Christmas is all the more jolly for the sporting opportunities it brings. Whether you are headed for a boxing day shoot or hunt meet, feeding the family on game from the freezer or attempting to keep a pup’s training on track, the festive season is a time for sporting sorts.

The Field team would like to wish all of our readers a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. To mark the Twelve Days we’ve selected 12 festive photographs from our archives, all celebrating the super sport we are fortunate enough to enjoy at this time of year.

THE 12 FIELD DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

From gundog puppy training to introducing smalls to the field and cooking up a leftovers feast – the Field team will be busy over the festive period. Do follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with the Field team’s festive, sporting endeavours this Christmas.

Jonathan Young, Editor

“Christmas Day: Just after midnight we’ll take communion in our little church, where people have prayed for over a thousand years. Then off to Dorset to pop corks and crackers with the Joint Master of the Wilton and his family.

Boxing Day: Off to the Wilton’s Boxing Day Meet armed with a bottle of JY’s Ginger Thing: mix two bottles of brandy with one jar of stem ginger, leave for 10 days and decant.

December 27: There’s been awful talk of Scottish Country Dancing, so might have to plead sudden occurrence of Black Death and smuggle in the Peaky Blinders boxed set.

December 28: Our annual maraud round Thousand Bird Wood, so named because it usually produces two magpies, three pigeon, a possible jay and four ancient cock pheasants flushing early and low.

December 31: Will have crossed the border into Cornwall. There are some big bass knocking around in the winter so will definitely have a chuck.

January 6: Up to Slebech in Pembrokeshire to try for some woodcock and teal using muzzle-loaders.”

Alexandra Henton, Deputy Editor

“Having stuffed ourselves silly at Christmas lunch with family friends (there is also the outside chance that we may have to cook Christmas lunch just so we can have leftovers to see us through until twelfth night), and darted about paying obligatory calls, the rest of Christmas is all about hunting in the Henton household, with the odd shoot day thrown in. Sadly I lost my hunting mare in an accident earlier in December, but (ribs obliging) will be leading my niece at a variety of meets throughout the 12 days, on her fluffy grey pony Oscar. And perhaps taking her on her second shoot day. There is so much about our sporting world we must instil in the next generation if we want them to understand, and appreciate it. Christmas is the perfect time to do so.”

Di Cross, Chief Sub-Editor

“Having just completed Bovington Marathon around the tank ranges in Dorset I’m looking forward to the appropriately named 50k Winter Cross Ultra on the 28th.”

Dean Usher, Group Art Director

Our Group Art Director will be busy training new gundog pup Oakley over the Twelve Days. “Christmas came early when Oakley got his two rabbit fur dummies in the post…”

Max Tremlett, Video & Picture Editor

“I am going to be going for a walk in the country on Boxing Day with the family and searching for the barn owl that hunts in the evening around the house.”

Sarah Pratley, Content Assistant

“It’s tradition in our house to attend the Old Surrey Burstow and West Kent Hunt Boxing Day meet at Chiddingstone Castle, which always has a fantastic turnout. In fact, the meet was moved a few years ago from Penshurst in Kent to nearby Chiddingstone Castle due to its popularity. The rest of Christmas is spent outside enjoying country walks, or in front of the fire watching Christmas films and eating homemade sausage rolls – which never last to twelfth night…”