NOTTINGHAMSHIRE ARMY CADET FORCE - CLAY TARGET RIFLE TEAM RETURN AS CHAMPIONS

Over the weekend of 27 - 29 June a team from Notts ACF entered the 2nd only National Cadet Clay Target Shooting Championship, heading south to Larkhill, not knowing what to expect as it was the first time that we had ever entered. In Notts we have only been shooting clay targets for just over a year; we were sure of our small 4-man cadet team; but were not expecting prizes. Our 4-man cadet team involved Sgt Rush and Sgt Stain from B Company Retford Detachment, Sgt Hayward C Battery from Bath Street Detachment and not forgetting Cdt RSM Haines D Squadron Arnold Detachment.

The trip to Larkhill was as always slow down the M1 on a Friday afternoon, but we were in good sprits and made it still in time for tea at Westdown Camp, Tilshead, Wiltshire. Briefings were given to all by Major Garman our introduction on what we were going to do; 50 clays sporting and 50 clays flush!!!; what did this all mean... particularly 50 flush.... we found out .....the full 4-man team stand in 4 separate cages and the clay-target trap controller sends up 50 clays in random order, so the team have to make sure at least one shotgun is loaded at all times .... great fun!

Saturday morning, we are all set, we start the first competition Sporting at 1030 hrs (after a good practice with personal tuition from the CPSA coaches maybe that's what did it!) beginning at stand 9, then stand 10, then stand 1 and so on, these stands are very different from what we had done before, stand 9 was shot from a platform about 10 feet up, other stands have clays representing high birds and then stands with clays representing rabbits along the floor, the team all hit seem to have shot at least half of what was thrown at them, no scores to check up so we will have to just wait.

Sunday it's the team flush day, we had been and watched late on Saturday afternoon and there just seemed to be clays coming from everywhere, our event time isn't to 1050 hrs, time for a practice on the Skeet Range, first time for this cadet team on a Skeet Range, not for me, a Skeet Range is where you have two clays from either side of the range and you work from one end of the range to the other, this will be good practice for the Flush Competition. 1050 hrs, the team are given their 50 cartridges to share and its time to go. I watched from behind the team, it's hard to see where the clays come from but the cadets seem to know and do well...time will tell.

Prize giving, all teams are fell in and carrying out the presentations is Air Chief Marshall
Sir John Cheshire KBE CBE, he holds the role of president on the council for Cadet Rifle Shooting, results are in, I thought overall the cadet team might get some recondition, but what a shock...we were Notts ACF Out of 33 Team Second Overall, not bad for a first year, this made us the TOP ACF team, Clay Target Champions. I can only say a huge well done to the 4-man cadet team and thank you to Sgt Jamie Fisher for his assistance.

Finally, it has taken quite a while to get clay target shooting off the ground, due to costs mostly and I can only say thank you to each sub-unit of Notts ACF from the cadets throughout the County who have taken part in this training activity at weekends and annual camp last year, for finding the money required for the initial outlay, 4 shotguns and a clay-target trap.

To see pictures of the competition, click here 

Lt Paddy McGuire
Nottinghamshire Army Cadet Force