Defending champions Craig Simpson and Aliana McMaster successfully defended their titles at the David East Memorial Sporting Clays shoot at Murphy Hill in St Ann on Sunday.
In cool and cloudy conditions, both shooters proved to be a class apart with Simpson, who shot a 92 to be the only shooter to score in the nineties while McMaster, scored 81 and was the only female to score in the eighties.
"It feels good. It took everything I had today,” said Simpson, who had a perfect start at Station Nine picking off all six birds.
“I really put out everything today and at the end of it, I am always happy to come out with a favourable score. I know what I am up against. I know the talent that's here (and) yes it can also have a negative effect in that you are trying not to be beaten and that's actually what comes with the territory.
“Fortunately, I was able to zone that out and just keep what was in front of me. I can feel them right behind me but I am not looking back."
Simpson hit 24 consecutive birds before dropping one on Station 14.
He said that the weather had little effect on him during the competition.
"I enjoy this weather. Actually, it wasn't too cold for me. This was comfortable for me, I like it.”
‘A’-Class shooter Geoffrey Ziadie copped the runner-up spot after posting 89 in the morning session while three-time national shotgun champion Christian Sasso who tied with Simpson last year on 96, shot an 84.
Meanwhile, 14-year-old McMaster, who had a perfect start on Station 12 before missing two at the next station said she was proud of her final score.
"Honestly, I am very proud of my score and I knew it could have been higher but I am very proud of myself. I have never felt so proud of myself and accomplished, especially after a tournament,” she said. “Honestly, the course was really good and I enjoyed even the difficult targets and stations that I might have not shot as well at, I enjoyed knowing that I need to go practice this to come back again and shoot a better course."
For her, the conditions were a factor.
"I hate shooting in the cold and when it’s kind of overcast because it kind of messes with you when you are cold. It kind of distracts you away from what you are trying to do, which is shoot and get a good score but once you just embrace it and focus on what matters most then you should be fine and I was."
Near perfect Craig Simpson, Wendy McMaster emerge winners at Rangers Gun Club Sporting Clays Classic
Craig Simpson and Wendy McMaster toppled defending champions Nicholas Chen and Aliana McMaster to take the top spots at the recent Rangers Gun Club Sporting Clays Classic on at the Tru-Juice complex in Bog Walk, St. Catherine.
Simpson posted his highest-ever sporting clays score with an almost perfect scorecard of 97 out of a possible 100, after dropping just one bird each on stations two, four and fourteen.
"All year, it’s been a tough year. Been struggling with a lot of things mentally, technique, all of those things but, as usual, kept at it and everything came together,” said Simpson.
“It was 18 stations; first we have ever seen that here. The targets were technical even though there was something there for everybody. It was all about who was able to maintain the focus and I knew that.”
Roman Tavares-Finson's 95 earned him the runner-up spot.
Wendy McMaster scored 82 to win the Ladies category ahead of her main challenger, her daughter Aliana. She said the secret to her win was staying out of the heat, keeping hydrated and sticking to the game plan by focusing on her shooting only while on the course.
"I am very happy. I had a good day shooting the targets. I found a secret last week and I tried it out today and it really worked well so I am really happy that I ended up in the eighties."
Aliana was just three shots back on 79 in second place while Lori Ann Harris was third with a score of 77
The top three shooters in the various classes are as follows: A Class: Chad Ziadie 94, Christian Sasso 93 (L/R), Ian Banks 93 (L/R); B Class: Najeeb Haber 87, Brandon King 82, Aliana McMaster 79; C Class: Ramon Pitter 83 (S/O), Ricky DuQuesnay 83 (S/O), Eddie Depass 83; D Class: Zachary Chin 87, Justin Samuda 85, Kashka Jones 80; E Class: Lenin Thompson 81, Max Williams 80 (L/R), Luke Chin 80 (L/R); Hunters or Beginners: Lori Ann Harris 77, Stephen Silvera 75, Leanne McMaster 74; Ladies: Wendy McMaster 82, Aliana McMaster 79, Lori Ann Harris 77; Juniors: Roman Tavares-Finson 95, David Wong 89, Mark Desnoes 87.
Defending champions Jamaica to depart for Antigua and Barbuda for 2023 Caribbean Full Bore Championship
Team Jamaica will leave the island on Sunday (May 7) to defend their West Indies Full Bore Shooting Championship in Antigua & Barbuda between May 8-14 at the Crabb's Range.
The team to be led by Captain Phillip Scott will include the current national Full-Bore champion Nicola Guy, Jamaica’s first female national champion. Also on the team is two-time Amazon trophy winner and O Class champion Karen Anderson.
Major John Nelson, the president of the West Indies Full Bore Shooting Council and five-time Wogarth Cup winner, reigning Wogarth Cup winner, Captain Dwayne Ford, Canute CC Coley, Dennis Lee and Dr. Derek Mitchell complete the line-up.
George Hutton will serve as team manager.
Full Bore competition features competitors shooting from a prone position from distances of 300, 500, 600, 900 and 1,000 yards. Notably only Barbados, Guyana and Jamaica have 900-yard and 1,000-yard courses.
Shooters compete in three possible classes. X Class comprise the top 15-20 shooters in the Caribbean. T Class is any shooter participating in a regional shoot for the first time. Everyone else is in O Class.
Jamaica is considered to be a power house in Full Bore Shooting having won several championships and is always on the podium.
The Amazon trophy is awarded to the highest-scoring female while Wogarth Cup is awarded to the shooter who has the highest score in the team match.
Nicholas Chen & Aliana McMaster to defend Rangers Sporting Clays titles
Defending champions Nicholas Chen and Aliana McMaster are ready to defend their titles at the Rangers Gun Club and Family Fun Day which is set for Sunday, May 7 beginning at 10 am at the True Juice complex in Bog Walk, St. Catherine.
The Rangers Gun Club is expecting a field of approximately one hundred and fifty shooters along with family members to trek the lush walking course venue for a day of individual and team competition featuring the local gun clubs.
For the second year in a row four clubs will compete for the trophy; Driftwood Gun Club, Jamaica Gun Club, Rangers Gun Club and defending champions, the Trelawny Gun Club.
Competition for top honors will be stiff as some of the Jamaica Skeet Club's best shooters will be vying for top honors. They include nine-time national shotgun champion Ian Banks, six-time national shotgun champion Shaun Barnes, current national shotgun champion Chad Ziadie, his father Geoffrey Ziadie, Ray McMaster, Andrew Hopwood, Ryan Chen and Bobby Chung as well as the high performance family team of female McMasters - Aliana, Wendy (five-time national shotgun champion) and Abigail along with other well known female shooters in Renee Rickhi, who is part of the Jamaica Rifle Association's Alpha Angels lady shooters, Marguerite Harris and Tara Brown.
Shooters in various classes from A- E, Hunters or Beginners, Juniors, Sub-Juniors, and Ladies will be competing in order to win their classes and, in some cases, move up to more challenging classes. The course features a seventeen-station walking course.
Part proceeds from the event will be donated to the Food for the Poor organization.
The lead sponsor for the Rangers Gun Club Sporting Clays and Family Day is Sterling Asset Management. Worthy Park Select is the gold sponsor and there are several 'station' sponsors.
The club has rich a history of young business men and some of their fathers who loved shooting getting together in the mid 1980s to start the Rangers Gun Club at their Salt Gully base in St. Catherine.
They initially focused on bird shooting then took on sporting clays which is currently the most popular form of the sport and is said to be the favorite of the younger shooters. The tournament is being brought back by on their request. The club's archives show that Michael Ammar, John Ammar, David Shoucair and Wayne Srour took the leap with Michael Ammar Sr., Sameer Younis and Dr. Badih Shoucair to start the club.
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