Outstanding gamekeeping student wins Franks Jenkins Trophy

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Eighteen-year-old Cormac Thompson, an “outstanding gamekeeping student”, has won the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation Frank Jenkins Memorial Trophy, sponsored by Musto. The industry leading award goes to the best full- or part-time gamekeeping student or apprentice of the academic year. The winner, a full-time gamekeeping student at Hartpury College, Gloucester, completed his game and countryside management course this summer. He now runs the college’s commercial gameshoot.

The Chairman of the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, Liam Bell, presented the Frank Jenkins Memorial Trophy to the winner on the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) stand at the Midland Game Fair, Weston Park, Shropshire at noon on Saturday 17 September 2016.

Cormac Thompson also received a voucher for a new Musto Highland Ultra Light Jacket thanks to the generosity of Musto, sponsors of the Frank Jenkins Memorial Trophy. The Ultra Light Jacket forms part of the 2016 Musto Country Collection.

The Frank Jenkins Memorial Trophy, sponsored by Musto, is judged annually by senior members of the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, with the award going to the best full- or part-time gamekeeping student or apprentice of the academic year. The late Frank Jenkins was a well-known gamekeeper whose career spanned more than 60 years.

The winner, Cormac Thompson, said: “I am delighted to have won the Frank Jenkins. It is a great honour and I’d like to thank the NGO and Musto. I live and breathe the countryside, and I’ve always wanted to be a gamekeeper. My granddad was a keeper in Suffolk, my dad took me beating as a boy and I shot my first pheasant at the age of nine. My ambition is one day to be a headkeeper on a pheasant and partridge shoot. I am certain the award will stand me in excellent stead in my career.

“I really enjoyed being a full-time gamekeeping student at Hartpury, I think qualifications are essential for anyone starting out in keepering. It is the way the world is going. I want to thank the college, especially my course lecturers Robbie Nicolle, Andy James and Ralph Tallis.. A big thank you also to Robert Mitchell at North Molton in Devon, the shoot where I did my pre-college placement and learnt such a lot.”

Robbie Nicolle, a gamekeeping lecturer at Hartpury College, said: “Cormac, who studied on our level three extended diploma in countryside management and game course, was one of the most hardworking and determined students I have ever taught. He is highly motivated and his enthusiasm was an inspiration to the other students. He did well in and outside the classroom. His course assignments were all completed to distinction standard and he took on responsibility by running the beating line on the college’s Tuesday shoot days. It is not the easiest job on a commercial shoot but Cormac ran the line like a seasoned keeper.”

Emmie Brown, MUSTO Country Marketing Manager, said: “MUSTO is delighted to support the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation once again for 2016. As a brand we are keen to support young gamekeepers and are continuously looking for ways to give back to the shooting community. Supporting the work of the NGO is something very close to MUSTO, and we hope to continue providing support in years to come. We wish our winner, Cormac, all success in his future career, and hope his new jacket will keep him protected from the elements in all his endeavours.”

Frank Jenkins' daughter and son (Mr Jenkins' son is a gamekeeper member of the NGO) kindly presented the winner with a gift to mark the occasion, and he also received an engraved tankard from the NGO National Committee.

Liam Bell, the Chairman of the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, said: “It gives me great pleasure to present the Frank Jenkins award to Cormac, who our judges felt was an outstanding gamekeeping student. He is a very worthy winner, doubly so when all the students nominated for the trophy were of such high calibre. Cormac’s dedication to the job, coupled with his maturity, and excellent academic and practical ability, along with the gift of being able to inspire others, will, I hope, see him fulfil his dream of becoming a headkeeper. May I wish Cormac every good luck.”

Notes to Editors