Clay Shooting Summer 2020

Clay shooting is back! I was at Westfield for one of the first CPSA registered shoots following lockdown – and it was fantastic to see literally hundreds of shooters out enjoying their sport once again, albeit under the new guidelines designed to prevent spreading the virus. The CPSA and shooting grounds have worked hard to come up with a system that meets the guidelines while still getting shooters round the course smoothly and efficiently, without feeling rushed or spending ages queuing. They have done a grand job – the 100 Fitasc and 100 Sporting at Westfield ran like clockwork, with shooters following the social distancing rules where they went round in pairs. It created a better flow of shooters round the course. It wasn’t possible for shooters to gather around…

CPSA Registered competitions are up and running at shooting grounds in England, complying with Covid-19 regulations to minimise any risks. The Clay Shooting Company and Podimore were among the first to run Registered shoots in early June, closely followed by EJ Churchill and others. Clay shooting had recommenced in England on 14 May after the CPSA and other shooting organisations got the assurances they needed from government and police, as well as confirmation from their insurers that members would be fully insured when shooting. The association issued comprehensive guidance on how to comply with Covid-19 regulations and advice, with a document entitled ‘Shoot Safe, Stay Safe’. Grounds in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland had to wait for their restrictions to be lifted. Shooting was limited to no more than two…

The CPSA continued to support shooters during the Coronavirus lockdown, in a reduced capacity as we had to cancel many Championships and suspend CPSA Registered Shoots. It was good to see influential figures in the sport step forward to show their support for the clay-shooting community, as several volunteered to do a series of videos that we posted on social media to entertain and inform shooters whilst they were stuck at home. Some of these featured top shots such as Russell Mark, James Bradley-Day, Abbey Ling, Derrick Mein and many others talking about kit, wins, and advice to aspiring shooters. Other videos featured technical topics: eye health with Ed Lyons, and surprisingly the most popular video of them all, an overview of the workings of an auto-trap with Steve Lovatt!…

The first post-lockdown shots were fired at West London Shooting School on Thursday 21 May, when instructor-manager Mark Heath took out his first client since the ground closed for the Covid-19 pandemic. Initially the ground was open for limited lessons and practice rounds. WLSS planned a phased and safe opening of the school. They conducted a full risk appraisal and put protocols in place to ensure the safety of both clients and staff in line with guidelines from the CPSA and the Government. Mark Heath said “We’re delighted to be back open, being able to catch up with colleagues in person and to welcome our clients back into the shooting school has certainly been a breath of fresh air. It was a busy day, with many of our longstanding clients…

Clay shooting is proving popular with freemasons, and the five-year-old National Association of Masonic Clay Shooting Societies reports that it plans to hold its second international competition at the Scottish National Shooting Centre at Falkirk in October, “pandemic permitting.” The association’s first international was held last year at Doveridge, attracted 124 entries, and was won by England, with Scotland second and Wales third. NAMCSS secretary Roger Wilkes explains that the masonic shooting is organised by counties, which are known as ‘Masonic Provinces,’ and there are now 28 Provinces in the association, with a further six being associate members while they form their provincial branches. “Each year there is a National Competition hosted by one of the member provinces, also several inter-regional competitions where the provinces shoot against each other. We…

EJ Churchill Swinton Estate World class shooting ground EJ Churchill have opened a ground in North Yorkshire, their first venture outside their Buckinghamshire headquarters. The 20,000-acre Swinton Estate offers a wide range of outdoor pursuits including walking, horse riding, mountain biking, falconry, fishing – and clay shooting, with a pay and play system or caddied rounds. Details at www.ejchurchill.com Orston thieves jailed Two men who stole a pick-up, dog and shotgun from Orston Shooting Ground have been caught and jailed for a combined 43 months. Lee Wilburn and Rikki Lount, both 30 and from Doncaster, stole the items on two separate visits in November and December 2019. They made the mistake of returning to the ground a fortnight later and were spotted by members who called police. Gamebore’s new wad…