Shooting: Prize trophies lure for teams

Ryan Taylor will compete in the Teams of Ten smallbore competition in Wanganui this weekend. PHOTO/FILE

Hundreds of shooters have their sights set on two trophies when Target Wanganui hosts the annual Teams of Ten smallbore competition this weekend.

Sixteen 10-man teams, plus reserves, from 11 North Island smallbore associations will descend on Target Wanganui's home range in Okoia tomorrow in readiness for competition all day Saturday and the chance to win the Rees Scroll and/or the Jim Hart Trophy.

The Manawatu No1 team are the current Rees Scroll holders, while Horowhenua hold the Jim Hart Trophy which they claimed on home turf in Levin last year.

Horowhenua's team will include New Zealand double Olympian Ryan Taylor.

Target Wanganui secretary Paul Turner said Taylor competed at the Olympics in Athens and again in London where he only just missed a finals spot.

"This is an annual event hosted by a different association each year. Wanganui has won both trophies in the past," Turner said yesterday.

"We had three Rees Scroll wins back in the 1960s and last won the Jim Hart Trophy in 2010.

"Our team looks to be coming into some form, too. On Thursday last week, we had a practice run against Manawatu and, going on points from that match-up, it would have been good enough to win the Jim Hart Trophy last year."

Competition begins at 8.30am on Saturday and is scheduled to finish about 6pm.