By JOHN WOOD
WINTER’S icy blast greeted the shooters at the Woods Point Gun Club for the Matlock Championships, but many still arrived early on the Sunday morning, 24 July.
Scores weren’t going to be high.
The new system for the Eye Opener is working well with Rob Bevis and Mick Ward winning AA Grade; with Trevor Ewert A Grade, Josh Cleeland B Grade and David Frazer and Ron Press sharing the C Grade cash.
The first event, 15 Pair Double Rise sponsored by the Stewart Bus Company, saw Bevis, 25/30, taking the Sash outright.
In the Grades, Bevis won the AA Grade prize with Ward 2nd, 24/30. Dave Hoon won A Grade, 23/40 from Daniel Chinn, 22/40. Cleeland took B Grade, 22/30 with Peter West 2nd, 19/30, while Frazer was successful in C Grade and Eddy Poole at his first competition shoot, 31/50 beat Ron Press for C Grade 2nd.
The main event was a 60-target Deauville Triples sponsored by Daniel and Jodie Poile.
Teams of two shooters with three targets to shoot at, with only four shots total.
Interesting and fun!
Light drizzle and dark skies made the targets difficult but the husband and wife team of Daniel and Kirstin Chinn returned a great 53/60 to take the twin sashes, especially as this was only Kirsten’s second competition shoot.
After a shoot-off, the team of Phillip Desmond/Tom Apps was 2nd, 63/75 from Trevor Ewert/Garry Ewert, 3rd 62/75.
Fourth place was Rob Bevis/Mick Ward, 63/75 after shooting off against Steve Bedggood and Peter West, 62/75.
The day finished with a 20-target Continental Championship sponsored by Mansfield High Country Parts 4X4.
Peter West shot the only perfect score of the day with 20/20 to wear the championship sash.
AA Grade winners were Bevis, 37/38 and Desmond 36/38.
Daniel Chin took A Grade 18/20 from Tom Apps, 19/22, while West won B Grade 20/20, Josh Cleeland 2nd, 18/20.
Garry Ewert left his best for last to take C Grade, 19/20 from Steve Bedggood, 18/20.
The Overall High Gun was well won by Rob Bevis 94/110 from Mick Ward, 93/110.
The next shoot is a team shoot at Mansfield Gun Club on Sunday, 21 August, 10.30am, followed by the Maori Creel Championships at Woods Point on Sunday, 28 August, at 10.30am.
Call in and see what clay target shooting is all about.
