ESSEX Website : Times Past 2018
Celebrating Success
Top Essex and International shot Stuart Clarke has had a fantastic year in 2018 representing England and GB in 3 sporting disciplines. This year he has represented Great Britain at the world FITASC, European FITASC and at the World compak championships.
He has also represented England at the sporting home internationals and the FITASC home internationals. Superb achievements in themselves, but also coming away with 4 team gold medals and 1 silver. Many congratulations Stuart, proving yet again that you're still a world class shooter.
Essex Fourth in South East Regional ABT Tournament
Essex came 4th in the SER ABT on the 28th October. The team scores as follows
1st Kent - 426
2nd Sussex - 424
3rd Oxford - 414
4th Essex - 404
5th Herts - 396
6th Surrey - 387
7th GLN - 376
Callum Thompson came 3rd in the Juniors with 74/100
Essex Compak Sporting Championship 2018
On the 20th of October 2018 the High lodge shooting ground in Suffolk kindly hosted the Essex county Compak sporting championship . Running over 4, 25bird layouts Andy Coppen had put on a good variety of targets to suit all abilities. With not a cloud in the sky or a breath of wind the unseasonal weather saw most competitors shooting in shirt sleeves and basking in the glorious Autumn sunshine.
A good turnout of Essex shooters and competitors from other surrounding counties meant the competition was almost fully booked up with just a couple of spaces spare. High Lodge has installed a fully automated accoustic system for the Compak discipline which is a fantastic addition to an already world class ground. A very strong and positive performance saw Oliver Wilde retain the title for the second year running with a fantastic score of 98 which gave him the championship win, with Stuart Clarke winning veterans on a superb 96, John Price retaining his super veterans title with a good solid 90, and Nadine Gilder adding yet another county championship to her collection taking the ladies title. Sadly no juniors from Essex entered the competition but star of the show was young up and coming Ryan Dodds shooting an unbelievable 92 to take colts - fantastic shooting Ryan.
Well done to all the winners and thank you to all that participated. A big thank you once again to High lodge shooting ground for agreeing to host the event for us for the second successive year and thank you to Andy Coppen for putting on the event and setting the great targets.
SE Region Inter-Counties Fitasc Championship - 21 October
Held at Southdown in near perfect conditions, the Essex team travelled down to compete in the SE RegionalFitasc championships, and at the end of the weekend came 4th with only 4 targets separating the top 4 teams. Congratulations to Buckinghamshire for winning it. We were so close, but it was not to be this year!
Congratulations to everyone for taking part and especially to Ian Schwier was SE region inter counties' champion, and to Southdown for putting on the targets.
See fitasc-sporting--fsp for more details.
Tom McCluskey Crowned National Colts Skeet Champion
Huge congratulations to Tom McCluskey who won the overall National Inter-Counties Colts championship with a 94.
Following on from the earlier seniors success at the South-Eastern Inter-Counties Championship, the team travelled to Nottingham for the National Inter-Counties on the 20th October with high expectations. In the end, the senior team achieved a very respectable 4th place with a notable contribution from Nigel Cullinane with a 99 in his debut shoot for the county.
Other team results were: Vets – joint seventh, Ladies – sixth, Juniors – third.
Essex and Herts Side-by-Side Competition
Eastwick Shooting Ground was proud to hold the Essex and Herts side by side competition on the Sunday 7th October.
The event was well supported and a donation of £1035.00 from entries and raffle was given to St Claire's Hospice in Harlow in memory of Brian Lodge who attended ESG for many years.
Jennifer Lodge presented the respective county shields to Alan Prosser who scored 60 x70 for Hertfordshire and James Lodge for Essex who scored 62x70. (James seen in the tweeds)
Thankyou to Leech and Sons Gun Shop, Churchgate Sausage Shop and Dennis Kent for sponsoring the event.
Success for Essex Skeet Team
It was a very wet and cold day that greeted the Essex skeet team for the Sth east inter counties skeet at the NCSC. Fortunately the rain started to die off as our teams began shooting. And what a day it was for Essex! Results are as follows:
- New South East inter-counties skeet champions 2018: Essex with a team total of 483; runners-up Kent on 477.
- Peter Stanton-Hope 100 straight and South East Champion
- Alex Garcia 97
- David Pummell 97
- Glen defreitas 95
- Dave Hendon 94
- Veterans champion Ray Simmons 97
- Junior runners up Katie Durrant 91
- Colt runners up Tom McCluskey 91.
Other scores of note
Nigel Cullinane 96
Amanda Foster 84, including her first 25 straight.
All in all an incredible day. But this squad will get stronger and stronger. Well done to all who took part. And the parents who supported our younger shots. Thank you all very much. Next stop the national inter counties at Nottingham gun club on Saturday October 20th.
County Skeet Doubles Championship
Alex Garcia (pictured below) won the Essex Skeet Doubles Championship following a shoot-off with Dave Hendon after they had tied the shoot on 98. Please see skeet-doubles for a full report and more photos.
Charity Shoot Success
The Coggeshall Charity Shoot held on the August Bank Holiday had a very successful day and managed to raise £1512.64p shared between Riding for the Disabled and Diabetes UK.
2018 County Olympic Trap Championship
The Essex Olympic Trap Championship was held at Nuthampstead Shooting Ground on Sunday 9th September 2018. The competition was run in conjunction with the South East of England OT Championship and Johnny Johnson, Chairman of the South East Region CPSA was on hand to present the trophies. The Champion was David Izzard with a score of 80, pictured below. See olympic-trap--otr for a full report and more photos.
England FITASC Team Announced
Huge congratulations to Essex gun Ian Schwier who has earned his place in the England FITASC senior (veterans) team what a fantastic achievement and on his first attempt to represent his country, we will keep you all up dated on his progress.
Essex County Sportrap Championship
Andy Riva's Clacton gun club hosted the Essex county Sportrap Championship on August the 18th. This event was very well attended not only by Essex shooters but also competitors from surrounding counties. Oliver Wilde managed to retain the title once again with a very respectable 94 on what proved to be a very challenging and, as always, enjoyable course. An on-form John Price put in a solid 88 to take the Veterans title, Nadine Gilder proving yet again why she is one of the top lady shooters in Essex with a fantastic 87, Katie Durrant taking the junior title with a well earned 83 and young up and coming shot Mason Terry (pictured below) stamping his mark in the colts category. Many congratulations to all the winners and great to see the younger generation taking part in these events. Thanks Again to Andy Riva for hosting this event and all the hard work he puts into his ground.
British Compak GP
High lodge shooting ground in Suffolk held the British Compak GP on the 28th and 29th of July ,this event consisted of 200 targets shot over the 2 days. Top international shooter Stuart Clarke from Essex taking Bronze in the seniors (vets) and up and coming Nick Adams also from Essex taking 2nd in D class - great result congratulations to you both.
Essex Sportrap Challenge
On July the 21st the Essex sportrap challenge took place at Clacton gun club. A good steady trickle of competitors filtered through the doors throughout the day with Henry Arnold (pictured below) from Kent shooting on one of the first squads of the day putting in a fantastic 97 which could not be matched, his nearest rival was Essex based shooter Adam Cocker on a very creditable 93.Thanks to Andy Riva for putting on 4 great layouts for this event.
Southern England Olympic Skeet Championships
It was a bright and sunny day at Southend Gun Club on the 8th July 2018 where many of the best shooters in the South East turned up for the Southern England Skeet Championships. There were even some spectators that came along to enjoy some great shooting.
The first squad of the day at 10:00 posted some good scores so expectations were high for a tight competition, but the heat of the day seemed to take its toll as the day progressed. In the end the championship was contended between Nigel Barnes and Barry Dobbs, but it was Nigel, pictured below, that survived the heat the better of the two to take the title. Nigel's score also won him the Michael O'Donnell Memorial Trophy which was presented by Mick's partner Kay.
At 14 years of age and having only shot Olympic Skeet for eight months, Owen Lewis is one to look out for in the future having won the Colts title at this event. The Ladies Champion was Victoria Humphries.
See olympic-skeet--osk for further scores and pictures.
Essex All-Round Championship
The 2018 County All-Round Championship was held at Clacton Gun Club on Saturday 7th July in the middle of the current heatwave. The results were:
County Champion R. Baker 96
Veteran R. Sloley 89
Lady. K Durrent 85
Junior K. Durrent 85
Colt M. Terry 74
Thanks once again to Andy Riva and his team for once again hosting the Essex Allround, on a glorious summer day when the temperature climbed and climbed. There was unfortunately a shortage of shooters, I think that the football kept them away. Congratulations to all our winners.
Photo right shows shows Dave Bignell presenting Katie Durrant with the Ladies and Juniors trophies.
P.S. If anyone out there has any Essex Trophy's in there collections could you please return them to a member of the committee, so we can get them engraved.
County Skeet Team Announced
The final skeet selection shoot took place at the Southend Gun Club on a very hot day. Hopefully we will be able to use this lovely ground, well maintained by the cmmittee, as a regular fixture in the future. Sadly, the targets were a bit on the tricky side leading to lower than expected scores.
Top shot of the day was Dave Hendon with a 94. Other top scores as follows.
- Glen Defreitas 93
- Vic Bradley 92
- Alex Garcia 91
- Peter Stanton-Hope 90
- Katie Durrant 89
Following this last selection shoot, the teams for the up-coming inter-county tournaments were announced and can be found at skeet-selection.
Lee Byard Crowned Essex Helice Champion
Lee Byard shot 22 ex 24 to win the 2018 Essex Helice Championship title. The Championship and team selection took place at the A1 shooting ground in glorious weather on June 9th. The day produced some great scores by both Essex and non Essex Shooters and the High Gun as well as championship were won with Lee's very credible 22/24. Results were very good in all categories and as a result it looks like Essex may well field a strong team in the coming Inter County Championship this September. The team (pictured below) comprises:
- Lee Byard
- Mason Terry (New Cap) (Colt)
- Jessica Byard (Lady)
- Paul Terry (New Cap)
- Graham Woodman (Senior)
- Peter Lunn (New Cap)
- Peter Hoare - Vet
See zz-helice for a ful report and photos.
Ton-Up Garcia Takes Skeet Championship Title
On a beautiful but breezy day on the 23rd June at Clacton Gun Club, Alex Garcia (pictured right) shot the only 100-straght of the day to win the Essex Skeet Championship. The other classifications also saw some fantastic scores: Peter Stanton-Hope's 98 won him the veteran's title, Tracy Lowrie shot a 96 to win the Ladies championship, Katie Durrant's 91 took the Junior title and both Mason Terry and Tom McCluskey shot 91 in the colts category, with Mason winning the title after a shoot-off.
See skeet-results for the report and photos.
Sporting Dates Added
Two new county shoot dates have been added to the calendar, with both shoots taking place at Hepworth Hall. The FITASC Championship will take place from Thursday 13th to Sunday 16th Sept and the Essex Sporting Championship will take place between Thursday 27th and Sunday 30th of September. Please note that these dates are still provisional so confirm before traveling.
Essex Automatic Ball Trap Championship 2018
The Essex Automatic Ball Trap Championship was held at Dartford Clay Shooting Club on Sunday 10th June 2018. Maurice Molossi was crowned champion with a score of 85. See abt for a full report and more photos.
The photo below shows Maurice (centre) with Pam Dorrington (Ladies Champion, left), and Chris Wright (Veteran's Champion).
Essex Universal Trap Championship
The Essex Universal Trench Championship was held at Nuthampstead Shooting Ground on Sunday 27th May 2018. It was a warm sunny day with enough side wind to catch out the unwary. Once again Nicky & Ed Barker put on a great shoot, with thanks also due to Anita North for helping out.
The Champion was David Henshaw with a score of 90, whilst the Veterans Trophy went to John Haas with an 88. The Junior Trophy was taken by Callum Thompson with 77.
The photo shows (left to right) John Haas, Callum Thompson and David Henshaw with their trophies.
South Eastern Inter-Counties Sporting Tournament
Southdown gun club hosted the 2018 S.E. Intercounties sporting over the weekend of 6th and 7th of May. Essex fielded a full team comprising of Seniors Clive Scase, Adam Cocker, Phil Hayden, Alex Higgs, and Nigel Gilder, Veterans Frank Haigh, Ladies Nadine Gilder, Juniors Harry Willis and young Ryan Dodds as the Colt.
New cap Clive Scase put in the highest score for the team with a strong 85 round on what proved to be a testing course given that it was also an England selection shoot. The team came away in 7th place overall on with a total of 399 with Kent putting in a score of 442 to be crowned S.E. Champions. Well done to all team members who gave it their best shot and thank you for putting in the effort, the next shoot for the Team will be the National Inter-Counties on the 6th and 7th of october at Orston shooting ground.
Where are the Olympic Skeet Competitors?
The 13th May was a glorious day with sunshine and no wind, and Southend Gun Club had their ranges set up and ready to go for the Essex Olympic Skeet Championship but, alas, only two Essex competitors turned up. This used to be a well-attended event but the last couple of years have seen a significant fall-off as people seem to be truning to the simpler disciplines.
Barry Dobbs' 86/100 made him the Essex Champion for 2018, with the only other entry being Tony Mihill who shot 66.
Let's look for a much better entry next year - please keep checking the website during 2019 for the date of this event and put it in your calendar to give it a try!
Victoria Trophy and South East Single Barrel Championship – 13th May 2018
Mayland Gun Club hosted two of the season's DTL championships on Sunday the 13th May 2018, the Victoria Trophy and the South East Single Barrel Championship. The inclement weather didn't deter the competitors who braved wind, rain, and dreary overhead conditions to return some excellent scores.
Nicky Waghorne won the Victoria Trophy with a 99/297 from the first squad out, and Lee Byard won the SE Single Barrel after a three-way shoot-off. See dtl-results for reports and photos for each event.
Ton-up Garcia Leads Skeet Selection
Alex Garcia led the field with a straight 100 at the recent second Skeet Selection Shoot at Clacton Gun Club. Glen Defraitas and others were very close behind making the competition for places wide open. See skeet-selection for a report of the day and more scores.
Essex Sporting Team Announced
Following the final sporting selection shoot kindly hosted by the Highwayman shooting ground on the 29th of April the team has been selected. The day was bitterly cold with bitting winds and rain which didn't make for pleasant shooting conditions. However, this did not stop a keen few individuals venturing out to shoot the last selection shoot.
A great variety of testing targets were presented to the competitors with Essex veteran Fran Haigh posting a superb 86 to lead the Essex contingent. The Essex team for 2018 that will represent the county on the 6th and 7th of May at the S.E. Intercounties held at Southdown gun club can be found here - sporting-selection-table.
Well done to all who made the team and good luck for the Intercounties.
Coggeshall Charity Shoot
Here's a date for your diary on August Bank Holiday Monday - Coggeshall Clay Pigeon Club has announced that they will host a 40-bird sporting charity shoot on Monday, 27th August 2018. See club-fixtures-2018 for a flyer giving all the details of this event.
Tight at the Top for Skeet Selection
With no less than seven people shooting 95 and better at the first county team selection shoot at Dartford on the 15th April, competition for places in the teamis strong for 2018. Please see skeet-selection for a report and the current standings.
Second Sporting Team Selection Shoot
The second sporting team selection shoot took place at Badnock's Farm on the 1st April on a cold, damp, and windy day. Phil Gray had set a testing set of targets for the large entry. Ian Schwier was the early leader on 93, but this was soon equaled by a solid performance from Stuart Clark and overtaken by Robert Humphries on 94. The ground apologised for an un-repairable trap breakdown and for a few no-birds, but on the whole it was a good shoot. Many thanks to Bradley at Badnock's for agreeing to host this event, to Phil Gray for the layout, and to all the participants for braving the weather! A full list of the results can be found on the Badnock's website.
Essex Helice Championship Date Change
Please note a change of dates for this year's County Helice Championship from the 28th April to the 9th June at the A1 shooting ground.
Olympic Trap Date Change
Please note a change of dates for this year's County Olympic Trap Championship from the 12th August to the 9th September.
First Sporting Team Selection Results
The first Essex sporting selection shoot took place on the 18th of March kindly hosted by Barrow sporting clays. This was the first shoot held at the ground since its re-opening under the new management of Ben Thorrold. A total of 42 Essex shooters competed in the event with an on-form Adam Cocker heading the selection leader board with a fantastic score of 95 closely followed by a string of Essex shots also breaking the 90 mark. The ever-consistent Nadine Gilder put in a fantastic 86 to lead the Ladies while young up and coming junior shot Harry Willis put in an a brilliant 85. Many thanks to Ben Thorrold for agreeing to hold this event and putting on a well balanced shoot.
See sporting-selection-table for a full list of the results of thios shoot.
Sporting Team Selection Dates Announced
The Essex Team Selection shoots dates for Sporting have been announced as follows:
- 18th March at Barrow Heath Sporting Clays
- 1st April at Badnock's Farm (note that plastic and fibre cartridges are now acceptable at this venue)
- 29th April at Highwayman's Shooting Ground
Two out of three returns to count. Please note that there will be no requirement to wear a county skeet vest this year.
The South East inter-counties tournament will be held over the weekend of 6th and 7th May at Southdown Gun Club and team members can choose which day to shoot. The National inter-counties tournament will be held on the 20th and 21st October - venue to be announced.
Essex Success at English Open Compak
On the 4th of March, Orston shooting ground hosted the English open Compak Championship. Several of our Essex shots braved the remnants of the Beast from the East to compete at the snow covered ground. Five people shot an incredible 99x100 and one of those was our very own Matt Bone. Matt was up against some world class shots in the 5 way shoot off. Just missing out on a medal position, Matt managed to take 3rd in A class, a fantastic performance. Stuart Clarke yet again proving he is still one of the best in the country taking home a silver in the senior category (formerly Veterans) with a brilliant 98 x100, and Mr Essex himself, John Price, romped home with a well-earned gold medal in the Veterans (formerly super veterans class) with a fantastic 94, well done to you all. John can be seen receiving his certificate in the photo below.
Skeet Selection Dates Announced
The Essex Team Selection shoots dates for Skeet have been announced:
- Sunday, 15th April at Dartford Gun Club
- Saturday, 28th April at Clacton Gun Club
- Saturday, 23rd June at the Essex Skeet Championships at Clacton Gun Club
- Sunday, 24th June at Southend Gun Club
Entry to Clacton is on the day; for Dartford and Southend contact Glen Defreitas on 07905 740552.