Spotlight on Jake Pike

How did your Casa de Campo story begin?

I grew up in a small country village in the UK. From an early age, he was immersed in shooting and other rural pursuits. On Saturdays, he attended local pheasant shoots and helped the local gamekeepers. In 2015, I was managing a large UK shooting estate in Northamptonshire when I was approached by Casa de Campo to assist in improving the resort’s bird shooting offerings. Then I was offered the opportunity to step into the role of Director of Shooting.

What is your primary responsibility as Casa de Campo’s Director of Shooting?

I have been tasked with continuing to build upon the successes that the shooting center has achieved over the past 30 plus years. Working closely with the Casa de Campo senior management team to identify potential opportunities for the shooting center to improve the overall facility for our guests and homeowners. We are also focused on developing the local
team at the Shooting Center and helping them to achieve their own personal goals and ambitions. The team has undergone improved instructors and safety training courses resulting
in them becoming qualified as NSCA coaches, a worldwide-recognized qualification, and probably the only NSCA qualified coaches in the Caribbean. My new position is proving to be challenging but very rewarding and I am grateful for the support and trust that has been given to me.

What do you like most about working at the Shooting Center? 

The diversity of the role. No two days are the same; I particularly like teaching novice shooters and one of the most rewarding things for me when instructing is seeing the big smile on a
client’s face when they hit the clay for the first time.

How does the Casa de Campo Shooting Center compare to others around the world?

I do not know of anywhere else in the world where you could partake in so many different events and at such a high standard. It truly is one of the world’s best-shooting facilities and we
are working hard to bring more people here to experience it firsthand. I believe the Shooting Center’s greatest achievement has been in delivering the foresight that Mr. Pepe Fanjul and
Michael Rose, his English shooting instructor, had over 30 years ago of a world-class shooting facility. With the commitment the senior management team has to the shooting center, we are in for even more exciting times ahead. Take for example the newly completed Purdey Five Stand Facility. This new addition takes the shooting available at Casa de Campo to another level. It allows us to provide an all-weather facility for shooting, from the complete novice to the pro shooter. Add the fact that it is floodlit and you see what a world-class opportunity this is for shooters from around the world. There is nowhere else in the world quite like it.

Tell us about the different shooting options you have here. Which type of shooting do you prefer and why?

We have two NSCA regulated Trap layouts, a full NSCA regulation Skeet Layout, and of course the new Five Stand Facility. Our Sporting Clays layout is based around the highest shooting
tower in the Caribbean and at 110ft high is one of the best shooting towers in the world. The sporting clays has over 60 different stands in a circular layout based around the tower. Add the
two Monti Carlo-style box pigeon rings, the Columbaire Pigeon ring and the European Pheasant, Partridge, Duck and Dove shooting and you can see why I say there is nowhere else in the world like it.

How do you see the Casa de Campo Shooting Center in five years?

I see the shooting center continue to build upon its past successes and in the future become the venue for discerning shooters from around the world. We will begin to expand our marketing, Casa de Campo’s shooting center is probably the shooting world’s best-kept secret. Plans to upgrade the sporting clays area with undercover shooting stations and shaded seating areas are already under consideration. In addition, while still in its infancy, plans are in the making for a Caribbean Shooting Championship in the next two to three years. Events such as the Sugar Shooting Tournament, now in its 32​nd​ year, will continue to grow and over the next few months, we will be offering some evening shooting events at the new Five Stands. We also have a plan
to upgrade the Safari Club.

What do you recommend for someone shooting for the first time?

Go with an open mind and listen to what our friendly and expert instructors tell you. They make sure you are comfortable before shooting a gun for the first time and will guide you through the whole experience. I would recommend trying out the new Five Stand Facility as it has some very nice incoming targets that are reasonably easy to hit. As a sport, there is always a new course to try and new challenges to face. It’s a fun-filled family event and one that young and old can compete against each other in.