Good sport hailed for service to shooting

Waipukurau's Colin Wood received a standing ovation when he received an award for Service to Shooting at the recent NZ Clay Target Association annual awards dinner held in Hamilton.

Shooting regularly until the beginning of this year, the 85-year-old stopped only when it was too painful to bring his gun up to his shoulder.

Colin started clay shooting 66 years ago, in 1947 at Napier East Coast Gun Club, where targets were shot out over the sea on the Napier foreshore. Stalwarts of Hawke's Bay clay target shooting, Bricky and Digger Gunn, took him to the shoots. In 1949, the club went into recess and Colin, with Algie Clinch, restarted the club, shooting at Awatoto in a farm paddock. When the Napier Club had to shift, they arranged with Hawke's Bay Central to shoot at their grounds near Hastings. The clubs eventually merged.

Colin has belonged to the Hawke's Bay Central Clay Target Club for nearly 60 years. His achievements are many, including numerous championships in both islands.

His favourite discipline is skeet, at which he has had much success. Colin particularly enjoyed being part of club teams, having success at Collinson Cup, Douglas Rosebowl, and Gunn Cup competitions. In Timaru in 1972, he was part of a five-man skeet team who all shot 125/125; a unique achievement.

A farmer and contractor, Colin suffered a stroke in 1974 and had to sell his farm. He says the stroke cramped his style but he was determined to continue shooting, even when he had to use two walking sticks to get to the skeet field. He persevered and his hard work paid off two years later, when he was selected as a member of the team that went on to win the Douglas Rosebowl.

Colin has supported Hawke's Bay Central, Patangata and Dannevirke clubs each month for more than 50 years. He is a life member of both Patangata and Hawke's Bay Central.

Married to Ali for 57 years, his wife was told before they were married that nothing interfered with shooting. She says they have had many happy trips and made many good friends through shooting. Ali is immensely proud of Colin's determination in getting back into competitive shooting and cried when he made the Douglas Rosebowl team again.

Although Colin no longer shoots, he is still a regular at Patangata Clay Target Club's monthly shoots.