. Oliver Dominick's trip to England
January 18th 2008
Hello Brad and Alyss,
I got back from England a couple of days ago and wanted to send a picture of .English Pheasant Shooting.. A beautiful clear mild day at my sister and brother-in-laws estate (they prefer overcast and windy). Eight of us .guns. standing in +/- a straight line of .pegs. spaced about 25 to 35 yards apart, waiting for flurries of pheasants and red-legged partridge which fly toward us to escape .the beaters.. Virtually all shots are incoming, very much like the high house clays we practiced, only higher. But as long as I swung from below, blotted and shot, down came the birds, one after another. The two best were when I missed the first barrel and had to turn/spin and take an overhead/quartering away, somewhat off balance. I had one particularly pretty double, right and left crossers, which drew compliments, and a delightful Scottish fellow congratulated me for .wiping his eye,. an expression for when one fellow misses and another drops that bird for him. All in all terrific fun and I managed not to disgrace the nation of an American.s sportsman, I think. The gun I shot was my fathers, an old Wm Evans (from Purdey.s as it says on the barrels) that went to my English sister after my Dad.s death. It.s simply beautiful light and perfectly balanced with 28. barrels and superb engraving. I took the serial number into Wm Evans shop in London and in the ancient order book found the record that it was ordered by my grandfather, Bayard Dominick, in 1908, exactly 100 years ago! The gunsmiths there were delighted as this is a very rare occurrence! No kidding the practice I did with you before going made all the difference . see you soon.
Oliver
