Mick Russell’s Up a Victory !!

My apologies for the wordplay on the headline, just in case anyone thinks I have made a spelling error.

I was hoping to make it to this one, a shoulder injury keeping me out since July, booked on only to have a reoccurrence of the problem, so there’s my excuse to those that I said I would see them at Nottingham.

Right back to the days event….Nottingham were this year’s hosts and 45 shooters from near and far competed, amongst them holder Neil Faulkner from Northants and Regional Supreme Champion Chris Morris from Cambridgeshire.

Neil and Chris by their standards never got off to the best of starts letting three targets go after the first 50 targets. Ironically Neil’s travel companion Mick Russell, no stranger to East Midland’s success was going about his business and was straight at the hallway point. He was leading a packing field with Ash Parfrement, Joy Hirons, Adrian Snell, Albert Taylor plus Simon Hill just two or three away.

Mick though had his nose in front and was determined to take the trophy back to Northants. Just one target got away on his third round, but a straight on the last layout confirmed his victory.

With the scramble for the minor placing’s we were left seven shooters for a shoot off to decide silver and bronze overall. Chris Morris, Simon Hill and Richard Bird had all left the ground, leaving Joy Hirons, Pat Dickman, Adrian Snell and Ash Parfrement to fight over the honours.

Adrian Snell fell by the wayside after the first shoot off round, scoring 24 the rest dispatching all 25 targets. Moving on to sudden death pairs, Ash missed his first pair and scored two, Joy missed her last bird to score three and Pat cleared both pairs to take runner up, with Joy third and the added bonus of retaining her Ladies title, Tracey Bridge from Lincolnshire finishing runners up in Ladies.

In Juniors local lad Isaac Crum was unchallenged to take the title with a more than credible 91.

Ash Parfrement consoled himself after the disappointment in the overall shoot off by taking the Vets title, he had tied with Richard Bird from Lincs, but sadly he had left the ground, but still took the silver, Rennie Lowbridge completed the placing’s by winning the bronze.

Many thanks to Carl and his team, and a final mention to Mark Holmes of Yorkshire for recording his maiden ton.

PRIZE MONEY

1^st AA – Mark Holmes

2^nd AA – Gary Cooke, Nick Marsden, Andy Parsons

1^st A – Mick Russell

2^nd A – Simon Hill, Joy Hirons

1^st B – Richard Bird

2^nd B – Wes Ball, Albert Taylor

1^st  C – Bob Whitehead