A Lake District inn has teamed up with a local farming couple to give their guests the opportunity to participate in the unusual pastime of duck herding.
The Wild Boar Inn Grill & Smokehouse at Crook near Windermere is working with Al and Chris Bradley from Crosthwaite to offer duck herding and sheepdog training courses and add a bit of hilarity to group stays at the venue.
Aimed primarily at wedding parties and corporate team build events but open to anyone, participants can observe trained border collie sheepdogs rounding up herds of Indian Runner Ducks via a complicated agility course before trying their hand at herding them through various tunnels and obstacles set on the course.
The duck herding sessions can be delivered within the grounds of the Wild Boar Inn, or for larger groups on the Bradley’s nearby farm.
“When we heard about the duck herding sessions, we were keen to get involved,” explains Adam Bujok from English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues, the manager of The Wild Boar. “It’s all about teamwork for the groups taking part, and Al and Chris can devise lots of different games and challenges. It requires patience and getting teams to work together and communicate to succeed.”
Al and Chris, who run the popular Lake District Sheepdog Experience, will be among a host of wedding suppliers who will be attending the Wild Boar Inn’s Wedding Showcase on Sunday 24 February from 12 noon until 4pm. A duck herding ‘demo’ will be included on the day.
“The duck herding is a group experience full of jollity and laughter,” says Chris Bradley, “and it’s proving extremely popular with hen parties for some reason! We set out an agility course with tunnels, slides and water, and then Al and I lead different teams which naturally becomes competitive.”
The couple were inspired to start sheepdog handling courses when they discovered people’s fascination in watching Al training his dogs. The duck herding idea hatched from there.
The Wild Boar Inn has its own on-site microbrewery, the Brewhouse, and a smoke house, which supplies the restaurant with meats, cheeses and fish. For further information, visit http://englishlakes.co.uk/the-wild-boar/
