THERE was a 200-gun salute to North Tyne farmer and rugby player Stuart Ridley over the Killhope Moors on Saturday, when over £17,000 was raised for the Stay Strong Stu campaign at a clay shoot and auction.

Held courtesy of Weardale Estates the event attracted 56 teams of four, as well as other guests, and a number of volunteers.

There were seven challenging stands simulating game species, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their day.

The winning team came in the form of a local team of gamekeepers, Johnson Brown Fieldsports.

The food on the day was donated and supplied by the Cleveland Meat Company as well as venison from local gamekeeper Scott Liddell and J.A Whitelaw butchers. Greggs bakery supplied bread buns.

The Ridley family would like to thank Andrew Stone for the use of Weardale Estate, Stuart‘s uncle Robert Ridley, headkeeper Nick Walmsley and the team on the Weardale Estate, Sarah Read, Nikki Harrison, Mike Anderson, Steve Holliday, Pauline Ford, Alan Edwards and Gilly Edwards, for all of their hard work.

Local businesses supported the event with generous donations of prizes, auction lots and raffle items, and Hexham Mart auctioneer John Walton did a fantastic job getting through the 37 lots.