Roma target club hits 100

From using live pigeons at a venue at the town's old racecourse prior to World War I, the club is now acknowledged as one of the leading clay target clubs in Australia.

According to Maranoa Regional Council mayor Rob Loughnan, who spoke on the opening morning of the weekend event, helping negotiate to make the new grounds a reality was one of his proudest moments.

"It was once a stock watering reserve and now is the best of its type in Australia, certainly the premier sporting facility in the Maranoa," he said.

This enabled it to host two national competitions, in 1999 and 2009, bringing in 650-plus shooters and their families over a 10 day period on each occasion and giving the club an integral role in the local Roma community. On the horizon are the DTL state carnival in 2016 and the national championships in 2019.

Roma vice-president Byron Hewitt won Saturday evening's novelty side-by-side event from 113 other competitors who had unearthed their heritage shotguns for the occasion. Club life member Geoff Bryant and Veronika Forsythe had the most authentic period dress on the night.

Alex Dallas, a member of the Blackall club, won the overall high gun for the weekend with a score of 290/293 shot in sweltering conditions.

Although many possibles were registered on the weekend, no one shot the high gun events cleanly.

AA grade high gun sash went to Springsure's Bruce Powell, while interstate competitors Dean Maltby and Brent Suprain were A and B grade high-gun winners.

Cunnamulla's John Mills was the C grade winner. Jessica Robb from Tarawera won the ladies, north Queenslander Anthony Ballerino the junior and Neil Berry from Maryborough the veteran sash.

Of the 91 teams in the state Deauville doubles championship on Friday evening, Darryl Stevens and Richard Morrison were the winners.

An Australian DST 50 target state continental championship was won by Bruce Powell with 153/153.