US master impressed with Ja’s passion for clay shooting
THEO RIBBS, master American shooter, is i mpressed with Jamaica’s clay shooting development, but has noted that the country’s ability to excel internationally and turn out w o r l d class talents in coming years depends on a coordinated, strategic approach.
Ribbs who is ranked seventh globally and third in the United States of America is in the island to conduct clay shooting lessons at the Jamaica Skeet Club in Portmore, St Catherine.
In addition, he has helped to set up the course for tomorrow’s Sasco Open Inaugural Shoot, which will be held at Murphy Hill in St Ann.
“It’s my first time here (Jamaica), but everyone that I’ve seen has a great passion for it, and they love it and they want it (clay shooting) to keep growing,” he reasoned.
“I hope to go back to the States, and what I wanna do is try and get some of my competitors to come down here and do some lessons as well,” Ribbs said.
He added that the Jamaica Skeet Federation needs to ‘get more hands-on expertise’ to help spur growth in the sport.
“I am definitely gonna come back, and maybe come three times a year,” he underlined, while noting that clay shooting can become a great sport as well as enhance Jamaica as a ‘great vacation destination’.
Having shot professionally for nine years, the 23-year-old has been four-time Texas State champion, and national champion.
INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE
“They (Jamaica Skeet Federation) just need to reach out to more shooters in America, and in England, to come down here. The more they have people down here, and the more those people go back to their countries, they can spread the word and just keep bringing more and more people,” Ribbs reasoned.
“They have welcomed me in Jamaica with open arms and I am definitely going to be back to do some more teaching,” he assured.
Tomorrow’s Sasco Open will have a shotgun start at 10 a.m. on the 16 stations course. Murphy’s Hill is approximately 90 minutes from Kingston via the new North-Coast Highway.
The entry fee for males is $1000. There are no entry fees for women and juniors.