The first A Clarke Falconry “Customer Spotlight” focuses in on Joel Coldron who is head falconer at Rushmoor country park and Falconry centre.
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Joel delivers Falconry displays and Falconry pest control around the country. He also displays at the biggest Falconry events in the UK. You may have seen him flying his White Gyr Saker "Blair" at The British Falconry Fair in Southampton this year and also at the NCBP this summer. He has been a long-standing customer of A Clarke Falconry and uses our equipment and gloves for his hunting and display team. He is the perfect candidate to start off the Customer Spotlight blog.
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Joel is an ex-member of the British Army and served in the Grenadier Guards for many years. Joel has recently taken on a new Golden Eagle, which has been a dream of his for many years. We wish him good luck with his new Eagle, and we hope he has a great season, this season and for many years ahead.
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Q - What inspired you to start Falconry?
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A - Birds of prey have always been a great love of mine, and when leaving the army I was lucky enough to start training in Falconry in Devon. The first time I held a bird of prey I was hooked. It gave me something to focus on and combined two great passions of mine, nature and the outdoors, even 8 years later I'm still learning and every day with the birds is different.
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Q - What was your first bird?
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A - My first bird was a female Harris Hawk Lucy who I still fly and work to this day, she has been my rock for years, doing everything with me from pest control on busy sites to hunting and flying demos.
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Q - What is the part of Falconry you enjoy the most?
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A - Being part of the bird's life and watching them fly, it's a real honour and the fact that every bird and day is different and the challenges of taking a young bird and watching them develop over years. Falconry has been my life for 8 years. It has everything from amazing highs to bad lows and the amount of friends I've made is unreal.
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Q - For those new to Falconry or thinking about getting started, what would be your one bit of key advice?
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A - My one bit of advice would be not to rush, if your serious about starting then learn as much as you can from clubs and other falconers before getting your own bird, and of course get some good flying ground sorted as well.
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Fancy featuring in one of A Clarke Falconry’s future “Customer Spotlight” posts? Send us an email to ashley@aclarkefalconry.co.uk and we will see what we can do!