Defending champions Nicholas Benjamin and Aliana McMaster are set to defend their Jackson Bay Hunting & Fishing Club Sporting Clays titles on Sunday which they won last year.

Well over one hundred gunners are expected to trek to Jackson Bay in Clarendon for the 9:30 am shot-gun start of a challenging day on the course. 

If last year's conditions are repeated then the competitors can expect extreme heat, wind and some rain before the end of the tournament. Notwithstanding those conditions, the shooters will get a chance to display their skills by the sea as at least one station will be positioned with the sea in the background. 

In 2023 Benjamin shot 90 to be the only shooter to post a score in the 90's while McMaster was engaged in a shoot-off which she won convincingly over Kashka Jones. 

The top contenders for this year include former national shotgun champions Ian Banks, Shaun Barnes, Christian Sasso and Chad Ziadie plus other top gunners such as Bruce DeQuesnay and Ray McMaster.

On the female side, Aliana will have to contend with her mother and many-time national female shotgun champion Wendy McMaster as well as several other ladies who have been shooting well. 

Club president Sean Clacken looks forward to the tournament for the development of the club as well as to gain funds to assist the people of the Portland Cottage Community where the club is based.

President Clacken credits the support of many sponsors who have come on board for the shoot this year. They include First Rock, Century 21, Ultra Financiers and Optimum Distributors as well as many others.

Nicholas Benjamin and Aliana McMaster out-shot more than 150 competitors on Sunday (February 12) to be crowned Highest Overall Champion and Ladies Champion, respectively, at the first Jackson Bay Hunting & Fishing Club Sporting Clay tournament in Clarendon in 25 years.

Benjamin was the only shooter to score in the 90s after shooting 90 and picking off all six targets on eight of the 17 stations on the course.

McMaster shot 78 to win the Ladies section ahead of Wendy McMaster 77 but had to engage Kashka Jones in a shoot-off to determine the Junior champion after Jones also shot 78.

Benjamin said afterwards that the challenging conditions made the victory sweeter.

"I am very humbled, very happy about the win today. It wasn't easy,” he said.

“The course itself was fair. It was not an overly difficult course but that combined with the conditions - it was very hot, it was very windy, wasn't any shade. The wind plays a big part in the course itself and all of those things put together made for not an overly difficult but a not very easy day.

“It's the first time I have shot by the sea as well. I think, more impactful than the ocean was the sea breeze. I think that made it harder than just the sea as the background."

Three shooters were engaged in a shoot-off to determine the runner-up and A Class champion after they all shot 89 in regulation time.

Shaun Barnes shot a perfect eight from eight to take the runner-up spot while last year's national shotgun champion Chad Ziadie scored seven form eight for the A Class first and Bruce DeQuesnay bagged six for A Class runner up.

Ray McMaster was third by way of 'long run' ahead of Ian Banks and Christian Sasso after they each shot 88.

McMaster and Jones had to shoot three rounds before a victor would emerge.

Both shot seven and six, respectively, in the first and second rounds but McMaster shot a perfect eight from eight in the third round to Jones' six. 

“I enjoyed shooting the course and going through the different stations and observing the different presentations,” said McMaster afterwards, “however, I experienced a lot of challenges today; outside variables like traps breaking down or the walking with the sun or whatever it was, it was basically all coming at me at once so it was quite a difficult time but I pushed through."

She said experience helped her during the shoot-off.

 "Going into a shoot-off, I have an idea from experience of what to do and what not to do,” she said.

“You just try to keep to yourself, you ignore every possible thing except the task at hand. It was a really good experience because no matter how experienced you are, you are still going get the nerves so it’s really nice I can experience that again. To come out the winner, honestly, it feels really great."

The following are the the top three shooters in each class:  A Class: Chad Ziadie 89 (S/O), Bruce DuQuesnay 89(S/O), Ray McMaster 88 (L/R)

B Class: Michael Banbury 83, Najeeb Haber 78 (L/R), Brandon King 78 (L/R)

C Class: Ramon Pitter 83, Ricky DuQuesnay 81, Wendy McMaster 77

D Class: Matthew Sale 76, Marlon King 75, Noah Vaughn 74

E Class: Kashka Jones 78, Matthew Morin 69, Carlton Davis 68

Hunters or Beginners: Daren Gordon 79, Tariq Nembhard 77 and Andrew Clarke 72

Ladies: Aliana McMaster 78, Wendy McMaster 77, Lori Ann Harris 75

Juniors: Aliana McMaster 78 (S/O), Kashka Jones 78 (S/O), Lori Anne Harris 75

Sub Juniors: Che Rowe 61, Craig Powel Jr. 56 and Adam Clacken 51

Hunters or Beginners: Seymour Essor 75 (S/O), Lori Anne Harris 75 (S/O), Max Williams 71.