Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces. Target year 2018 was a great one for the Atlantic Provinces and our shooters. The number of ATA targets thrown was up, new shooters joined the ATA, several reached personal milestones, and several placed at our national shoot, the Canadian Trapshooting Championships. Whether it’s a first 25 or 50 straight, a personal best score, reaching an ATA target milestone or just shooting well, it’s all good for our sport. Seeing a shooter do well or break a first 25 and having their hat shot never gets old.

In January the APTA launched a new webpage that includes all the information shooters need at their fingertips. It is also mobile-friendly for those visiting our site while on the road or away from their computers. Having a web presence is important today and is the easiest and quickest way to reach out to shooters, and in 2019 we plan to expand with a greater social media presence. I also started writing these monthly Around the ATA articles this year, with the first printed in the January 2018 issue. I hope you have found them interesting and helpful on trapshooting in Canada’s four most eastern provinces.

Our shooting season isn’t over quite yet, but it’s certainly winding down. Some shooters put away their guns after our Atlantic Provinces Provincial Shoot on the Labor Day weekend. Some shooters (myself included) will shoot as long as possible into the fall and right up to the end of the year if at all possible. Winter shooting isn’t really an option for us in Newfoundland with our harsh winters. We can deal with the snow, but the often bitter wind chills, freezing rain and ice pellets do not motivate shooters. Winter shooting in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick is a little more bearable, and some shooters can shoot year-round. Weather has been cooperating so far this fall, and we are (at least at the St. John’s R&GC) anticipating another six to eight weeks of shooting before we will have to winterize our clubhouse and traphouses.

I would like to thank everyone who supported the APTA, whether by attending a local shoot, supporting our annual gun lottery, attending our ATA provincial shoot or by volunteering at your local club. Next year is just around the corner, and we will need your continued support. Our 2019 ATA provincial shoot will be in Newfoundland, where members of the St. John’s R&GC are looking to continue the momentum started by the Highland GC with a great 2018 ATA provincial shoot.

On behalf of the APTA, I would like to wish everyone happy holidays, a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

For more information on the APTA, feel free to contact me or visit shootatlantic.com. I can be reached at [email protected].

Andrea Bassan

ATA Delegate

Delaware

The holiday season is upon us. Merry Christmas and happy New Year from the First State.

During the 2018 target year some of our Delaware shooters enjoyed hard-earned success. It’s with great pleasure that I present the high-average shooters and the state team for 2018.

Fritz Carlsten took a long sabbatical from trapshooting. In his teenage years he made his mark as an All-American. A special win from that time was the Parent-Child trophy with his father Fred at the Grand American. Since his return, it has been plain to see that his competitive nature has been rekindled. This year Fritz made a clean sweep of the high-average awards with .9760 in singles, .9405 in doubles and .9119 in handicap. He also earned a punch to the 27 in August at the Cardinal Classic, a goal he had set early in the year. This allowed him to reach another goal, ending the year AA-27-AA. His accomplishments don’t stop there, as you will see as I announce the Delaware state team: captain Fritz Carlsten, .9428; Franklin Bunting, .9089; William Alfree, .9076; Foster Brown, .8911; Catherine Brown, .8905.

This is the first time we’ve had a husband and wife on the same state team. Also this is the first placement of Franklin Bunting. Congratulations to all.

We had two shooters shoot their way onto an All-American team: Catherine Brown again made the Lady II team, with 942 points. Gary Waalkes got his first placement to the veteran second team with 892 points. We are very proud of our All-Americans. Their dedication is testament to their success.

Speaking of dedication, I would like to recognize these shooters for their dedication to the sport by shooting over 10,000 targets: Waalkes, 17,500; Bud Fini, 14,500; Foster Brown, 11,700; Catherine Brown, 11,700; Jerry Burkert, 10,800.

This brings me to the topic of membership, retention and participation. As of Sept. 1, our membership stood at 55 shooters: 14 senior vets, 10 veterans, 11 sub-vets, three Lady II, one Lady I, one sub-junior, zero juniors, two junior gold and 13 open. Over the last 18 years, we have lost about 100 shooters. The average age of our shooters is 60.62. We are in desperate need of new shooters. We all need to introduce someone new to the sport. It might be your child/grandchild, friend, cousin or neighbor. Maybe he’s a hunter or a gun guy who hasn’t had a taste of competition. Take them out for some practice or to the winter league or twilight league. Leagues are an excellent resource for new shooters.

Kie Kababik, junior gold All-American and director at large for DTA, is usually the hot topic in my writings for winning everything. This is a little different. Kie has just graduated from Hillsdale College and has landed a job with the NRA. I’d like to wish him great success in his new position.

In other DTA news, our president Sean Kababik and New Castle Co. director and trophy committee chair Cathy Brown will be retiring from the board of directors after many years of service to the Delaware Trapshooting Association. We thank them and wish them continued success in life and shooting careers. We will also be looking for some help. We need you to step up and support the organization by getting involved. It’s not always a lot of work. If we all do a little, it takes some of the weight off the others.

We will again this year have our fund-raising gun raffle, thanks to Bud Fini and Sig Sauer. This year it is a beautiful model P320 M17 9mm semi-auto handgun. It is engraved with “2019 One of One” with our logo in the top of the slide. Tickets will be available soon. Contact me to purchase some.

The 2019 state shoot will be held at Pine Belt SC again. We are looking forward to another successful event.We will be having a $1,000 shootoff. Details will be in the program. We hope to see you there.

In my earlier writings this year, I neglected to mention the passing of fellow shooter and good friend Dirk Harrington. Dirk passed on March 30 after a long battle with an illness. He was a good friend to the DTA and always helped us with the state shoot, checking, testing and repairing the Canterbury voice release systems. He was a meticulous mechanic, so there was never a concern. His humor and quick wit are missed by all.

More recently we suffered the loss of Fred Carlsten on Sept. 23. Fred was a member of the DTA BOD as Sussex Co. director. Over the years he wore many hats with the DTA as well as with local clubs. Fred was an entrepreneur as well as a sportsman. He had several successful businesses in his career. Always a friend and generous to a fault, Fred will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

Complete obituaries on both of these gentlemen can be found in the Completed Careers section.

I can be reached at [email protected] or 302-690-3462. Shoot well and shoot often!

John Patchell

ATA Delegate

Massachusetts

Most registered shooting here in Massachusetts comes to a stop this time of year, but there will be winter leagues starting up, along with plenty of clubs throwing targets for practice. Please get out, join your friends and shoot some targets this winter. These clubs will appreciate all the help we can give them. As for some of us, we will be pursuing white-tailed deer right up until the end of the year. Then the shotgun will come out, and we will be breaking clays.

On Sept. 23 the Woburn SA held their fifth annual Take Aim at Cancer Trapshoot held at Minuteman SC. The event had 96 shooters from six states who fired at 21,800 targets and raised $13,000 to benefit Dana Farber Cancer Research in fighting breast cancer. In the five years this event has been running, it has raised over $209,000 for this very worthy cause.

At our annual meeting and banquet held Oct. 13, the election of officers was held. Reelected were Paul Donovan, MATA president; Robert Scott, vice president; Jackie Heller, secretary; and Tom Sirois, treasurer.

During this meeting Gary Hopkinson was inducted into the MATA Hall of Fame. In 2004 Gary took on both the treasurer and secretary jobs, which he held until 2013. He has served the MATA for more than 15 years. Thanks, Gary. Well deserved.

I would like to recognize three of our members for making the 2019 All-American team: Robert Nihtila Jr., open second, plus Nancy Patterson and Michelle Archambeault, Lady I.

By the time you read this article, I will have certified three clubs in Massachusetts that will start throwing registered targets: Danvers F&GC, Middleton; Hopkinton SC, Hopkinton; and Fitchburg SC, 289 Rindge State Road, Ashburnham.

I will report on these clubs and the MATA meetings, which will be held Nov. 7 and Dec. 13, in a future article.

I hope everyone has a nice holiday season with family and friends. If you have any comments, concerns or questions that I can help with, I can be reached at 413-586-0428 or [email protected].

Remember, have fun.

Dave Russell

ATA Delegate

New Jersey

The 20th Satellite Dixie Grand was held at the North Carolina Homegrounds in Bostic Oct. 2-7. This year weather was quite warm for that part of North Carolina. Four New Jersey shooters ventured down, and Joe Sissano and John Tierno each won a trophy.

The fourth NJSTA-sponsored Presidents Shoot was held at Pine Belt Oct. 13-14. The state association eliminated state fees for this shoot to encourage shooter attendance. Saturday’s 200 singles event was won by Michael Morgado with 199, and Sam Osterhoudt led Saturday’s handicap with 94. Sunday’s doubles was won by Richard Batesko with 93, the singles was won by Thomas Green Sr. with 100, and Sunday’s main handicap was won by Kimberly Armstrong with 96. Doug Bracher led the HOA by one over Tony Pietrofitta.

The Mallard TC held their 2018 Fun Shoot Oct. 20. It consisted of 50 wobble targets and 50 pair of doubles. The wobble champion was club president Steve Ottrando with 48, Class A leader was John Longo with 46 after a 23-to-22 shootoff with John Homan, B winner was George Lucas with 46, and C winner was Tom Nelson with 41. Doubles trophies went to Doug Bracher, winner; Greg Menshoff, A; Tom Ocasio, B and Mallard club champion; and Mino Francisco, C.

Christmas or holiday parties are scheduled at NJCTC, Pine Valley and Pine Belt this month, so check with managers at the different clubs for details.

On a sad note, Dominick Messina of Mays Landing passed away at home Oct. 1; he was 84. Dominick worked at the Weymouth Township Land Use Board. He also was a computer programmer at the Federal Aviation Association and was the owner of the Timberdoodle Tavern in Mays Landing. Dominick was a licensed New Jersey firearms dealer. He was a member of the NRA, ATA and Pine Valley GC and a life member of Pine Belt SC. He was a member of many Masonic organizations in the area. He received the Atlantic County Veterans Service Medal in 2007. Dominick joined the ATA in 1957. During his shooting career he registered 88,700 singles, 8,050 handicap and 100 doubles targets. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Amelia; three sons, Dale (Sandra), Dominick and Douglas; and grandsons Brian and D. J. Messina.

If you have a question or an idea for an article, I can be reached at 732-546-7910 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Joe Sissano

ATA Delegate

New York

Hello to everyone from the Empire State. I hope everyone is doing well and had a very enjoyable November and Thanksgiving.

The high averages and New York state teams for 2018 have been announced. High male 16-yard shooter was Justin Slater with .9889. The high lady was Heidi Womer with .9700. The high handicap average shooter was Bradley Heath with .9236, and Slater led the doubles with .9723. Congratulations!

State team members are as follows: Men’s first—Justin Slater, .9549; Bradley Heath, .9494; Michael Fox Jr., .9489; Urban Womer, .9342; James Flint, .9273. Men’s second—Greg Tartick, .9248; Gary McKeown, .9220; Donald S. Grossman, .9211; Richard Sauer, .9207; Ransom Schrom, .9163. Honorable mention—Daniel Tartick, .9137; Brian Luther, .9121; Curtis Robbins, .9097; Chris Landon, .9087; Dave Cichelli, .9087. Women’s first—Alexcis Coningsby, .9096; Jenna Euscher, .8982; Tiffany Decker, .8924; Leslie Slater, .8773; Heidi Womer, .8758. Women’s second—Tammy Wildenstein, .8595; Deborah Bell, .8559; Susan Gullotta, .8503; Mary Dries, .8441. Junior/sub-junior—Owen Wagner, .8418; Makenzy Glover, .8381. Veteran/senior veteran first—Bob Edwards, .9397; Milton Luther Jr., .9297; David Proper, .9288; Michael Manzo, .9148; Keith Welch, .9066. Veteran/senior vet second—Michael Waschitz, .9059; Thomas Horenburg, .9054; Keith Miranda, .9024; David Clary, .8991; Donald Alderson, .8961. Congratulations to all.

The 2019 ATA All-American teams, based on performance in 2018, have been announced in Trap & Field. Four New Yorkers have made the teams. Justin Slater was on the open first team with 1,780 points. Alexcis Coningsby and Tiffany Decker were on the Lady I second team with 1,077 and 981 points. Joshua Buchiere was on the junior gold second team with 1,308 points. Congratulations to these fine shooters.

At the homegrounds in Cicero, five fields have been improved for drainage, and stone has been placed between the walks. We now have eight fields (four banks) that should not have any issues with drainage. You can view the photos taken of the fields that were placed on our webpage www.nysata.com. You can see how nice they look and the fine work that was completed.

If you would like to have anything written in Trap & Field in these articles, please contact me at [email protected] or 585-519-9543. Thanks.

See you all soon, and good shooting. May God bless.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada, and merry Christmas to all.

It is official—Canada has now legalized marijuana (cannabis) for recreational use. Small quantities may be possessed. Strict regulations apply. I personally have concerns about the potential for this “weed” being used as a gateway drug and the challenge in detecting and sanctioning impairment in the workplace, on our roads and elsewhere—even the trapline. How should the ATA deal with the marijuana issue?

WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) maintains a list of prohibited substances and methods. Its objective is to ensure that there is a consistent approach worldwide to detect and sanction use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports that fall within its jurisdiction. Thankfully, more and more sports insist that all their athletes comply.

People are often surprised to learn that there are many, many items on the prohibited list that are used regularly for colds, sore throats, or routine medications prescribed by a doctor or even over-the-counter products.

Athletes need to know what is on the prohibited list for their sport and comply. Non-compliance can have drastic consequences; individuals and teams can be banned from their sport for up to life, lose medals, and face other sanctions.

When I competed for Canada shooting International trap and double trap, I, like most other shooters, got drug-tested from time to time. As inconvenient as it may appear, you had to make your whereabouts known and be prepared to have random testing done. I recall one evening several weeks before a major championship when a knock came on the door. My wife Beverley and I had no idea who would be visiting at that hour. There were two people (one male and one female) from the anti-doping agency wanting a “supervised” urine sample. I apologized and told them they had just missed a routine sample, and it might take some time to “replenish.” No problem—they waited patiently, gave me bottled water to drink and eventually left with their sample (a “clean” sample).

WADA compliance is important. It eliminates cheating by athletes. It also sends a few more messages: society wants athletes to compete on a level playing field without the use of performance-enhancing drugs. This also promotes healthy lifestyle choices and gives better credibility to sport role models. How many young athletes over the years compromised their future health by taking drugs?

WADA sets out a list of substances and methods that are prohibited at all times, some substances that are prohibited in competition only, and some substances that are prohibited in some sports but not in others (e.g., beta blockers are a no-no in shooting sports).

The cost to a sport organization such as the ATA to be WADA compliant would be prohibitive.

To be effective, WADA representatives would have to probably test all significant trophy winners at all major events and do random testing as well. One test can cost hundreds of dollars. Many ATA shooters are on meds, and a lot of these could be on the sport prohibited list of banned substances. A “Therapeutic Use Exemption” can be applied for and usually granted if the person’s doctor fills out all the prescribed forms and WADA is satisfied that the exemption criteria is met. A “TUE” is usually time-limited but can be extended.

How does WADA deal with marijuana, cannabis, hashish, etc.? These drugs are prohibited “in competition.” (If traces are found in urine samples, it may not be a disqualifier.)

So why am I writing about WADA? There are several reasons. The ATA, like any international sport organization, should strive to achieve a drug-free sport. High-performance athletes and more and more professional athletes already must comply with strict substance controls.

The ATA already has at least two rules that address this issue.

Section IV, J, 8 states: “Alcohol and drugs impair judgment and the ATA Rules pertaining to the usage of alcohol and/or drugs must be enforced by Shoot Management. This Rule shall be strictly complied with and shall apply to practice shooting as well as registered and tournament events.”

Section XII, B, 2(a) reads as follows: “It is the responsibility and the required duty of Shoot Management to immediately remove and disqualify any contestant at any time during an ATA sanctioned tournament:

“Who is under the obvious influence of alcohol or drugs before starting or during any event, sub-event, shoot-off or practice, or who consumes any alcoholic beverage or drugs during participation in any event, sub event or between events or sub events held on the same day including shoot-offs and practice. For purposes of this rule, ‘drugs’ shall mean any illegal drug, and shall also mean any prescription medication if that prescription medication affects the judgment or conduct of the contestant to a degree that renders the contestant incapable of safely participating in the sport of trapshooting, whether during a registered event and/or tournament or practice.”

The question is, in jurisdictions where marijuana is legal, does this latter rule apply? Weed is not (in such cases) illegal and is not a prescription medication. The CHC and EC and the Rules Committee may have to revisit and update our rules.

In Ontario we are told that anywhere it is legal to smoke cigarettes, it is apparently now legal to smoke pot. In my opinion, whether legal or not, pot should probably be dealt with the same way we deal with alcohol.

I’ll keep you posted.

Paul Shaw

ATA Eastern Zone Vice President

Pennsylvania

It’s almost time to turn the page on another calendar year as we are heading toward 2019. As of this writing, the preliminary standings for the 2019 state teams were posted on the PSSA website but have not become official yet. I will have more on those next month as well as the high average award winners.

Even with the onslaught of winter, we still have many clubs that are throwing targets for practice and leagues as well as at least 10 clubs hosting ATA shoots throughout the month. Take time this winter and support your local club by taking to the line for practice/competition, or become involved in helping with the operations side of a shoot.

The planning committee for the Northeast Shooting Complex met in October to review the final plans for the first phase of the new complex. Skip Klinger and others have been working with engineers, township and county officials, and other agencies to obtain approval and permits to begin construction. Pending all approvals and permits, ground can be broken in the spring and with some good weather, we could be shooting sporting clays by the time the Keystone Open arrives. As with any planned improvements, raising funds is paramount, particularly for a 501(c)3 organization. As plans are approved, look for updates on the PSSA website.

On a sad note, I have to report on the passing of Brian Krammes of Pine Grove. I’ve had the pleasure of shooting with Brian and his daughter Sarah many times over the years at various ATA and league shoots. Brian was one of the finest gentlemen in the shooting community and always had a positive outlook regardless of score. Many of you may have met or seen Brian at Elysburg shooting with only his left arm, as he had lost his right arm at an early age. Brian will be sorely missed, and our condolences go out to Sarah and the rest of her family.

Steve Ross

ATA Alternate Delegate

Florida

This is the first communication that I have written since Hurricane Michael ripped through the panhandle section of our state. From information that was on the news, Interstate 10, which is an east/west route, was closed for 84 miles due to hurricane damage. The FTA has a few clubs in that section of the state. I was relieved to find out that our trapshooting friends in that area weathered the hurricane. Several trapshooters had some damage to their homes and belongings, especially those who live on the barrier islands. I then inquired if any gun clubs that throw ATA targets were impacted by the storm. If so, the ATA has in place a Gun Club Grant that would help with any unexpected financial burden. Hurlburt and Tallahassee clubs survived the hurricane and were operational. The Gulf R&PC is much farther out in the panhandle; I don’t have information to pass on at this time.

Prior to Hurricane Michael, I went to a Big 50 shoot at Chuluota SC. This was my first return to the club since I certified the fields. Kent and Dave have built up their Big 50 program there and are doing very well, shooting registered singles, handicap and doubles monthly. Another club on my bucket list was the Tallahassee GC. Gary Rickard and other fellow and lady trapshooters do an exceptional job at administering their monthly ATA shoots. I don’t want to say too much about their luncheon, as they may get swarmed with shooters. Just kidding; it was a great shoot, great hospitality and great food.

Congratulations go out to the following: Bill Ohrt for 75K singles and Bruce Burton for 25K singles; both have received their certificates and pins.

This is December, so let’s see who has registered shoots this month: Robinson Ranch (their traditional Buckle Shoot Dec. 1-2), Sarasota, Tallahassee, Silver Dollar, Volusia, Flagler, South Florida SC, Hurlburt, Gulf Coast Clays, Imperial Polk Co., Chuluota, Gulf R&P, Markham Park, and possibly Indian River (Indian River suspended their ATA shoots earlier this year, and as of this writing, I’m not sure if they’ve reinstated their registered program). You can find Silver Dollar’s Club Championship Dec. 7-9 and Robinson Ranch’s Marathon Shoot Dec. 29-31. A lot to choose from. These Florida clubs do this for your enjoyment, and they need your attendance and participation to continue offering registered trap targets.

Well, this is the holiday season, so Florida trapshooting clubs are in full operation. Pay them a visit, enjoy their hospitality, and register some trap targets. To all, I wish everyone a safe, holy and joyous holiday season.

In closing, I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Bob Smith. I first met Bob 35 years ago at a club in Pennsylvania. Bob was on the board of Pocono Slate Belt SA. He was a very active board member, and it was through his wisdom and knowledge that the club was able to purchase four new trap machines. That was a paramount job at the time, and I was glad I had an opportunity to work with him on that project. Others may remember Bob at the Silver Dollar; I believe that there is a large photo hung in the shooters’ clubhouse with Bob and his 500×500 singles squad. Later in life, Bob was a prominent figure at Robinson Ranch. He and his wife Marylyn were always available for trapshooters. May you rest in peace, my friend.

If you have any information you would like me to include in this monthly report, please contact me at [email protected] or 321-427-6553.

           Larry Grenevicki

           ATA Delegate

Kentucky

Last month the Kentucky TL officers and directors held their fall meeting to discuss last summer’s Kentucky State Shoot and begin the planning process to make next summer’s shoot even better.

Major shoots that occurred since last month’s report that attracted Kentucky trapshooters were the Missouri Fall Handicap and the Dixie Grand in North Carolina. At Missouri, Clayborn Hunter was the first Kentuckian to break into the winner’s circle with a 90 in Event 3 doubles to win senior vet. Royce White was next with a senior vet win in Event 6 singles. In Event 7 ’caps, Richard Wilson won a shootoff to take the 27-yard win, with Jack Fitch taking the vet title with 95. In Event 9 singles, Donnie Sherrard won AAA, Richard Wilson AA and Futch vet. In Event 10’s handicap, Kevin (Tank) Polson flipped for champion with Sherrard and won. Donnie claimed 27-yard honors. In Event 11 doubles, Futch claimed vet, and Clayborn Hunter took home senior vet honors. Event 12 singles saw Keith Ditto claim champion after a lengthy carryover. Event 13 saw Cameron Decker win junior gold, and Richard Langdon took sub-vet. In the Event 15 handicap, Ricky Smith claimed runnerup, and Clayborn Hunter Jr. earned sub-vet honors. Event 17 handicap saw Richard Wilson win a flip with Ditto to claim runnerup. Smith won 19-20, with Ditto taking 27. Event 18 handicap saw Sherrard win sub-vet, and to cap it off Donnie won champion in Event 20 ’caps with 99. In the same event, Donald McMichael took sub-vet, and Futch claimed vet. In the Singles Championship Ditto was the runnerup, with David Elder winning A, Johnny Caudill winning B, Sherrard claiming sub-vet, and Clayborn Hunter securing runnerup in senior vet. The prelim ’caps saw Sherrard win sub-vet, with Futch winning vet. The championship doubles saw Clayborn Hunter win champ in senior vet with 97. In the championship handicap, Sherrard won sub-vet with 98; Steve Everly won vet with 97. David Elder won 24-26, and Ditto won 27.

At the Dixie Grand, Event 1 saw David Riddle break into the winner’s circle along with Drew Wyatt. Wyatt was the lone Kentucky winner in Event 2. Event 3 doubles saw Riddle win AA and Wyatt claim runnerup in junior. In Event 4 singles, Melissa Tracy won Lady I, and Martha Humphrey claimed runnerup in Lady II. Wyatt also was winner of the junior category. Event 5 saw Polson claim AA and Robert Dyer win vet runnerup. In Event 6 ’caps, Polson was runnerup, Michael Castle placed fourth, Gerald Shockley was seventh and Michael Witt ninth. Event 7, the Doubles Class Championship, saw Polson win runnerup in AAA. Dyer was runnerup in vet. Event 8, the prelim handicap, saw Castle finish runnerup after shootoff. Wyatt was junior runnerup, while Austin Day was junior gold runnerup. Dyer was vet champ. The Doubles Championship saw Polson claim runnerup in AAA, while Wyatt was junior runnerup. Day was junior gold champ. Dyer claimed vet champ, and Bobby Bilbrey was wheelchair champ. The Singles Championship saw Tracy win Lady I, and Wyatt was the junior champ. Bilbrey was again chair champ. The Handicap Championship saw Wade Patterson claim seventh, and Day finished as junior gold runnerup. Bilbrey was again chair champ.

Well, it is getting colder, and shooting will likely be slowing down; however, high school teams across the state are organizing, and from the reports I have heard, numbers are increasing rapidly. If you see an opportunity to help organize a team, please do so, or at least take a young person shooting the next time you go to your club.

Until next time, all of us at KTL wish everyone many smoked targets and good health. If you have news that deserves to be shared with your fellow trapshooters in Kentucky, please e-mail me at [email protected] or call 270-227-2262.

Vernon Anderson

KTL Board member

Mississippi

Here’s hoping you get that new trap gun you have on your list for Santa, or maybe it’s just an accessory like a new leather shooting bag or whatever. I hope you get whatever it is you want, and I wish you all a merry Christmas. Don’t forget the ones you love, and merry Christmas to all of them too.

Here’s a good one to think about. Take somebody out to the range and do a little trapshooting. Introduce them to the sport we all love. Surely you know of someone who might just want to shoot some trap but doesn’t know how to start—that’s where you come in. Pick up the phone; call him (or her), and ask them to join you. You might just start a new trapper on his or her way to years of good old trapshooting fun and fellowship.

I know it is a busy time of year and a wonderful time for friends and family to get together. Not to take anything away from all the good times at Chrismas, but you need not forget about the good times you have all year out at the gun club. Take a little time out of your hustle and bustle of Christmas and tell your local gun club officials just how much you appreciate their efforts all year, and especially at Christmas. These are the people who give up their weekends and days during the week just for our shooting pleasure—and they do it all year round. Put them on your holiday list and let them know you care.

Ever wonder how our ATA works, who keeps our scores and records, maintains the standards for the game we play, and is always there to answer our questions we have asked so many times before? Yes, it’s those wonderful people in Sparta, IL, who are there for us day in, day out. You might think they’re some grandiose organization that exists as a matter of course—nay, nay! They are people just like you and me who put in their time and energy to take care of all our shooters, every day, so we can play. Whether it’s the Grand American or one of the many satellite Grands, our team, the power and the power train of our ATA, is just a handful of dedicated professionals who make our international sport of trapshooting what it is today. As for me and I hope for you, my hat is off to the good guys and gals at ATA in Sparta—merry Christmas to y’all and thank you so much for your service to all of us. You are the backbone who make the ATA what it is today and the keeper of a long and enduring tradition of trapshooting excellence.

Merry Christmas to all, and as always, happy trappin’!

           Jerry Tharp

           ATA Delegate

North Carolina

October was a busy month in North Carolina. The Dixie Grand at our Bostic homegrounds was bigger than last year. There were more than 280 shooters pre-squadded for Saturday’s singles a week before the shoot. We threw 294,300 program targets and a lot of practice to boot. We threw 72,000 targets on Saturday. That put our All-American points Factor at 4. We had 424 shooters from 28 states and Canada. Also, there were 40 youth shooters participating in the events; we love to see that!

Bob and Carolyn Keever have retired from their volunteer jobs at the homegrounds. They have put in countless hours of work, not only making our facility one of the best in the country, but they were also the driving force getting the Dixie Grand to North Carolina. There really is no way we can thank them enough for their dedication and service. If you see either of them on the grounds, please take the time to go over and thank them.

Donna Cornett will be taking over as secretary of the NCTA. Donna is very familiar to all the NC shooters and will do a great job for us in the coming years. Thanks, Donna, for taking on this important job.

The dates for next year’s shoots at the Bostic homegrounds are available at nctrap.com, as well as all kinds of pertinent info regarding state team points, shoot dates at other clubs and general news of interest.

Jason Dancy, our NC AIM director and Jeff Allen, our SCTP state director, have put together an updated program for the youth shooters at the 2019 state shoot that will simplify the rules and explain who is shooting for what. It will be published in our program and also on the nctrap.com website. If you are a youth shooter or parent and need some help with this, please contact me via e-mail, and I’ll get you in touch with the right person to help.

I thank all of you for your support this past year. I look forward to seeing you at some shoots around NC in the spring. Please contact me at my e-mail address ([email protected]) if you have any ATA or shooting questions. Shoot well and often!

Bob Schultz

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

The Dixie Grand was a huge success. If you missed it, plan on next year. Great weather, although unusually warm, but no rain.

I need to give kudos to Marty and his crew as well as to Drew for his scorers. Great job by all. South Carolina had 61 shooters attending. Our trophy winners were Tyler Morris, Wes Basham, Teresa Knight, Ron Thompson, Randy Knight, Donnie Pigg, Gary Olson, Gary Ferguson, Ralph Chaffin, Rich Dunn, Jim Faber, Willard Sprang and Bill Ward. There were a lot of good scores posted; you had to be nearly perfect to get in a shootoff.

We just completed our Hall of Fame Shoot that was postponed by Hurricane Florence. Saturday was a warm, humid day, typical of the Charleston area, but as the day progressed into Sunday, the first cool fall weather blew into the area. Blew is the operative word; howled would be more appropriate. Scores suffered greatly—enough said. Rodney Raines was this year’s inductee. He performed like a champion, winning singles and ’caps on Saturday. It was great to meet his family. Next year’s inductee will be Gary Olson. Thanks to Tyler Morris and his crew at Partridge Creek GC for a first-class shoot.

Our Hall of Fame Shoot pretty much wraps up the larger organized shoots for this calendar year, but there are a lot of monthly and Big 50 shoots going on, so keep your shooting eye sharp. Attend your local club shoots.

Best wishes for the greatest Christmas ever for you and all your friends. Maybe Santa will bring you a couple of flats of shells or a new shotgun. Look forward to a great New Year when you raise all your averages and get a punch in ’caps.

I can be reached at [email protected].

Jim Faber

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

Merry Christmas, everybody. I’m proud to announce the 2019 state team (based on 2018 averages):

Open—Robert Smith, .9625; Mitchel Loveless, .9487; Donald Smith, .9355; Larry Hord, .9344; George Reese Jr., .9311; Richie Bolin, .9287; Rick Sweeney, .9233; Mark Cantrell, .9229; Barry Allen, .9188; Mark Bess, .9186. Lady I—Brooke Barnett, .9324 (All-American); Mikayla Dickson, .9224; Amy Dement, .9163 (All-American). Sub-junior—Gage Jernigan, .9192 (All-American). Junior—Caleb Clayton, .9433 (All-American); Hunter Morton, .9353 (All-American); Hayden Jacobs, .9344; Chandler Hinson, .9220. Junior gold—Hayden Zeigler, .9618; Garrett Sweeney, .9610 (All-American); Dillon Tosh, .9530; Chandler Brown, .9505 (All-American); Garrett Morrison, .9329; Travis Dickson, .9300; Brandon White, .9298. Veteran—Lanny Provience, .9312. Senior vet—George Reese Sr., .9152 (All-American); Steve Williams, .9142.

The 20th annual Dixie Grand was held at Bostic, NC, in early October. The following TN shooters won trophies: George Reese Sr., Jonah Wyatt, Logan Meadows, Landon Meadows, Charles Morris, Colby Lancaster, Ralph Dudley, Gage Jarnagin, Barry Allen, Emma Matthews, Steve Williams and Mike Burnette.

Read the Rulebook, please.

Check out our website at Shootattn.com for more info. For questions or further information, contact me at [email protected] or 731-217-9957.

Billy Cook

ATA Delegate

Colorado

I talked to a lot of clubs across Colorado, east, west, north and south, and no one had any news they wanted in this month’s article. Everyone was busy winterizing and getting ready for the upcoming fall turkey shoots. They told me I’d have to come up with something on my own. So here it is:

I had just parked my pickup, and my wife Joyce and I were headed toward one of the local sporting goods stores to buy or order some parts for one of my reloaders, when I heard a familiar voice call my name. Turning, I saw Miss Ruby Darling walking toward me as if she were on a mission. Ruby is a transplant to Colorado and is without a doubt our club’s girl Friday. Ruby never seems to get tired and always has a smile and a kind word for everyone. She also has a unique way of cutting through the bull and getting straight to the heart of the problem.

Ruby’s knee-length skirt was swaying vigorously back and forth like a pendulum on steroids as she walked briskly toward us. The picture that formed in my mind of Ruby with her red lips, golden red hair and flashing blue eyes was somewhere between Tinkerbell and Wonder Woman.

As she walked up to us, I said, “Good morning, Miss Darling. How are you today?” (I must admit, when I first met Miss Ruby Darling I was a little uncomfortable calling her Darling, but that is her name.)

Stopping directly in front of us, she said, “Good morning” to Joyce then turned to me and said, “Don’t you ‘Miss Darling’ me; I’ve a bone to pick with you.”

When I didn’t say anything, she went on. “How long have you been Colorado’s ATA Delegate?” When I didn’t answer fast enough, she caught her breath then went on, “When are you going to honor the CSTA shooters who worked so hard to earn a spot on the Colorado state team?” Looking me straight in the eyes, she said, “I think it’s past time for you to honor those special shooters.”

Not wanting to escalate the situation, I didn’t tell her that it had already been printed in an earlier copy of Trap & Field, and I was in fact planning to rewrite the old article. I just thanked her for reminding me and said I would start looking up the names as soon as I got home.

As I watched Ruby taking her purse strap from her arm, I was thinking, what harm could it do to mention Colorado’s best again? I have had shooters other than Ruby ask when it was going to be printed; evidently a number of other shooters had missed the first article as well. She opened her purse, and taking out a list, she started reading off the names of last year’s state team.

[State teams entered manually.]

Men’s—Scott Obenchain, Mike Herman, Marshall McKinney, Steve DiGesualdo, Michael Wasserburger, Russell Zima, Peter Grimson, Scott McIntire, Kendall Kroeger, Clinton Phipps, Denis Bringelson. Lady I—Stacy Rehor, Janessa Beaman, Briana Huff, Nikki Herman, Michaela Worley. Lady II—Marilyn Walker, Diane Dible, Kathleen Starr, Delores Semsack. Sub-junior—Brandy Henrickson. Junior—Riley Stevens, Sierra Wasserburger. Junior gold—Brett Campbell, Gregory Ferguson. Sub-vet—Terry Findley, Brett Renck, Paul Dible, Dan Treat, Kelly Stout, Jim Macaluso, Gary Fiscus. Veteran—Mel Hensley, Glen Zimmerman, Rick Olson, Jeff West. Senior vet—Jeff Bailey, Ron Walker.

I wrote them down as fast as I could on the back of my parts list, which was the only paper I had with me. As soon as I stopped writing, Ruby said, in that low soft voice of hers, that it wouldn’t hurt to mention that Grand Junction is to host the state shoot again this year and has almost completed their new RV line, and now would be a good time to secure a spot for next year’s state shoot. The spots are going fast, so don’t wait too long.

Once again, I didn’t tell Ruby that it was already in the letter. I just stood there wondering if that warm and soft voice of hers could melt molasses.

Taking a chance, I asked Ruby if there was anything else she could think of that needed to be in the article. She said, “You know, it wouldn’t hurt you to think of some of this stuff yourself. And it wouldn’t hurt to expand your writing style a little as well.”

I asked her what she meant by expanding my writing style. Without hesitating, she said I could get out of the box a little, add a little flair to my writing or maybe just make up a story or a person in the story.

As I watched Ruby walking away, my wife said, “You know, she’s right. When it’s cold outside and there’s no new shooting news, why not just write for the fun of it?”

Ruby Darling left us with one more piece of wisdom before she departed: if you’re not having fun, then you are doing something wrong.

Irvin Effinger

ATA Delegate

Louisiana

The 2019 trapshooting season in Louisiana has started, and I would like to welcome the Lafayette TC (19212 Gladu Road, Kaplan) to the Louisiana Trapshooting Association. David Hebert is club owner, and Gene Saizon is trap manager. Their first registered event will be Feb. 23. I would like to challenge all Louisiana shooters to support them as often as you possibly can. This new facility helps fill a much-needed void in the lower half of our great state. Thank you, David and Gene. Scheduled shoots and directions are now shown on the LTA website.

I would like to congratulate Louisiana AIM/ATA shooter Zachery Skipper. Zach competed at the 2018 AIM Grand Nationals in Sparta, IL, and placed in the top 20% of the competition in his category/class. During closing ceremonies Zach was one of the five young shooters who were awarded the AIM Integrity Scholarship. He has been an active shooter in ATA since 2013 and has been captain of the Lincoln Parish AIM team since he began in the AIM program in 2015.

I would like to use this as an opportunity to get the word out to all young shooters to get involved in the ATA/AIM program. There are many benefits to taking part. There are benefits available to you that could have a positive impact on the rest of your life; all you have to do is get involved.

For a complete list of shoot schedules and contact information for Louisiana gun clubs, please visit the LTA website www.louisianatrapshootingassociation.org/index.htm.

Shoot well and shoot often.

Doyle Brooks

ATA Delegate

Missouri

I don’t know how you could have asked for any better weather for the Fall Handicap as we had this year. Along with the awesome weather came a lot of great scores. The only day that seemed like it may provide a little less desirable conditions was Saturday during the championship singles, which ended up pretty decent after all. Out of the 348 who shot in the championship singles, six went to the line with 200s to determine the champion. Missouri junior shooter Bubba Darr claimed the title after only one round of shootoff, with Keith Ditto as the runnerup. On Sunday morning, 222 shooters competed in the Doubles Championship, with two shooters tied with the high score of 99. Evan Mood outlasted James Boswell for the title, with James taking the junior top spot and Randy Miller claiming event runnerup with 98. In the Missouri Fall Handicap Championship, Marvin Beumer won the title with the lone 99. For runnerup, Mick Friedel and David Elder took to the line to settle the tie, with Mick winning.

Once again the MTA directors, management and staff did a great job running this shoot. We would like to thank the 627 shooters who attended this year and hope you make the trip back again next year. The Fall Handicap is the last big shoot of the year for most of us and signals the slowing down of ATA shoots in Missouri. That doesn’t mean you have to store that favorite shotgun in the safe for the winter, as there are still many opportunities to get a few rounds in somewhere. Whether it is in a league or maybe a non-registered fun shoot, your local gun clubs need your support just as much in the winter months as they do in the summertime.

We are fortunate in Missouri to have a pretty active following of youth shooters in the AIM program. Congratulations to the following shooters for their accomplishments of being selected for the annual AIM teams. MO shooters on the AIM all-star teams: junior gold, Zachary Smith and Joseph Leonard; junior, Mitchell Box, Nathan Davis, Ryan Loveless and Hunter Spruill; sub-junior, Andrew Stone and Grace Marlen; pre-sub, Thomas Burton, Weston Schaeffer and Stephen Loxterman. The AIM all-Zone teams: junior gold, Alex VanLear (captain), Jordan Baldwin and Amber Terry; junior, Caleb Johnson and Josh Dintleman; sub-junior, Pete Wann (captain), Jordan Ziercher and Cole Stephens. This year’s MO all-state teams: junior gold, McKenzie Albers (captain), Hunter Darr, Joshua Frasher, Jacob Beerman and Taylor Houx; junior, Tom Browne (captain), Joseph Tubbs Jr., Kyle Rybak, Benjamin Young and Hunter Seal; sub-junior, Cameron Beine (captain), Jackson Murphree, Mason Lucas, Austin Stoner and Bradley Phillips; pre-sub, Max Bradlo (captain), Joseph Lumetta, Jack Walton, Caleb Ayer and Cash Madison.

As the shooting season winds down, I like to look back on the positive aspects of the past year while trying to forget the negative. By the time you read this, Thanksgiving will be over. I would like to thank all those involved in the greatest shooting sport, trapshooting, for all they do to make it the best. It takes all of us to make it happen. Whether you are shooting a round or two of practice at your local club or attending the Grand American, please extend your appreciation to everyone from the trap help to management.

If anyone has anything they would like to have reported or has any concerns, please contact me at [email protected] or 816-863-9003.

Be safe and shoot well!

Stephen Ricketts

           ATA Delegate

New Mexico

Here it is the end of October, time for the Fall Grand. Hobbs had a shoot Oct. 19-21. They had good weather and a good shoot.

It’s wet and green—hard to believe that it’s green in this part of New Mexico.

I hope everyone has a merry Christmas, and I hope to see y’all next year.

Bob Leibel

ATA Delegate

Oklahoma

Shawnee Twin Lakes TR had to cancel their Oct. 7 shoot due to heavy rain. Ada S&T’s Oct. 2 Tuesday evening shoot was won by Mark Medlock with 44. Lowell has scheduled a Big 50 shoot for Dec. 22. This is not on the current orange shoot cards, so you may want to mark it on your calendar. When the new cards are printed for next year, the dates will be on them. With the target year ending Aug. 31, this shoot will be in the 2019 target year. With the possibility of inclement weather during this part of the year, I would recommend listing a phone number so shooters can verify the shoot will be held. The 50-bird derby shoots are listed on the cards.

Duncan GC’s Oct. 6 4-H shoot had a great turnout with 116 boys and girls competing for awards. Heavy rains were forecast but held off until the shoot had just ended. Carson Brooks from Jackson Co. won the shootoff with Nash Farmer from Duncan, when they both broke 50 straight. B. Barnett won the high girls award with 47.

Oklahoma may have the most All-Americans they have ever had in one year. Nine shooters made All-American status last year. Pat Stacey, Josh Stacey, Corbin Grybowski (won the Grand American Doubles Championship), Ron Bliss, Brayden Bliss, Vickie Farmer, Robert Rimer, Klayton McGee and William Dayton all earned points placing them on All-American teams. It will be interesting to see who wins the Oklahoma All-American Shootoff this year—the trophy is ordered!

Several shooters have reached milestones—Stan Crawford made the Quarter Million Club with 250,900 targets; Larry McDuffy, 25,000 singles; Charles LeadingFox, 50,000 handicap; and Pete Wedelin earned a 27-yard pin.

Tulsa GC received a $1,500 grant from the Gun Club Fund, which is why we sell all the tickets.

Oklahoma had 71 new shooters in 2018, nine female and 62 male. All but 15 of these were category shooters, with 18 sub-juniors and 15 juniors leading the way. Total Oklahoma shooters was 299, 31 female and 268 male. Two of the new shooters qualified on targets and had the highest averages for male and female Rookies of the Year. Kya Funkhouser shot 10,400 targets with an .8618 average for the female Rookie of the Year. Nathan Lemke shot 13,000 targets with a .9130 average for the male award.

Oklahoma state trap teams are figured and will be in next month’s issue.

Rain finally stopped Friday night, and 266 (294 were pre-registered) 4-H shooters attended the Saturday morning Oct. 20 shoot. The sun was a welcome sight, and scores were very high, with five boys and two girls breaking 50 straight. All were involved in long shootoffs. OTSA awarded special OTSA 4-H buckles to Colt Quisenberry, boy’s winner, and Shay Skaggs, girl’s winner. Four of the 50 straight shooters were also AIM shooters. I counted approximately 22 AIM shooters on the pre-registered list. The 4-H shooters account for a lot of our new registered shooters each year.

Ada S&TC had four squads compete in their Oct. 23 Tuesday evening shoot, and Mike Grove was the big winner with 47. Oil Capital GC also had good attendance for their Oct. 21 shoot. Three shooters tied and split the money in the singles: Pete Wedelin, Jeff Trayer and Woody Barnes all broke 98s. Larry Slate won the handicap with 91 and Barnes the doubles with 97.

Duncan GC’s Oct. 21 shoot had five squads. Grove and Tyler Burke were high in the singles with 98s. Tim Mount won the handicap with 94 and earned a half yard. Ken Isenberg and Grove were high in the doubles with 91s.

The KTA Fall Handicap and the MTA Fall Handicap were held on the same weekend. These are two major shoots for our area. Most shooters would shoot both of these if they were held on different weekends. Oklahoma shooters were a prime example of this; 15 went to KTA, maybe because it is closer, and 12 went to MTA. According to attendance records, three Missouri shooters went to the KTA shoot, and 20 Kansas shooters went to MTA. The KTA shoot had seven events for 340 entries, and the MTA had 24 events for 4,128 entries. Weather was good at both locations. At KTA, Oklahoma shooters Ron Bliss, Brian Northup, Dennis Patrick, Nathan Lemke, Leslie Dykes, Carol Brown, Jon Guy and Kenyon Bert all won one or more trophies. Bliss and Guy both won guns. At the MTA shoot, Oklahoma shooters Corbin Grybowski, Justin Cavett, Tex Hollis and Joe Anglin were in shootoffs, winning one or more trophies.

Big 50 events seem to be getting more popular all the time. Oil Capital GC and Bartlesville GC have been shooting them for a couple of years and doing very well with them. OTSA and Ada have started them, and Red Dirt GC is also considering them.

Some interesting facts: in recent news, it was estimated that 250,000 military personnel transition out of the military each year. It was also said there are over 800,000 jobs in the country to be filled. There are also 340,000 veterans in Oklahoma. Thank those who protect our freedom and help them when you can.

           Tim Deister

           ATA Delegate

Texas

Today is Oct. 26, and yesterday in the Texas Panhandle it was 73°. What a beautiful day with very little wind. We have already had a killing freeze, so leaves are falling, but it is a very nice to have days like yesterday.

I want to wish everyone a very merry and blessed Christmas. I hope you get to spend it with family and friends. This is the time of year that we need to keep our service men and women in our thoughts and prayers. Many of them will not get to spend the holidays with their families because they are serving our great nation and protecting our freedom. A special thank you from Princess and me to all who have served and are currently serving. Please remember the reason for the season. God bless all of you.

I’m not going to do any preaching today (bet you can’t believe it, can you?). Just by saying I’m not going to preach, I’m sure you know what I was going to preach about.

I would like to thank all the volunteers who work so hard to keep trapshooting going in our state. That starts at our local clubs and goes all the way to our state officers and board of directors. Without these people giving their time and working so hard, we would not have places to shoot. Keep up the good work.

If you have any news you would like to see in Trap & Field, please let Princess or me know. You can reach me by e-mail, [email protected], or you can call me at 806-679-6889.

Till next time, y’all shoot well, y’all shoot often, and y’all have a great time.

Jerry O’Connor

ATA Delegate

Arizona

December means Santa Claus (maybe a new Perazzi under the tree), and trapshooting in Arizona. For anyone who doubts this, the average high temperature in Phoenix is 68° for December and January with two days of rain. When Karen and I drive down from Prescott and open the car door, our first thought is aaah.

Double Adobe starts things off on the first, and Casa Grande ends the month on New Year’s Eve, with eight clubs holding shoots throughout the month. New Year’s Eve at Casa Grande is a hoot. The shoot actually starts on the 26th and ends Jan. 1. It is considered the opening salvo of the Arizona Chain. Tiger and Don put on a feast, toasts are made, and if you listen closely, you just might hear auld lang syne. Naturally, given trapshooter demographics, this all takes place around 6 p.m.

I mentioned the Arizona Chain, and for those who may not be familiar with it, every week shoots rotate among three clubs: Tucson, Casa Grande and Ben Avery (Phoenix), and it continues until the end of March. All are located along the I-17 corridor, with a slight deviation at Tucson, and the drive time between the most distant points is about two hours. The Chain highlights are our Hall of Fame Classic Jan. 16-20 at Ben Avery and the Arizona State Shoot March 19-24, held this year at Tucson. In addition to the Chain, local clubs from all over the state swing into action. Tri-State (Ft. Mohave), Double Adobe (McNeal), Rio Salado, Lake Havasu and Cochise (Sierra Vista) have shoots throughout December and January. Nice places, great people.

Last year we moved the Hall of Fame Classic from October to January. Attendance doubled with the addition of many winter visitors. This year’s inductee is Vince Bianco. We are in the midst of compiling a list of his accomplishments, which are extensive. Anyone who is familiar with Arizona or western shooting knows Vince. Please join in the celebration.

We are also double-checking data for the state teams. All of the averages are in; now it is just a question of going over birthdays, etc. Look for some surprises, familiar faces and some new ones.

Hey, how about our updated website (aztraps.com)? I think it looks great. Thank you, Tiger!

I’ve said in the past that there are two types of people who shoot Arizona: those who live here and those who wish they did. The long-term weather forecast for the winter calls for warmer-than-usual temperatures. Now I know about heavy boots, down coats, snow tires, chains, frozen fingers and toes. As they say in Brooklyn, fuhgeddaboutit, we are waiting for you here in Arizona.

John Bergman

ATA Delegate

Nevada

Nevada, Montana, Oregon and Washington were the first states to participate in the newly formed Western Zone Big 50. Here’s how it works: the third week of every month (Western Zone Week), any ATA club within the Western Zone can participate in a Lewis option shoot that allows ATA members to shoot for the money at any participating club. Winners are paid on a monthly basis by the Western Zone, who is responsible for all payouts. Western Zone Big 50s can be scheduled for any day or evening of the third week in every month. This non-telephonic tournament allows even the smallest clubs access to big tournaments. Las Vegas’ Joe Sudbury and Colton, WA’s Zarn Clausen are just a couple of the winners who will be receiving checks for their shooting expertise.

We have heard back that some of our clubs will be using the format for their league shooting. The clubs win, and the shooters get mailbox money.

November and December have already doubled in club sign-up with the addition of Winnemucca GC in northern Nevada, Livermore GC and Newman Swamp Rats in California, Casa Grande TC in Arizona, and Deary GC in Idaho. We hope to see even the smallest clubs in each state participate in the fun.

For further information on how to participate or locations to shoot, please call your state ATA Delegate or reach out to me at 702-239-2732.

Around Nevada: The Clark Co. SC will bring a badly needed Western Zone site back to Nevada for 2019. With AIM and the Grand American events starting July 26, the Western Zone committee changed the typical July dates to June 28-30, making the dates a perfect fit for Las Vegas.

Winnemucca T&S will be holding the second annual Winnemucca 500 March 30-31. This is Nevada’s only handicap marathon and tends to draw folks from all of Nevada’s surrounding states. The club throws great targets, and the trophies are always cash. Don’t forget the great Basque restaurants Winnemucca is known for. Make sure to call Tammy and Todd at the club and let them know you’re coming.

The Nevada State Trapshooting Association is now managing Las Vegas’ renowned trap league. Known as one of the first and largest leagues in trapshooting, the Wednesday night league that was founded by Steve Carmichael over 25 years ago consistently hosts more than 200 shooters every Wednesday night during peak season. Mike Kuepper and Tony Del Fante, two members of the NSTA, have worked it out so your targets can register with the ATA. If you are not shooting league now, please come out any Wednesday night and ask for Tony or Mike. They will be happy to get you started having fun.

Make sure we all congratulate Sam Ford of Las Vegas for his 100 straight in singles during the CCSC Sept. 15-16 tournament. Sam was the only person to shoot 100 straight in any of the over-all events.

Joe Hanley

           ATA Delegate

Utah

The old target year ended on Aug. 31, and the new target year has begun. September is quite often one of the best weather months for shooting in Utah. This month has not disappointed! The first shoot of the year in Utah started off at the Vernal R&GC for their annual $500 Bill Fall Handicap. The bill is a donation made by Steve Johnson and Aubrey Fogarty. The shoot consisted of four handicap events over two days, with the high composite score garnering the big prize adorned with President McKinley’s likeness. The high-over-all score was posted by 27-yard New Mexico resident Mike Grady. During the shoot, Troy Oaks and Joe Sudbury both posted field-high scores of 99. Also of note, Trent Van Dam won all four short-yardage trophies. It was nice to see Trent’s daughter Shay Lee helping him carry armloads of trophies out of the clubhouse.

During the ides of September, Nephi held a one-day shoot with about 30 shooters in attendance. Mark Greenhalgh and other members of the club did a good job of running the shoot and set surprisingly good targets, considering the 30-mph south winds. Scores were only fair, considering the extremely strong winds. Gene Wilson and Bill Curtice from Helper GC were in attendance and brought a set of voice pulls for Nephi GC to borrow. Gene also helped Mark set targets throughout the day. It is always good to see members from one club helping another club succeed.

While at Nephi, I visited with Brad Spencer about his health issues. Brad was diagnosed with throat cancer last winter. After undergoing treatment (chemo and radiation), he is doing very well. He stated that his last PET scan and scoping came back negative. This is great news, and I wish the best for Brad. Brad shot as much as his strength would allow during his treatments, and he shot very well to boot!

Also undergoing some health issues is Don Harwell. Don underwent open heart surgery in July and is still recovering and not able to shoot just yet. He is, however, acting as a cheerleader and following his much better half, Jerri, around to shoots. Speaking of Jerri, I noticed she shot a career-high 97 in singles at Cedar City last month. She told me that she ran her first ever 50 straight, missed three, and then ended with a 25. It is always fun to hear about someone achieving a personal milestone!

Due to extremely large wildfires, which are in close proximity to the gun club, Spanish Fork had to cancel its scheduled two-day shoot.

           Ed Wehking

           ATA Western Zone Vice President

Washington

I know I promised a schedule of shoots last month, but the annual winter meeting of the WSTA Board of Directors is tomorrow, so I’ll have to include that next time. Our meeting was moved up to give a couple of our members a chance to go south for some shooting and give us a little more time to get things ready for the 2019 calendar year.

I had the good fortune to attend the first Big 50 at the Colton GC in October. This is a great program, with Western Zone-wide Lewis options. The Pomeroy GC is also planning to throw Big 50 programs, which is pretty exciting since they have not thrown registered targets in the past. With so many two-trap clubs in our region, I think this program is a good way to get more clubs involved with ATA and introduce new shooters to our game.

I spend a lot of time here thanking gun clubs, sponsors, delegates and directors during the year, but there is a big thank you that I would be remiss to leave out. The biggest thank you that needs to be given is to you, the shooters, who compete here in Washington. It is the trapshooters from our state and others supporting our various clubs that make all we do possible. When our clubs hold shoots, we should remember it is about the shooter. At every shoot I attend, it is common to see a trapshooter from another club pitching in and helping out. I’m convinced this is what keeps us going. The end result is targets in the air and memories being made.

There will be much more news from Washington after our directors meeting, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with you. Until then, don’t skip the chance to take someone out to your favorite club and show them how great trapshooting is. Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

           Sean Lewis

ATA Alternate Delegate