Clay shooting family hopes for national honours
A Southland sporting clay shooting family will put their skills to the test this weekend as they compete against the sport’s top shooters at Northburn Station, near Cromwell.
Reg Drake and sons Peter and Barry, all of Otautau, will take part in the New Zealand national sporting clay championships being held on Saturday and Sunday.
Peter was also expected to take part in the third annual New Zealand FITASC Grand Prix, being held between February 22 to 24.
Reg Drake said three generations of his family took part in sports shooting, including his three sons and two grandsons.
All six were members of the Western Southland Clay Target Club, based in Otautau.
The family enjoyed sport clay shooting because it simulated shooting game animals.
Reg, who had been shooting for over 50 years, said it was nice to have the company of his family while taking part in the sport.
At the age of 72 Reg would be a ‘‘super-veteran’’ shooter at the event but he was looking forward to competing and meeting inter- national shooters. About 150 contestants from New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom, France and New Caledonia would be competing at the two events.
Peter said the family would often train together shooting on Reg’s farm on the outskirts of Otautau.
They had also attended club shoots across Southland together.
Meeting international semiprofessional shooters was also going to be a highlight of the event for him, Peter said.
South Island Sporting Clay Shooters president Neil Winsloe said both events had attracted high class shooters.
It would be a tough competition but it was hoped Southland shooters would shoot well enough to earn them a spot at the 2012 World Championships being held in Chicago, United States, in August, Mr Winsloe said.
Shooters would compete individually and at least six Southland shooters, including Les Hoffman who returned from the New Zealand Master Games held in Dunedin last week winning a gold medal in the 40-54 age group skeet shot and the five stand starting event, would be competing at the event.