The Veteran – A Character Every Shooting Person Knows

Some pheasants seem almost impossible to outwit.

Year after year they survive another shooting season, becoming legends around the keeper's cabin and the lunch table. Every estate seems to have had one. The cock bird that always flushes just out of range. The one that appears from nowhere after the Guns have unloaded. The old campaigner who somehow survives while generations of younger birds fall around him.

In The Veteran, Bryn Parry transforms that legendary cock pheasant into one of the most memorable characters in his country sports collection. Dressed in medals earned over a lifetime of narrow escapes, proudly carrying a tankard and with smoking tail feathers, this wonderfully illustrated cock pheasant has clearly lived to tell more than a few stories.

Like so much of Bryn's work, the humour lies not in exaggeration but in recognition. Anyone who has spent time on a British shoot immediately understands the joke. Every syndicate has its own Veteran. Sometimes it's an old cock pheasant. Sometimes it's a Gun or keeper with decades of stories to tell. More often than not, it's both.

Bryn Parry's Eye for Country Characters

Bryn Parry possessed a remarkable ability to observe the countryside and gently celebrate the people and traditions that make it unique. His illustrations were never cruel or mocking. Instead they reflected the warmth, friendships and shared experiences found within rural Britain.

The Veteran perfectly captures that affection. Rather than portraying shooting simply as a sport, Bryn reminds us that it is built on stories, memories and personalities that become part of a shoot's history. It is these characters that are remembered long after the final drive has finished.

A Practical Shoot Game Card with Lasting Value

Beyond the delightful illustration, this Shoot Game Card has been designed to be used throughout the day. Inside there is space to record the shoot name, date, Guns, Head Keeper, weather conditions and the final bag, including pheasants, partridges, duck, woodcock, snipe, grouse and other game.

Many shooting teams keep completed Game Cards as a permanent record of memorable days in the field. Over the years they become an archive of sporting history, recalling the people who attended, exceptional dogs, challenging weather and those unforgettable birds that escaped to fight another day.

Continuing a Great British Tradition

One of the pleasures of a well organised shoot has always been thanking the host, keeper and everyone who helped make the day such a success. A handwritten note remains one of the most thoughtful ways of doing so.

Why not continue that tradition by choosing one of our Shooting Greeting Cards to accompany your message? They make the perfect companion to your completed Game Card and help preserve the etiquette and friendships that have long been part of British country sports.

Complete Your Shooting Collection

If you enjoy Bryn Parry's unmistakable humour, discover our complete collection of Bryn Parry greeting cards and gifts, together with our practical Shoot Peg Markers, designed to complement any shooting day.

Whether kept as a personal record, given as a gift or simply enjoyed for Bryn's wonderful artwork, The Veteran celebrates the humour, camaraderie and enduring traditions of the British countryside.

Bespoke Shoot Game Cards

Looking for something created especially for your shoot, syndicate, estate or corporate shooting day?

We can produce personalised Shoot Game Cards featuring your own shoot name, or create a fully bespoke design incorporating your own artwork, logo and branding.

Minimum order: 100 cards. Prices start at £120 + VAT and delivery.

For further details, artwork requirements and a quotation, please email sales@countrysidegreetings.co.uk.