2016 NORTH REGION SPORTING CHAMPIONSHIP

2016 YORKSHIRE COUNTY SPORTING CHAMPIONSHIP

 

Park Lodge SS was the venue for this year’s Regional Sporting Championship, held in fine and dry conditions on Sunday 11^th September. Due to a lack of grounds willing or able to host the Yorkshire Championship, this shoot was also ‘piggy-backed’ on to the Regional event and as usual the team at Park Lodge did an excellent job, with Dave and Tom Long designing the course. Once again the brothers put on a range of excellent and testing combinations befitting a Regional Championship. Without doubt the two stands that were the ‘testers’ were Stand 5, with a quartering driven battue from nearly the top of the 90’ tower, and a fairly gentle standard on report. Most people had no problems with the report bird, but that tower - my word! Only 2 straights all day (well done to Eric Bowe and Gugsy Ahmed). The other stinger was Stand 8, a fairly innocuous (for some) left-right standard, with the dreaded rabbit clay thrown as a crosser right to left - last seen at this venue in August at the final selection shoot. There must be a secret to shooting this clay - if I work it out I will let you know! Somebody obviously got on alright with it, because there were 4 straights and quite a few 7’s, just not me.

 

For the record, Regional Champion for the second year running was Howarth’s Les Rushworth, with an excellent 94, putting down his marker fairly early on for the pack to chase. Paul Foster and Tim Webster gave it a good go (both on 93) as did Andy Calvert with 92. Les takes the Yorkshire Champion’s title as well.

 

Lady High Gun (Regional and Yorkshire) was Linda Grayson with a fine 87. Regional Junior Champion is Durham’s Callum Handley - his cracking 82 being some way off Yorkshire Junior Champion Ollie Johnson with 73.

 

Regional Veteran Champion with an excellent 85 was the Lone Ranger, better known to some as Eric Bowe, who must have been feeling pretty confident as he was the only Cumbria shooter to make the journey down here. Good effort Eric - wish there was more like you.

 

Last but not least, Yorkshire Veteran on count-back after a four-way tie, is Ken Naylor (83), the 7 on Stand 12 clinching it from ‘Nobby Gravil’, Paul Peacock and ‘Big Dave’ Naylor.

 

Well done to all category and class winners, and many thanks to the 118 shooters who made the effort, as well as to Tom and Sharon Bayston and their team for their most welcome hospitality once again.

 

That’s it for now - hope to see the County Teams at the National Inter Counties at the end of the month, and everyone else at Oak Lodge for the Regional Sportrap on 2^nd October.

 

Terry Deakin.