All Right For Jack

East Midlands ABT Championships

It was the ABT Championships last weekend at Nottingham & District Gun Club and the entry of 51 shooters were rewarded with a very pleasant if not cool day.

Lincolnshire’s Jack Wilkinson is a name that saw much success in his junior days, but since rising to senior level he has proved on many occasions that he is more than able to hold his own, and this was another of those occasions.

In the final reckoning he was just one target clear of three shooters on a score of 95, taking the lead in the 2^nd Rd with a perfect 25 after a 23 in the 1^st, it was his to lose, a 24 in the 3^rd gave him a comfort zone, and a 23 to finish off meant the chasing pack would have to record a straight to at the very least force a shoot off. The chasing three all let one clay escape the gun meaning a three-way shoot off to decide the minor placings in the overall competition plus the bragging rights in veterans.

The Trapmaster John Winn from Lincolnshire rattled off a straight in the shoot off to claim the runners up berth and the veteran’s title, Ricky Crowshaw from Notts taking the bronze medal, and in veterans Ken Rimington had to console himself as runner up, with another Lincs regular Dick Cooper in 3^rd.

In ladies it was Lincolnshire girls battling it out again and Tracey Bridge who came out top with a score of 76, narrowly outpointing Jackie Houghton by a single clay. Going into the final round just a single clay separated the pair and both tried hard to blow their chances recording their lowest round scores, but Tracey prevailed. Hazel Whiten from Cambridgeshire making good use of the Regional Season Ticket free entry claimed the bronze medal.

In juniors unusually for this competition there was just two competitors, Jack Richards from Notts taking his first ever Regional title on 76, and James Cheung also from Notts winning his first ever regional medal as runner up.

Many thanks to Carl and the team at Nottingham for hosting this, the Championship schedule now moves to Northampton for the All Round on Sunday 24^th of April.

Prize Money

1st A	Jack Wilkinson	95
1st B	Marvin Houghton	92
2nd B	Dick Cooper	89
1st C	S Smith & Dave Winter	92
1st D	Pete Atkin	89
2nd D	Mark Cumberlidge, Dave Haywood, Gordon Hodgkinson	79