I remember my mom telling me the story of how when I was just a little boy I decided that I was going to be a falconer one day… Coming from a small town, Frankfort, in the Free State Province of South Africa, the ancient sport of Falconry was unheard so the journey to make my dream a realisation has been a lengthy process. When I turned 20 I got my first Rock Kestrel and joined the Falconry sporting world. My apetite for knowledge about the sport only grew with experiencing the exiliration of finally being a falconer and I devoured any and all reading material that I could lay my hands on. I also drove admirable fellow Falconers absolutely crazy with endless questions about the sport.

Being a farm boy, I have a deep love and understanding of animals and their behaviour, and the sport and practice of Falconry never ceases to amaze me and has somewhat absorbed my entire life and the life of my wife and children too. The more I learn, the more I realize that I am only scratching the surface of this majestic, ancient sport, the raptors and their prey. The rich history and the in-depth pshycology of each bird is mind blowing.

Seeing my two daughters experiencing the Falconry world has been a refreshing experience, even though they in turn exhaust me with all their questions.  The wonder through their young eyes makes me realise that this is so much more than a sport or business but rather a way of being. My family and I still live in Frankfort and we are actively part of the South African Falconry Association (SAFA) as well as the Free State Falconry Club, with bird abatement a full-time job. My dream has become my life!