NATIONAL INTERCOUNTIES ABT

HELD AT BYWELL SHOOTING GROUND

ON SATURDAY 5TH OCTOBER

Bywell Shooting Ground is one of the most beautiful and well managed grounds in the entire country but oft times we have shot in June in wellies and this year's European and World championships were plagued by extremely bad weather.  So imagine our delight to turn up on Saturday to a mellow autumn day with the ground bathed in sunshine and a gentle breeze.

Stuart Whitehead, (94) Brian Wilkinson, Vet (77) Dave Sipling, (94) Jack Wilkinson, (97) John Stephenson (78) and Gary Boardman Vet (81)

As you might expect, the local teams of Northumberland and Durham were always going to take some beating and we had lost 2 of our most able ABT shooters who were unable to go when the date was changed from Sunday 6th to Saturday 5th.  In spite of this it was a very close run thing and we managed to pick up some of the silverware.

Jack Wilkinson put in an awesome score of 97 to take high gun of the match.  

Jack Wilkinson - High Gun of the Match

The veteran team of Marvin Houghton, 85, Gary Boardman, 81 and Brian Wilkinson, 77 scooped the team awards.  Marvin was unable to resist the lure of the most excellent gun shop so was not present at the presentation and Gary, who had been drafted into the team at the last minute, was on a mission to visit Seahouses for a bit of sea air so Brian was left on his own to collect the trophies on behalf of the team.

Brian Wilkinson	Marvin Houghton

The ladies team, Janet Stennett, 81, Jackie Houghton, 71 and Nicola Mason, 64 also had a good day as they came away with the team awards with Janet Stennett missing out on Ladies High Gun of the match by 1 target.  The ladies team have a history of success at this event having now won it 11 times over the last 23 years with the lovely, Tracey Bridge being part of the team in 2004 along with Janet Stennett, Jackie Houghton (Perrin then).  Just shows the importance of retaining the history of these trophies

Janet Stennett, John Leightly CPSA Director, Nicola Mason and Jackie Houghton

Congratulations and well shot to all the team

 

Report by Janet Stennett, ABT Team Manager