The quest for clay target shooting excellence got off to a good start at Tambo on the weekend, where a full house of 28 people took part in a QCTA coaching clinic.
Coming from as far away as Roma, Dysart and Longreach, the weekend also hosted the final round of the 2021 central zone handicap series.
Trainer Richard 'Kiwi' Morrison promised clinic attendees a full morning of targets to practise on, and that's what they got.
As he said, "this game's about consistency and discipline", emphasising the need to get the basics right so that everything followed.
"Your biggest enemy is yourself," he said, emphasising the importance of standing correctly and being balanced.
Fellow coach, Bill Allan from Dalby added that recoil was one of the most under-estimated things in shooting and needed to be taken into account when preparing to shoot.
It's the second year in a row that a coaching clinic has been run in western Queensland during the Christmas school holidays, with the 2021 event aimed specifically at realising the potential of female and junior shooters.
In the heat of last Saturday, when the 40 degree-plus temperature saw everyone seeking the shade, a refereeing course was conducted, emphasising safety and etiquette, as well as a refresher on the rules.
As all shooters are now expected to ref and score, the session was very well received and clarification given on a number of points.
In the zone handicap final that followed, Ilfracombe's Pat Saunders won the yellow jersey in a field of 48, and the Ilfracombe club came out on top in the teams event.
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Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications.
