Missing your last target in an event always brings a cheer in Queensland's clay target fraternity, which has turned the mishap into a light-hearted club that was active at the state championships at Roma on Monday.
A teams challenge, involving six shooters, including at least one B grade and one C grade shooter, along with a raffle win, resulted in a $950 donation to This Is A Conversation Starter, the free phone and text counselling service for Australia's blue collar community.
The Paw Paw Club has been collecting fines since 1997 from clay target shooters who've either relaxed and missed the last target in their event, or missed their first shot in a shoot-off, usually an indicator of nerves.
As of 2021, the club had donated over $62,000 since 2006, when it started making the state trap carnival the platform to announce which charities it makes its major donations to.
Monday's challenge, held during the points event, was won by Peter and Lil Brandt, their children Jack and Charlie, Aaron Death, and Dan Griffin, with 850 points out of a possible 900, who announced TIACS as their charity of choice.
Straight after that win was announced, 11-year-old Charlie won the raffle, also donating the proceeds to the mental health service associated with the conversation-starting workwear associated with Trademutt.
Roma's clay target club is in the western zone, which meant the zone got to choose which charities it wanted to support as well, donating $1000 each to breast and prostate cancer support services, making a total of $2950 raised and given away on the weekend.
That was one of the presentations made on the final day of the state championships, which attracted 337 competitors.
Blackall club member Alex Dallas won the overall high gun at the end of the long weekend, and fellow central zone shooter, Barcaldine club member Shaun Ryan was the AA grade high gun winner.
Other high gun winners included: A grade - Ben Beasley, Townsville; B grade - Dallas Holmes, Rockhampton; C grade - Tony Allan, Roma; veteran - Robbie Cusack, Condamine; ladies - Tammie Henshall, Guyra, NSW; junior - Angus Hyde, Brisbane.
The western zone was the overall winner of the Shoulder to Shoulder teams event after collecting the open and ladies events, while the western zone won the junior section and the northern zone won the veterans section.
The Brisbane club was the inaugural winner of the Debbie Young Shield for the club championship, decided by the top five scores shot by club members.
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. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
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. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
