MOLLY, GET YOUR GUN

Top shot pupil Molly Hall took up shooting only two years ago, but has her sights trained on an Olympic medal as she practises at Strathallan School’s shooting academy. Cheryl Peebles talks to a girl gunning for glory

Young people often have their talent for football rugb\ hocNe\ or athletics nurtured through school. %ut not man\ can claim to have their talent as a shot developed b\ their school. 6o 0oll\ +all q Zho hopes to represent Team *% in cla\ pigeon shooting at the 2l\mpics q is a rarit\. +er sNills have been honed in 6trathallan 6chool’s shooting academ\ the onl\ facilit\ of its Nind in 6cotland. :hen not stud\ing for $ levels she’s at the 3erthshire school’s shooting range firing cartridges.

'espite onl\ taNing up tZo \ears ago 0oll\ 1 the has sport been selected to Moin 6cotland’s development sTuad. The hope is to compete in the

&ommonZealth *ames or /os $ngeles 2l\mpics.

6he said “,’m addicted to shooting. ,nitiall\ , Zas addicted to shooting on its oZn and noZ , love the Zinning

“0\ dad sa\s \ou shoot to have fun and , do but Zinning is an added bonus.”

FAMILY TRADITION

0oll\’s gameNeeper father :illie 6mith has also shot for 6cotland. 6o that famil\ tradition inspired her to give it a tr\.

6he said “,n , shot m\ first competition after si[ ZeeNs of shooting.

“, started doing sporting Zhich is Zhat the\ shoot at school then , moved on to 'T/ q Zhich stands for doZn the line q Zhich is Zhat m\ famil\ do. 1oZ ,’ve moved on to 2l\mpic Trap Zhich is Zhat ,’m on the development programme for.”

Trap is said to one of the most difficult disciplines due to the speed and distance of the cla\s. 6i[ shooters compete at once Zith 15 traps hidden in a trench firing “birds” at var\ing elevations.

0oll\ a boarder at 6trathallan Zon a ladies’ event at that first competition at 6cone *ame )air. +er talent Zas spotted b\ a teacher and felloZ pupils from 6trathallan Zho Zere also competing.

0oll\ said “The\ recognised me from 6trath and said C&ome and shoot Zith the academ\.’”

6o 0oll\ began shooting in free periods at

the range, which has nine radio controlled traps and a team of coaches.

As well as shooting practice, she benefits from tuition in technique, fitness, nutrition, strength and conditioning and sports psychology. Since then she has racked up a collection of trophies and medals.

/ast month she won the %ritish Shotgun Series in &ambridge, setting a new Scottish record.

She was part of the winning Strathallan team at the %ritish schools clay shooting championships in %uckinghamshire in 0arch. Shooting out of 0 clays, she also took the ladies’ top pri]e.

In 2022, she became the first Scottish female to win the Munior high gun title at the :elsh 2pen &hampionship.

Strathallan School shooting academy head 3aul 9allot said 0olly was nervous when she Moined, particularly as she was surrounded by boys.

+e said “Since taking over as ladies’ captain she’s helped develop that side of things, so we now have a much more robust programme for the girls.”

0olly helps mentor the younger pupils. Strathallan takes children as young as five and Munior pupils can train using smaller bore guns.

And she has a female Strathallan former pupil to look up to. 3olly /ightbody, of the class of 20 , is one of seven internationals to emerge from the academy.

Shooting alongside her is another rising talent, Alasdair 7urnbull, who has also been selected for the development squad.

&ountryside sports are understandably more commonplace in the rural area where she lives, near Aberlour in %anffshire.

%ut elsewhere, people are often intrigued when they learn what 0olly does. Although she takes pride in it, she believes there is still a stigma attached to shooting.

She said “It’s not like athletics, people definitely think it’s a more unusual thing to be into. 7hey are interested to know about it.

“I think a lot of people are wary about guns. 7hey don’t really appreciate that it’s not a violent sport.

UNUSUAL PURSUIT

%eing female makes it an even more unusual pursuit. 0olly is one of only two Munior girls competing in Scotland.

She said “I think a lot of the Mobs related to shooting are male dominated.

“I was introduced to shooting through family, but normally you take your son out shooting.”

After the summer holidays, 0olly hopes to study anthropology at *lasgow 8niversity.

She said “7here are shooting grounds not far from the university, and that definitely influenced my decision to go there.”

:hile she pursues her studies she will continue to chase her ambition.

She said “It’s a while away, 2lympics is the dream.

“It’s a long process and I’m at the very bottom of it Must now.

I AM ADDICTED TO SHOOTING. MY DAD SAYS YOU SHOOT FOR FUN AND I DO, BUT WINNING IS AN ADDED BONUS

but the

AIM FOR THE TOP: Molly Hall won the British Shotgun Series. Picture by Kenny Smith.