Tararua shooters make top teams

The North Island Clay Target Team, from left, Roger Bidois, Robert Prince, John Beddis, Kent Nicol and Dave Smith.

At the New Zealand Clay Target National Championships in Christchurch - held recently, before the level 4 alert lockdown was put in place - a number of Tararua shooters excelled, particularly from the Dannevirke Clay Target Club.

Dave Smith made the North Island and New Zealand teams, Roger Bidois made the North Island team and Brian Smith made the New Zealand Super Vets team for the World Championships to be held in Bywell, England, originally scheduled for July but postponed until next year.

Over a week of intensive competition shooters from all over New Zealand participated in all the disciplines and the combined results, together with other regional results shot over the past year, determined the North Island and South Island teams.

Smith and Bidois, who lives in Ohakune but shoots for the Southern Hawke's Bay club, both made the team which then shot against the South team. The North beat the South by one target.

From that competition the top shooters were selected for the New Zealand team out of the two teams.

The New Zealand then team competed against Australia where the teams shot a total of 250 targets each. New Zealand missed three, Australia missed one giving them bragging rights.

Speaking for the Dannevirke Clay Target Club members, Smith said the club was very proud to have two club members represent it at such a high level.

"A lot of travelling to other events by both members was put in to achieve this as this is one of the hardest teams to qualify for."

Meanwhile also in the nationals Rob Evans, of the Woodville Clay Target Club, won the AA single rise competition shooting 250 targets for a perfect score and beating the best in Australasia.

With other results scored during the week and over the year Evans is one of the 25-strong New Zealand Open Mackintosh team which will compete in a 100-target postal shoot against the British home countries as well as Australia, Canada, South Africa and Ireland.

Australia has won it each year since 2013 with New Zealand usually second.