Gamekeeper of the Year
5 August 2008
A grouse moor keeper has won the prestigious title of ‘Gamekeeper of the Year' beating off stiff competition from gamekeepers across the UK. George Thompson (52) of Pickering has spent the last 17 years nurturing the heather moorland of the 7000 acre Spaunton Estate on the North York Moors.
One of the Judges, Freddie de Lisle said: "George has struck a balance between the environmental, agricultural and human demands on the moor through many years of hard work combined with a high level of technical skills. He is a credit to the gamekeeping profession."
After years of working as a scaffolder, George fulfilled a life-long ambition to become a gamekeeper in 1991, and was promoted to Head Moorland Keeper at Spaunton in 1999. He is responsible for the reclamation of 2000 acres of land dominated by toxic bracken back into heather moorland - a habitat much rarer than rainforest and under serious threat globally. George enthused over 20 local students and pupils to physically help with the project. This, along with helping farmers to vaccinate their sheep, has seen a dramatic drop in the lethal disease Louping Ill*, which effects sheep and grouse, from 27% down to just 3%.
The whole moor is in a Wildlife Enhancement Scheme and he has created wetland features on drier parts of the moor to benefit wading birds such as Curlew, Lapwing and Snipe. Liaising carefully with the South Cleveland Bird Ringing Group, he protects the numerous Merlin nesting sites across the moor, ensuring that Britain's smallest bird of prey thrives. Ring Ouzel and Golden Plover are just two other important birds that make their home on Spaunton from the 122 that he has helped survey across the grouse moorlands of the North York Moors. The unique open heather landscape is maintained by George's efforts and is and enjoyed by the 9 million day visitors to the National Park.
He has also improved the tracks on the moor, making them much easier to use by walkers and cyclists. He works to reduce ticks and also the likelihood of ticks biting humans and transmitting Lyme disease to them
As well as being a dedicated grouse keeper, George has many other interests including a passion for birds of prey. He has trained and flown many hawks and falcons and is a member of the British Falconry Club. He is an excellent wildlife photographer and gives popular talks to a myriad of groups from bird watching enthusiasts to the local W.I., helping them understand the work of a gamekeeper.
The award is organised by Farmers Weekly and the CLA Game Fair, and George was presented with his £400 prize money at the CLA Game Fair by the judges.
The good news comes at a time when the drive to safeguard the heather moorland of the North York Moors by grouse moor owners is at an all time high, with 2600 acres coming back into management for the first time in at least 50 years; 38,000 acres set to benefit from improvement plans such as those at Spaunton, and the creation of a further 6-8 new gamekeeper posts.
George Thompson is an enthusiastic member of the NGO and a Moorland Committee member. He was one of five upland gamekeepers recently given professional media training by the NGO.