MORE JOY FOR JOY, AS MICK WINS HIS FIRST TITLE

Mick Rolstone & Pete Bloomfield

A meagre entry of just 31 shooters attended the East Midlands Regional Skeet Doubles Championships once again held at Northampton Shooting Ground.

The weather was not totally as predicted, with broken cloud, sunny spells and a fairly stiff breeze at times which was just enough to make the odd target climb or dive, you could not take anything for granted, but in general the targets were fine.

Last year’s winner Nick Faram shot first up and did little to cause any great concern to his fellow competitors recording what was for him a below par 87.  Other early contenders were Henry Collins the Northants junior who is a rising star in his county ranks who recorded a 93. Joy Hirons from Leicestershire who only a few weeks ago won the English Open Ladies Skeet title bettered that by one, but she was outpointed by a single target by Regional Vets Skeet Champion Pete Bloomfield from Suffolk to leave him leading the field.

The final couple of squads though as so often in Skeet was to throw the winner up. Craig Owen from Northants a relative newcomer to Skeet and indeed shooting was going toe to toe with Northants regular Mick Rolstone. Craig recorded a straight on the third layout to send them to the last layout just three down apiece. Just one clay eluded Craig as Mick staked his claim for the title with a faultless finale but Roy Tyler on the last squad was just two away with one round to shoot.

Roy like Craig let one get away and it was a shoot off to decide the winner, Mick won the toss and elected to shoot first and it was all over bar the shouting on the middle peg. Mick cleared the pair and Roy let one slip by, a further straight on the next peg meant Roy could not win and Mick recorded his first ever Regional title.

Joy’s early lead was compensated with the Ladies gold as she outscored her nearest rival Michele Conway from Cambridgeshire by eight clays. Another early leader Henry Collins was too good for nearest rival and county team mate Christian Bosworth to give him the junior title and Pete Bloomfield had a four clay victory over nearest Vet Lol Barr from Leicestershire to give him another Veterans title.

Many thanks to Martine, Pete and Roy at Northampton who of course will soon be hosting the Intercounties skeet for the region.