Paul Basten, left, and Patangata Clay Target Club president Roscoe Williams during the ATA New Zealand Provincial Clay Target Shooting championships. Photo / Paul Taylor
Paul Basten, left, and Patangata Clay Target Club president Roscoe Williams during the ATA New Zealand Provincial Clay Target Shooting championships. Photo / Paul Taylor
Roscoe Williams would like to have shot a bit better.
But when the Patangata Clay Target Club president sat back and thought about what they’d achieved, he couldn’t help but feel proud.
High-performance sport doesn’t often come to Patangata, but it did last weekend when the club hosted the Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) national championships.
The United States-based ATA promotes a single-shot format that draws as many as 4000 participants to events over there. There weren’t quite that many shooters at Patangata, but that didn’t make anyone less chuffed to be hosting.
The picturesque Patangata Clay Target Club played host to a national event last weekend. Photo / Paul Taylor
“For a little country club like ours it was always going to be a bit of a challenge, because we’ve only got two trap houses,’’ Williams said.
“But some of those guys shot 700 [targets] for the three days and we were stoked to have them all here and - all in all - I think we did a bloody good job.’’
The club has been going for 60 years and, with a membership of between 30 and 40, are a little unaccustomed to staging an event of this magnitude.
“We were bloody surprised that some guy turned up and started taking pictures,’’ said Williams, in reference to Hawke’s Bay Today photographer Paul Taylor.
It was at that point that Williams realised this wasn’t your everyday club shoot.
“It was just great for the community to be able to host a New Zealand championship and very special for our members and pretty special to be involved in as well, because it’s never happened before for a little club like us,’’ Williams said.
“We’ve all got a common bond in whatever sport we like or whatever hobby we choose. We all come from different backgrounds but this is our sport and it was great to get people together.’’
Monique Butterworth takes aim during the ATA New Zealand Provincial Clay Target Shooting championships. Photo / Paul Taylor
For the record, Jarrod Mudford with a score 198 from a possible 200 was the singles champion, going on to win the 50 pair doubles and be named high all champion as well.
For Williams, a belt buckle for winning the B Class 50 pair doubles was the best he could muster.
“Everything’s shot with a single barrel, so you only get one chance. You miss it and that’s it,’’ he said.
“I didn’t do as well as I would’ve liked, but that’s shooting.’’
