trip to the estate. Leaving the suburbs of the city and heading south towards Toledo, the countryside became an open expanse with distant hills visible. A totally different landscape compared to my recent trip to Seville, with much larger arable plots making up most of the view.

As we neared Ventosilla the ground became more undulating, and a very distinctive landmark sits opposite the house. A shear, orange, earthy cliff face spanning the horizon, standing high above deep-blue lake. Glancing at this one could mistake this vista for Africa!

The house is a stunning, historic building that appears to be more a castle in truth. The interior has a wonderfully blended atmosphere of grandeur and comfort. Wood panelled walls, high ceilings and the obligatory Spanish wall ornaments, taxidermy and stag heads. The premises has serious character with the wooden floors creaking as you pass; this does not put you off however, it adds to the immense character and reminds of hundreds of hunting trips that the family has hosted dating back many generations. We were greeted by the shoot hosts Alejandro and Pepe. Two very enthusiastic and accomplished chaps that delivered a seamless 2-days and proved to be incredibly attentive.

With the full team now on site, gathered for drinks and yes, you guessed it – jamon! The house staff are beyond efficient and will not tolerate any unchecked empty glass. Dinner was exceptional that evening and a contented and well-nourished team turned in for a sensible early night.

Reg-legged partridge shooting at Ventosilla

Refreshed and raring to go, we packed into the Land Cruisers and made our way to the first drive along the dusty tracks. The estate is varied and harbours all manners of style of drive across its 3000 hectares. Ranging from traditional Spanish grouse-like presentation to a more familiar English style high driven where birds are pushed off steep inclines, and guns tucked below small valleys and gutters.

The shooting kicked off and it soon became apparent that this was a slick operation. The drives were perfectly orchestrated with coverage from ‘uno to ocho’. You notice the secratarios providing regular updates via the radio to mid-drive to ensure the command behind the scenes flush birds evenly. There is a serious amount more choreography that occurs than one might expect.
We stood a in variety of rock-sided gulleys and wider river basins with an oasis-like appearance. The land was still extremely green from the vast amounts of rainfall over the past 2 months.

The famous taco (elevenses) was served with the team perched in camp chairs basking in the Mediterranean sun; all were rather content. One gun piped up and announced, “I think from now on, I will only shoot in Spain!”.

After a couple more fantastic drives and we convened for an alfresco lunch, at a Moroccan style tent, overlooking the River Tagus from a high cliff.

Why you should visit Ventosilla for your next shooting trip

Ventosilla proved to be a particularly polished outfit and offers outstanding shooting variety; the estate staff can tailor the display of birds to team of guns on the fly, an impressive ability considering the vast number of moving parts that go unseen at the ‘front of house’.

They offer everything you could possibly desire from a Spanish shooting trip: beautiful, traditional accommodation, thoroughly attentive hosts and some of the best presentation of red-leg partridge I have witnessed.

Book your partridge shooting trip at Ventosilla

To enquire about availability or to book your partridge shooting trip in Andalucia, please contact Adam.Bromfield@roxtons.com.