Geoffrey Ziadie showcased his skill among some of the world's best shooters and came out as Jamaica’s standout performer at the recently concluded Jack Links Cup at Quail Creek Sporting Ranch in South Florida.
Ziadie, who was among more than forty top Jamaican gunners at the competition, emerged as the country's top finisher, winning the AA Class in the main event with an impressive score of 175 out of 200 birds. His stellar performance highlighted Jamaica’s growing presence on the international sporting clays circuit.
“It was a great event. It had over 1,350 entries. A Jamaican contingent exceeded 45 people, and I think all of us had a great time. It was a well-put-together event, with most of us shooting over 750 targets over the four or five days that we were there. But the greatest part about it is that the main event was held over three days, and a couple of Jamaicans did exceedingly well,” Ziadie said.
“I myself had an out-of-body experience. I came first in double A. I shot 175 of 200 targets. I was the highest scoring Jamaican. My first place was out of 220 competitors in the US, which really made me feel good. Jordan Thwaites came in second in C Class with 153 out of 200, and Craig Davis came in second in D Class with 147 out of 200. So the Jamaicans, on a whole, did pretty well in the main event, and in the other events, a lot of Jamaicans did very well,” he added.
Ziadie’s win was part of a strong overall showing from the Jamaican team. Jordan Thwaites secured second place in C Class with a score of 153, while Craig Davis also finished second in D Class with a score of 147. The tournament, which drew elite shooters from around the world, provided a valuable platform for Jamaican competitors to test their skills at the highest level.
He entered the event in top form, having recently come close to securing the HOA (Highest Overall) title at the PWD Sporting Clays Tournament at Tru-Juice Estates in Jamaica. He credited much of his success to training sessions with 19-time World Shotgun Champion Ben Husthwaite, as well as guidance from national coach Khaleel Azan.
Several Jamaicans also made their mark in the various preliminary events. Winston Quest finished second in Fitasc with a score of 80, while Craig Davis placed third in D Class with 77. Jordan Thwaites secured second in C Class with 87 in the Winchester event, while Gerad Chin claimed second in A Class with 76 in Fiocchi. Jeffrey Panton took third in C Class, and Craig Davis topped D Class. Gordon Bucknor finished second in 5-Stand with a score of 88, while Craig Davis again took first in D Class with 89. In Super Sporting, Thwaites and Nicholas Hudson placed second and third in C Class with scores of 82 and 80, respectively, while Davis claimed first in D Class with 82.
Current national shotgun champion Chad Ziade also delivered a strong performance, finishing just four targets shy of first place in the Master Class Super Sporting event with a score of 92 out of 100. Additionally, his 94 in the Winchester event was the fifth-highest score among the 1,350 competitors.
Following their impressive showing at the Jack Links Cup, the Jamaican shooters now set their sights on upcoming international competitions, including the Gator Cup and the World English Sporting Clays Championship.