The Rambouillet Game Fair is now underway. Here are a few photos to allow you to get a feel for the place. The number of visitors this year must have easily surpassed the last years as visitors were parking as far away as in front of my house! Since there was no place closer to park, I walked. The big disapppointment for us all of course is that Jean Bernard De Runz is bedridden and couldn't make it. I missed you on this one Jean Bernard and hope you get back on your feet soon.

Here's a general look.



Here I am with what was probably the only rifle I liked in the show - a Mauser 98 in .375 H&H. Unfortunately the price tag was 24,000 Euros so I had to pass.



Jean Paul Ridon does a nice job with CZ actions. He likes to round off the square bridge to Mauser dimensions. Probably hard to see in the photograph.



This is me with Francois Loss who works with the taxidermist Michel Vallier. The Derby Eland belongs to Jean Bernard's cousin and was taken last year in the Central African Republic.



This is what the French do best - great smoked game meat for sale.



Chapuis was present of course.



A partial shot of Pierre Alexandre Fiorenza's trophy collection on display.



Here is Jean Bernard's lion.

Very nice, Wink, the photos give us a view most will never see. I bet that's quite a nice show.

Looks great. Wish I was there. Thanks for your
post.

Thanks, Wink, for taking the time to post these photos. I also like that Mauser! And Vallier did a good job on JB's lion.

Hello Wink

Thank you for posting the photos. Congratulation JB the taxidermist did a very good job on your lion. Hope you feel better soon.

Regards
Aziz

Hi Wink,
Some great photos, wish I could be there, but as you know I am busy with a lot of work in the house. Enjoy the show, maybe I am there next year, Have a cold one on me.

JB,
Your lion looks great, Hope you feel better soon.

Thanks for thinking of all of us by putting up the post and the pics.

Nice pics, Wink. Looks like you had a good time.

- mike

Thanks Wink and You all,

I am very glad to have a first view of my old lion thanks to Wink. Michel Vaillier found a nice way to display my yellow-backed duiker, under the lion's feet. This animal has a nice yellow tuff but standing it's almost ugly. This way, it's interesting.
My wife is appalled by the size of the lion and of the Derby eland' shoulder mount.

Of course I was very disappointed not to be with my friends in Rambouillet. Boghossian and Your father, Wink and StuC, please accept my apologies.
Next year, it'll be better and .......wilder. With so much food and drinks there, we'll have a good time.

JB, Vallier told me he is delivering your lion on Thursday so you don't have long to wait.

Some more African mounts








This is JB's eland!

JB,

I surely don’t intend to “piss on your parade†but I can’t help but notice that the taxidermist work on your lion is far from being perfect! You can’t see anything but straight lines on it, as if the taxidermist was some kind of a Picasso’s apprentice reinventing cubism!
I had a few trophies f***ed up like that one, by some “experienced taxidermist†too!
It won’t diminish your memories of the hunt (and those are what really matters!) but it won’t help it either!

B.Martins

Dear B

This lion's picture is really puzzling, sure.
I received some others from my cousin, far better looking.
Compared to the real alive lion, seen broadside he doesn't show so many straight lines but in the contrary seems too fat, too round. I observe he lost quite a lot of mane during tanning processes.
I'll make my opinion when having him ; thursday evening M. Vaillier will come home, perhaps stay for the night.
I am pleased to get news from You. There is a post (Africa big game hunting) on Angola, may be You can tell us more about this country.

Thanks Gabriel Boghossian,
A pity we couldn't meet. It's the first pic I got of my mounted eland, less mane than my cousin's.
Have You one of my hartebeest?

I did not spot the hartebeest, but all of M Vaillier's mounts were of good quality.

My picture does not show the eland well, I think you will be pleased with the details.