Wedding Day Shoot

Cadi Denise Stigler Thompson & William Franklin Appleby III

- Lisa Lafontaine Bynum

What better way to alleviate a few wedding-day jitters than a sporting clay shoot with your closest friends and family? Groomsmen, relatives, and friends of Will Appleby gathered on the morning of November 12, 2016, at Providence Hill Farm near Jackson for food, fellowship, and sportsmanship.

Pull up to the massive stone and metal gates that herald the entrance to Providence Hill Farm, and one might mistakenly assume they’ve stumbled upon an exquisite estate in Kentucky. But believe it or not, this property is nestled within the far reaches of Madison County, just east of Pocahontas. As you pass through the gates, the sprawling limestone and wood stable, complete with wrap-around porches and stately cupolas, welcomes visitors as they meander down the winding gravel path. Grazing horses dot the surrounding pastures. In the background, steel blue lakes teeming with native fish are framed by acres of lush forest.

William Thompson, uncle of the bride, hosted the event. “I shoot at Providence Hill myself and have participated in tournaments and charity shoots there. It’s a beautiful setting,” he says. “I wanted to do something that would allow everyone to spend time with each other. Since most of the guys came from a background of hunting and shooting, I thought they would enjoy this activity.”