By John Wood
CLOUDY and cool conditions that turned into a fine and sunny afternoon saw a good roll-up for the Woods Point Gun Club’s Maori Creek Championships.
Club Members Ken and Ann Skinner, parents of Australia’s Rio Olympics shooting gold medal winner, Catherine Skinner, were welcomed and imparted many tales of Catherine’s Olympic experience and success.
The eye-opener resulted in cash wins for Don Rhodes in AA Grade, Ian Findlay in A Grade with John Wood, Peter West and Chuck Lay in B Grade.
Ron Press and Peter Lang shared the C Grade money.
The first championship was a 20 target Continental Handicap featuring clay targets that as well as moving from side to side also moved up and down when thrown. Good fun, but difficult.
Marty McLachlan posted the best score of 19/20 to take the event and the sash followed by Ron Press with an excellent 18/20 for second place.
Six shooters tied for the minor placings: Chuck Lay, Daryl Ewert, Rob Bevis, Chris Petersen, Josh Cleeland and David Frazer that resulted in Bevis taking third 21/24 and Lay taking fourth, 20/24 after a short shoot off.
The main event was 25 pair Deauville Doubles.
Two targets presented at the same time to teams of two shooters, two shots per shooter allowed.
Both targets had to be broken for a score to count.
There were some strong performances with Ken Skinner and Josh Cleeland returning 24/25 as did the team of Mick Ward and Phillip Desmond who managed to miss the last of the 25th pair of targets to score 24/25 also.
But Trevor Ewert and Rob Bevis had the last laugh with a perfect 25/25 to take the Championship.
After a 5 pair shoot-off, Ward/Desmond won the second place prizes, 29/30, with Skinner/Cleeland third, 28/30. Ian Findlay and Daryl Ewert won fourth place outright with 23/25.
To finish, there was a 15 target Silent Rise Championship where the shooter stood at their mark with gun ready but did not call, instead the target was released after a variable delay. Difficult as in a standard events the target is released immediately on the shooter’s call.
Findlay, Trevor Ewert, Bevis, Dave Hoon and Skinner all managed perfect 15/15s to go into a shoot off.
Ewert took the sash 25/25 from Findlay 14/25, Bevis third, 18/19, Hoon fourth, 17/19.
Daryl Ewert shot a good 14/15 but it was not enough to get near the winner dais.
Upper Yarra shooter, Rob Bevis, after some excellent shooting, added another High Gun sash to his list with a final score of 57/60, two targets clear of Trevor Ewert’s, 55/60.
Our sponsors for the day were Peter and Ellen West and Mick Ward.
Thank you for your support.
Anne Skinner ensured that we were all fed royally and Trevor Ewert’s Bushies Bakery pies and other goodies were again damn tasty.
The next shoot is the King of the Mountain Championships on Sunday, 25 September, at 10.30am.
Everyone is welcome to pop in and see what clay target shooting is about.
