Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces. Our latest online Shooter Profile is Ray Woodill of Riverview, NB. The retired Federal Ammunition and Beretta rep has been an active skeet and trap shooter since 1965 and an ATA life member since 1970. Ray started shooting at the Dartmouth (NS) T&SC and now calls the Moncton (NB) GC his home club. Ray recalls many memorable moments over his long shooting and work careers. Highlights include shooting bunker trap with Kay Ohye in San Antonio in 1983, the opportunity to represent Federal and Beretta at the Grand American, and meeting many wonderful people at shooting events he attends. You can read all about Ray in the Shooter Profiles section on www.shootatlantic.com.

The program for this year’s Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot, scheduled for Sept. 2-5 at the Highland GC, is now available on www.shootatlantic.com. Further details on pre-squadding, preferred hotels, ammunition orders and food service will be posted to www.shootatlantic.com as they become available.

Long-term planning has been difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local and regional restrictions and guidance can change quickly, requiring flexible planning and a contingency plan. The Highland GC and the APTA will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation within the four Atlantic Provinces and will proceed accordingly. Unrestricted travel within the Atlantic Provinces is one factor that shoot organizers will consider when making the final decision on our shoot format. If shooters cannot travel outside of their province to compete, we will proceed with our contingency plan of a satellite shoot. As always, the latest information will be available on www.shootatlantic.com.

Planning for the 2021 Canadian Trapshooting Championships has ramped up quickly since the Canadian Trapshooting Association (CTA) decided to host this year’s national championship in a satellite shoot format. Shooters from 11 clubs across Canada will participate in this year’s 700-target competition June 25-27. It will be a coast-to-coast competition, spanning six time zones with a time difference of four-and-a-half hours from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, to Vancouver, BC.

The CTA board and provincial trapshooting associations have been working together to ensure this year’s shoot is a success. One of the more challenging requirements of this year’s satellite shoot will be recording and reporting scores from all sites. To facilitate this, the CTA board is developing the CTA Scoreboard, a web-based solution that will allow shoot management to record scores in a central database and allow shooters to review scores from all sites in an easy-to-use, web-based application. To view the CTA Scoreboard, view a shoot program, get a list of host clubs, and see the latest information and any last-minute changes to the CTA 2021 format, visit www.shootcanada.ca.

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

Andrea Bassan

ATA Delegate

New Jersey

Well, it’s been warm, cold, rainy and in the high 70s here in New Jersey this April. I am happy to report my fig tree made it through the not-so-cold winter. Due to my back surgery after last year’s Grand American, I was unable to wrap it with carpet foam and tar paper this past winter. New green buds were popping out at the ends of all the branches, a good sign of things to come.

By the time you are reading this, our 124th New Jersey State Shoot will be in the books, finishing up June 6. Hopefully you were able to attend and win a trophy. If I was reelected as ATA Delegate at the state meeting on the 6th, I’ll be highlighting the major winners in the July issue.

On the Florida Singles Championship down in Odessa, I was happy to present a 100-straight pin to Ernie Onesti for his first. Congratulations, Ernie. There were nine shooters from the Garden State competing, and only Thomas Green Sr. was able to bring back a trophy.

Pine Valley held their annual Youth Shoot April 17. Again this year the members of Pine Valley donated money to pay for the free hot dogs, hamburgers and water for lunch and a huge sheet cake for after shooting. Each participant received a hat (donated by Krieghoff), a shirt (donated by Bass Pro of Atlantic City) and two boxes of traploads. Alex from Krieghoff International in Ottsville, PA, was on hand with demo guns for the participants to test drive. Harlan Campbell was also on hand to answer questions the youngsters had regarding trapshooting and give out the trophy to the HOA winner. Event 1 was the team event, and Lehigh Valley came in first, followed by Frederick Stars & Stripes in second and Lower Providence third. The singles event was won by Oliver Fromm with 98. Other winners were Gracie Burton, pre-sub; Cole Cervantes, sub-junior; Kurt Willman, junior; Jonathan Bennett, junior gold; Jacob Bonser, A; Owen Daniels, B; and Chase Watkins, C. The doubles champion was Ron Ostrowski with 94, Bennett was second, Owen Colucci third, Willman fourth, and Iver Gustafson II fifth. The handicap was won by Pine Valley’s Zac Cucunato with 93, Willman was second, Gustafson third, Ostrowski fourth, and Travis Foose fifth. The HOA went to Ron Ostrowski. Seventy shooters turned up from New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey to compete. Sal Schiavo of Middletown, NY, brought down 13 shooters. Not being an AIM Shoot, two of our New Jersey shooters were able to join them to fill out his third team. Club president Paul Dimeglio told me that 14,700 targets were thrown, an increase of almost 48% from 2019. (The 2020 shoot had to be canceled due to the pandemic.)

The last Saturday of April historically is the day of the Jersey Cricket, and even with the pandemic this year and scarcity of factory ammo, there were 27 shooters on hand to compete April 24. Like last year, due to the COVID-19 issue, we could not venture down to the Wilmington club in Delaware. So, as in last year’s rescheduled shoot in November, it was Pine Belt for the first hundred, over to Pine Valley for the second hundred, and back to Pine Belt for a hoagie lunch and then finishing off the third hundred. Robert Jarvis was this year’s champion, and Donald Trimble was runnerup. The category winners were: Susan Gullotta, ladies’; Marc Invidiato, veteran; and Robert Long, senior vet.

On a sad note, Remi (Charlie B) BeauSejour died April 8 due to complications from COVID-19; he was 75 years old. Although Charlie was not a resident of New Jersey, he could always be found at an ATA shoot here in the Garden State. He lived only a short distance away, on Staten Island; just the small body of water, called the Arthur Kill, is what separates Staten Island from Elizabeth on the eastern side of New Jersey. Following high school, he joined the Navy and served during the Vietnam War and the Cold War. He was a retired NYC sanitation worker. Charlie was a longtime member of the Staten Island SC. He joined the ATA in 1985 and registered 207,100 singles, 101,550 handicap and 16,250 doubles targets during his career. Charlie is survived by Barbara, his wife of 36 years, plus a son, daughter and stepdaughter and their spouses, a sister Renee, grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

Terry M. Shaffer of Sandyston Township died April 11 at home; he was 62. Terry was born in Altoona, PA, raised in Dover, NJ, and moved to Sussex County in 1999. He was shop manager at Denville Bear & Body. He worked there 28 years. Terry enjoyed hunting and fishing. He was a member of the North Jersey CTC in Fairfield. He joined the ATA in 2013 and registered 9,100 singles, 8,325 handicap and 300 doubles targets in his career. Terry is survived by his wife Carolann, son Matt and wife Megan, his father Joseph, a brother John, a sister Charmaine and two granddaughters. A GoFundMe® page had been set up by his good friend Jim Lavelle to offset the medical bills that were amassed during Terry’s battle with cancer.

Joe Sissano

ATA Delegate

New York

Hello from New York, and greetings to everyone. I hope everyone is doing well. Now that we are into early summer, I hope everyone is enjoying the weather and out shooting plenty of registered targets.

I am sorry to report that New York has lost another ATA shooter. Remi (Charlie) BeauSejour passed away April 8 due to COVID-19 complications. He was 75 years of age and resided in Staten Island. Charlie started registering targets in 1985 and was standing on the 21-yard line. During his career, he registered 207,100 singles, 101,550 handicap and 16,250 doubles targets. Our deepest sympathy is expressed to his wife Barbara and his entire family.

As most people in New York are aware, recreational marijuana has been legalized in the state of New York. However, please remember that Section XII, B, 2 (a) of the official ATA Rulebook states:

“2. 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, shootoff 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 shootoffs and practice. For purposes of this rule, “drugs” shall mean any illegal, or recreational drug, and shall also mean any prescription medication if that prescription medication affects the judgement 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”.

Remember that recreational marijuana will be treated like alcohol. If any contestant has been discovered consuming marijuana during any ATA-sanctioned tournament, as stated above from the ATA Rulebook, shoot management will immediately remove and disqualify the contestant. This shall apply to all ATA tournaments held at the New York State ATA homegrounds in Cicero or any other sanctioned ATA tournament held in New York State.

For your information, the following was posted on the ATA webpage:

“Ammunition manufacturers have indicated to us that they are working 24/7 to try to catch up with the overwhelming demand for ammunition. The cause of the shortage has been linked to the tremendous number of new firearms owners in the recent months, hoarding by consumers, and a fear of possible price increases.

“We will continue to monitor the situation and relay any information we obtain regarding future developments.

“Due to limited shooting opportunities in 2020, the look-back period for minimum target requirements in the 2021 Satellite Grands has been extended back to Sept. 1, 2018, to the date of classification for the shoot.”

I hope this information is helpful for those shooters who are not regularly on a computer or the Internet and do not view the ATA webpage.

If anyone would like to have something written in one of these articles, please contact me at [email protected] or 585-519-9543. Please stay healthy, safe and in good spirits. Please be strong. May God bless you all.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada. As I write this article (late April), Ontario is in a “stay at home” lockdown, and we have restrictions as stringent or more stringent than we have ever had. This is expected to last until at least May 21—perhaps longer.

Until then, we can’t have any organized events (e.g., ATA tournaments) and not even outdoor activities like golfing, shooting range activities, etc. Our COVID numbers, especially in Ontario, are going through the roof. Our ICUs are at capacity. Things are bad.

Our provincial government, which is responsible for delivering vaccine shots, has been trying to get our population vaccinated, but supplies are limited. Our federal government, which is responsible for procuring vaccine supplies, has for whatever reason failed to obtain the quantities of vaccines our provinces need for their inhabitants.

As of March 31, Canada ranked 42nd among countries with the most vaccinations. Canada has vaccinated 7% of its population, Israel has vaccinated 55%, and U.S. has vaccinated 27%. During April the numbers of vaccinated people have increased, but I do not have reliable statistics.

In Canada we continue to lag behind. Why? Sources report that our federal government put its eggs in the wrong basket—signing an agreement with Chinese vaccine maker CanSino for vaccine trials which fell apart. We also had no domestic vaccine-making capabilities. Our delivery of vaccines from Europe was delayed. We are constantly trying to play catch-up.

Bottom line: most Canadians who have had their first vaccination either have not been given a date for their second shot or, if given a date, it is about three-and-a-half or more months down the line.

Do the math. Even with both shots, Canadians do not know what this means for travel, crossing the border, etc. Nobody knows. Or, if they do, they won’t say.

Our Ontario trapshooters who regularly compete south of the border (including myself) are champing at the bit to leave Ontario for southern clays, but we’re in lockdown. Stay tuned.

Paul Shaw

ATA President

Pennsylvania

Hard to believe, but June is here, and it’s already time for the PA State Shoot. As I write this article in April, we still have the ongoing concern of ammunition availability. Hopefully it will be a moot point by the time you read this; however, the only news to report is that the manufacturers are operating 24/7 to produce ammunition, and suppliers have orders in but still are uncertain of pending shipments. It’s been a guessing game for everyone involved for the last several months.

On a brighter note, we had 40 Pennsylvania shooters attend the Florida State Shoot last month at the Silver Dollar. Those shooters totaled 35 awards, with Deborah Ohye-Neilson carting home 11 of them, including category HAA and HOA. Steve Huber and William Ross added three wins each, including category HAA for both. Frank Pascoe (two), Pat Geiser and Bruce Schmidt (two) added event non-resident champion to their resumes, with Frank winning singles Events 4 and 7, Pat handicap Event 5, and Bruce Event 8 handicap. Our other winners included Sheldon Cope, John Spangler, Ken Darroch (two), Elmer Ebling, Edward Bayer (four), Richard Milbert (two), and Brendan Doorly. Congratulations to all.

Unfortunately I must report on the passing of Robert Diefenderfer of Exeter Township and Terry Rishel of Millville. Bob is enshrined in the PSSA Hall of Fame for his numerous trapshooting accomplishments, including multiple state championships. Terry worked at the PSSA for several years as a trap mechanic and shot at many of the local clubs around the area. The two gentlemen will be missed, as our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of Bob and Terry.

I’m happy to report that Donald O’Conner broke his first 100 straight in singles while shooting at the Valley G&CC during their Mug O’ Money Shoot in April. Don ended up winning the event with the only perfect score of the day. Congratulations, Don!

I look forward to seeing everyone at Elysburg during the Colonial Classic and PA State Shoot!

Steve Ross

ATA Alternate Delegate

Alabama

The ATA Southern Zone Shoot will be held July 15-18 at three locations this year: Central Kentucky GC, Berea; North Carolina Homegrounds, Bostic; and Silver Dollar SC, Odessa, FL. Mark your calendar, and I hope everyone will be able to shoot at one of these locations.

Now is the time to make plans to get out and get a little sun, register some targets, and support your local gun clubs.

Please keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers. Without the men and women of our armed forces protecting this great country, we would not be able to enjoy this great sport. When you see a soldier, thank him or her for their service.

If you have any news to report or need my help, contact me at [email protected]. Shoot well and shoot often.

Wayne Sartwell

ATA Delegate

Kentucky

Trapshooting is back, folks. I’m proud to see so many young aspiring athletes taking the line in hopes of many smoked targets. High school season is in full swing, even with the challenges of school schedules and very limited ammo supplies. The USA Clay Target League just announced the state tournament will be held June 12 at Berea. I am in hopes of record numbers.

The ATA recently announced that the Illinois DNR will allow the U.S. Open^® June 2-6, the AIM Nationals July 30-Aug. 3, and the 2021 Grand American Aug. 4-14 to be held at the World S&RC near Sparta, IL.

The Florida State Shoot followed the Southern Grand by a couple days late in March and was attended by 13 Kentucky trapshooters. All shot well, and Aaron Willoughby (Steady Eddie) won runnerup honors in the Handicap Championship with 97. The Southwestern Grand took place in San Antonio, TX (April 6-11) and saw only two Kentuckians attend. Kevin (Tank) Polson and Melissa Marr Tracy both made the trip and returned home with hardware in tow.

The KTL Board of Directors met April 10 to finalize the program and details of the 2021 Kentucky State Shoot June 30-July 4 at the Central Kentucky GC. Except for some minor changes, the shoot will be same as last year. There will be a shooters’ dinner on Friday evening following the events.

At this meeting, the KTL also announced the Hall of Fame selections for 2021: Donnie Sherrard, Lance Ogles and Vernon Anderson. I am both deeply honored and humbled by the selection, and I believe that to be true for the other distinguished honorees. We are all deeply saddened by the passing of Donnie.

Please take advantage of the many opportunities in the weeks and months to come to shoot in Kentucky and neighboring states and renew friendships with your fellow trapshooters. So please get out and sharpen your skills and get ready for a great shooting year.

As always, if you have news you want to share with your fellow trapshooters, please e-mail me at [email protected] or call 270-227-2262. This is wishing each of you many, many smoked targets and a very healthy 2021. I hope to see you soon on the line.

Vernon R Anderson

KTL Board Member

North Carolina

The Hall of Fame Shoot was a real success, even if we got a little wet on Saturday for the Singles Championship. Between hundreds, we enjoyed a wonderful induction ceremony for Thomas Jefferson (Jeff) Galloway and Robert (Marty) Hill Jr. Both are more than deserving of this honor; not only good shooters, but tireless workers for the NCTA, youth shooting and their respective home clubs. The brief ceremony was attended by about 70 shooters. When health regulations allow, we’ll have a Hall of Fame dinner to honor all the inductees at a future date.

The weather, other than a rainy Saturday, was interesting. Wind from the northwest made the targets really sporty! The scores reflected this, as 25s, 50s and 100s were very scarce. It was fun nevertheless; folks seemed to be happy. Ammo was a bit scarce and the 80+ flats they had went pretty fast. If the ammo situation does not drastically improve, we’ll have to sell ammo to those who have paid the entry and then only four boxes per event. We will have some ammo for the state shoot but in limited quantities. Please try to bring your own if you have it.

The NC State Shoot is coming up fast, so save your ammo. Dates are June 9-13. We have a food vendor on the grounds who makes relatively simple fare for breakfast and lunch. It’s very good . . . just not fancy.

To find out scores and who has done and is doing what, check out the NCTA.com website. Freddy Redmon does a great job keeping it current. Also the TarHeelTrap Facebook page has a lot of posts and pictures if you wish to join and check it out.

The North Carolina Homegrounds is one of the host clubs for the 2021 ATA Southern Zone July 15-18, so make plans for that one!

I’m looking forward to seeing you all at the homegrounds and shoots around the state. If I can help you with any ATA-related issues or questions, please e-mail me at [email protected]. Thanks and good shooting!

Bob Schultz

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

A good news starter/achievement report: Bill Ward, 25,000 singles; Dave Daily, 100,000 combined; Kevin Stephens, 100,000 combined; Ron Thompson, 100,000 combined; Doug Stenback, 75,000 handicap and 75,000 doubles.

Now the bad—I’m sorry to report the death of Gabe Ferguson, brother of Gary Ferguson. Gabe lived in Spartanburg and shot with us in Greenville and Spartanburg. Keep Gary and his family in your prayers.

I’m writing this from the Georgia State Shoot. Great weather, but the wind has been howling and is not your friend. We have a lot of company with our poor scores. Tomorrow we’ll break ’em all. We have a good representation of South Carolina shooters here and a lot of promises from Georgia shooters to be at our shoot in two weeks.

Most of our gun clubs are doing some field improvements that will make shooting there more enjoyable. Support your local clubs. I know ammo is tight, but it appears to be getting just a tad better. The new owners of the Remington plant in Arkansas are going full bore, so that will help fill the supply line.

Next month we’ll talk about our state shoot; I’m hoping for great weather. I hope to see you at the North Carolina State Shoot and at the zone shoot.

Jim Faber

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

The Tennessee State Trapshooting Association invites you to attend the AIM State Championships June 15-16 followed by the 108th Tennessee State Shoot June 17-20 hosted by the Nashville GC at the Tennessee CTC.

Other state shoots in the Southern Zone: Alabama: June 3-6, Dixie T&S, Mathews; North Carolina: June 9-13, NC Homegrounds, Bostic; Kentucky: June 30-July 4, Central Kentucky GC, Berea; Virginia: June 30-July 4, VA Homegrounds-Winchester GC, Stephenson.

The ATA Southern Zone Shoot is July 15-18 held in Berea, KY; Bostic, NC; and the Silver Dollar in Odessa, FL.

AIM National Championships: July 30-Aug. 3, WSRC, Sparta, IL.

The 122nd Grand American World Championships: Aug. 4-14, WSRC, Sparta, IL.

Twenty-four Tennessee shooters recently attended the Florida State Shoot, with 11 of them capturing trophies. Winners were Chandler Hinson, Tyler Honnold, Treavor Lance, Brady Duren, Jacob Duren, Emma Mathews, Robert Terry, Brayden Morris, Lucas Davis, Richie Bolin and Colton Phillips.

On a sad note, many have already heard of the March 28 passing of Thomas Freeman of Memphis. The 2019 inductee into the Tennessee Trapshooting Hall of Fame was 84. Tom first joined the ATA in 1966, shot for several years, then took a more than 20-year hiatus, but when he started back in 1998, he made up for lost time. He finished his career with 131,775 singles, 127,300 handicap and 100,650 doubles. Tom ranks fourth in Tennessee with 359,725 total registered targets.

Read the new rulebook, please. If you don’t have a copy, get on the ATA website and print yourself one.

For more info, check out our website shootatatn.com. You can reach me at [email protected].

Billy Cook

ATA Southern Zone Vice President

Arkansas

Arkansas has been represented well outside of the state. We are really proud of how these young shooters have shown up and showed out. Congratulations to Luke Yagos, Jayden Dalton, Aidan Master, Chet Orick, Katie Pryor, Jasa Reed, Darin Reed and Wren Washburn for bringing home some hardware from the Southwestern Grand American. A special shout-out to Luke Yagos for being the handicap champion and Aidan Master for being the doubles champion.

Congratulations to Julie Newsom, Logan Applegate, Landon Chandler, Katie Pryor and Kayla Workman for bringing home some hardware from the Florida State Shoot. A special shout-out to Landon Chandler for being the non-resident singles champ and to Julie Newsom for being the non-resident Lady I handicap winner.

Gun clubs around the state have had great turnouts. You can tell trapshooting is in full swing in Arkansas. I want to say congratulations to Kaden Hurst for being the handicap champ at the Bluerock GC shoot April 25.

Special achievement awards go out to Sambo Oswalt for his 25K singles attainment and to Chandler Brown for his 50K singles attainment. Congratulations to both of you.

As most of you know, the Grand American will be back in Sparta, IL, this year. I can’t wait. If you haven’t had a chance to attend, you should definitely put it on your list of must-go-to shoots.

By the time you read this, our 2021 state shoot will be in the books. A big thank you to all who came and participated. I am already looking forward to 2022! As always, I am scared that I have left someone out. If so, you can always contact me. I look forward to hearing everyone’s accomplishments.

Proverbs 29:25 KJV—The fear of man bringeth a snare: But whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

Robby Pennock

ATA Delegate

Missouri

It’s that time of year that most gun clubs are getting back in the target-throwing mode—even though the weather can still be a little dicey at times—with leagues and registered shoots pretty much in full swing. The shell availability situation seems to be loosening up somewhat, if you can stand the increased prices. Hopefully by early summer it will be much better. Most gun clubs that had shell inventory or can acquire shells are limiting sales to what is needed for paid events.

If you have never made it to the Southwestern Grand at the National SC in San Antonio, TX, you need to put it on your bucket list. After a one-year hiatus due to the COVID shutdown, the Southwestern Grand made it back to NSC. Thanks to Royce Graff and staff for a very well-run shoot; these folks know how to get it done, with shoot attendance up nearly 20% over two years ago. The weather overall this year was about as good as you could ask for, with temps making it up to the lower 90s during the shoot. Yes, there was some wind most days, and a lot of wind one day, but, hey, we participate in an outdoor sport, right? Seven shooters made the trip from Missouri, with three collecting trophies. Zach Nannini brought home five, Kent Frost won five, and Steven J. Fuller one. Congratulations to those from MO who won trophies and those who were in carryovers and shootoffs. Look for complete coverage in this issue of Trap & Field.

As I made mention in my last report, there are a number of changes happening at MTA, Linn Creek. One of the most notable is the manager position at MTA. Earlier this month the announcement was made that a new manager has been hired and will begin May 1. Welcome, Mr. Skip Klinger, to the MTA staff as the new manager. Skip comes to us from Palmyra, PA, and has been involved with the operation of gun clubs, including executive director for the Elysburg, PA, facility, for more than 30 years.

On behalf of the MTA Board of Directors, I would also like to thank Tom Endres for his generous support contributing to the chip-and-seal project. I would like to congratulate Bobby Chambers and Dennis Alkire (posthumously) as our 2021 MTA Hall of Fame inductees. Both are well deserving of this recognition.

As I mentioned above, the shell situation seems to be loosening up. Hopefully it will not influence shoot attendance too much. Graf & Sons has been operating the shell sales at MTA’s larger shoots, beginning last year. Mrs. Graf said she would work with MTA to provide shells for the larger shoots. Please thank Mrs. Graf for her support to MTA. By the time you read this report, the 2021 state shoot will be in the books. June will be a busy month at MTA, with the AIM and SCTP state shoots as well as the regular monthly shoot.

While there is a lot happening these days that influence what we do and when we do it, we are still very blessed to be Americans living in the greatest nation in the history of the world. Psalms 128:4—Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the Lord.

If anyone has anything they want reported or has any concerns, please contact me at [email protected] or 816-863-9003. Shoot often, shoot well, and be safe!

Stephen Ricketts

           ATA Delegate

Oklahoma

Hennessey GC held their first Big 50 shoot March 28 and had five squads. The weather was perfect, 68º and no wind. The orange targets looked as big as paper plates over the green planted fields. Dillon Pospisil, Mike Grove, Rose Shaffer and Nathan Lemke all tied with 48s in the singles. Dillen was high in the handicap with 46 and received a half-yard punch that moved him to the 23-yard line. Johnny Wilson broke 45 to win second place, and Tim Mount broke 43 for third. Melvin Pospisil won the doubles with 45, and Mitchel Wyatt’s 43 was next.

Tulsa GC also had a shoot on the 28th, and they had 17 shooters. Joel Johnson won champion in the singles with 97. Vickie Farmer won the handicap with 90. Joe Hadas topped the doubles with 89. All class and category winners can be found in the Trap & Field Gun Club Scores section.

Several Oklahoma shooters attended the Ft. Worth, TX, shoot. Nathan Lemke won two very nice belt buckles for champion in the singles with 199 and one for A class doubles. Shelton Shively broke his first 100 straight in the singles. Mitchel Wyatt broke 95 in the handicap, which was one of the two high scores shot.

A couple months ago Randy Hill kicked off a Pull for Life trapshoot fundraiser for the Eden Clinic, a non-profit reproduction and pregnancy center where his wife works. Randy got an SKB 90TSS Combo shotgun from Ron Bliss that he planned to sell 300 $20 raffle tickets for. He then worked with Gary Bristol at the Shawnee Twin Lakes TR to set up a benefit shoot for April 9, where the drawing for the gun would be during the shoot. Aaron Stoops’ raffle ticket was drawn. Aaron was one of the corporate sponsors and now plans to join the trapshooting sport. The shoot turnout was good, with 11 squads competing. A couple participants had not ever shot a shotgun before, but safety was paramount with the help of other shooters—like Larry Higgs and Randy and Vickie Farmer—and everything went well. All the hard work paid off, with $21,000 raised for the effort.

April 9 was also the day I received my second Moderna COVID shot. This kept me from attending the Southwestern Grand this year, but Oklahoma was well represented. Some of the winners I saw on the Internet were Dakota Sliger, Shelby Skaggs, Pat Stacey, Clay Laughlin, Brayden Bliss, Ron Bliss, Samual Arrington, Bill Dayton and Tex Hollis. Pat was all-around champ, and Dakota won or tied in 10 events.

Ada’s April 11 shoot drew great attendance, with five squads competing. In the singles, Creede Booth and Randy Farmer tied with 97s. In the handicap there was also a tie, with Zoe Traylor and Randy Hill breaking 92s. Zoe came close to running the first 50, missing only her 48th target. Mike Grove won the doubles with 84. As the day went on, the southwest wind really picked up, making the doubles very erratic.

Tulsa GC’s April 11 shoot had 15 competitors. In the singles Billy Pierce and Justin Cavett tied with 99s. The handicap was won by Pete Wedelin, and the doubles was won by Justin with 91. Clay Laughlin has reached 25,000 in singles.

Oklahoma has lost another shooter. Denny Patterson passed away April 13 at 71 years old.

April 10 celebrated the 75th anniversary of Lake Texoma. It was built in 1937 by the Army Corps of Engineers to control flooding of the Red River. It is a hydroelectric dam, supplying energy all over the region. The lake is famous for striper fishing, and eight million people live within 100 miles of the lake. Several years ago the Sherman Trap Club was operated by Bob Dewey, just south of the lake in Texas.

April 19 marked the 26th anniversary of the Oklahoma City federal building bombing, where 168 lives were lost. In 1995 I was president of the Oklahoma Trapshooters Association, and we were shooting the 16th Midwestern Grand in El Reno. Shooting stopped as everyone gathered in and around the clubhouse to watch the scene unfold on TV. This horrendous event brought heartfelt emotions to the approximately 600 of us assembled at the shoot. My daughter Mary worked two blocks south of the bombing as a paralegal in the OKC County Building. It was more than two hours before she could walk out of the area and find a phone that worked to let me and her husband Larry know she was okay. We took up a donation of $2,600 to help the survivors of the bombing.

Oklahoma City was established 132 years ago. Many trapshooting state shoots and associations go back to these early times. The state association celebrates their 122nd state shoot this year. Kansas has their 131st state shoot; Texas has their 107th; Arkansas, 94th; Colorado, 100th; Wyoming, 105th; and Nebraska, 145th. In addition, this will be the 122nd Grand American. These are just a few I am aware of by looking at state shoot programs.

Last year on Labor Day, Ada S&TC held a special Hull Pickers Shoot, put together by Randy Farmer. It was such a success, with 45 shooters attending, that it was decided to make it an annual event. Randy worked hard to make it bigger and better this year. On April 25 Ada held their second annual Hull Pickers Shoot. It was a big success, with nine squads competing for buckles and shell bags. A large eight-box shell bag and small shell pouch were donated by Chris Sands. A shell pouch was donated by Tex Hollis, who made all the bags. The large eight-box buffalo bag was won by Mitchel Wyatt, with a combined score of 95 for champion. The youth shell bag was won by Dakota Sliger in a youth miss-and-out event. Creede Booth won the youth buckle with 91. Collin Rindal won the singles with 50 straight. Zoe Traylor was ladies’ champ with 50 straight handicap for a total of 94. Don Bowers won the handicap with 44. Vickie had 49 on the singles event. Randy pulled together so many prizes, some donated by shooters, that every shooter entering the shoot took one home. I received a $25 gift card to Santa Fe Cattle Company.

Lowell told me that Joe Anglin is receiving treatment at the MD Cancer Center in Houston, TX. In 2019 Joe won senior vet champion in the Oklahoma State Shoot Handicap Championship with 98. We all wish him well. Let’s all say a prayer for Joe.

Tim Deister

ATA Delegate

Texas

Another Southwestern Grand has come and gone. I heard nothing but good things from all I talked to about this year’s tournament. Many said this was the best Southwestern Grand ever. I heard lots of compliments on the targets and how well the shoot ran. The only complaint I heard was the wind (those people may not want to shoot in the Texas Panhandle). Hats off to Royce and Amber for a job well done.

I gave away 100 Rulebooks at the Southwestern Grand. I hope that at least 10 of those get read. You won’t learn anything just carrying it in your shooting bag or your pocket. Please read it.

I’ve got lots of fatman attaboys and one attagirl to pass out this time. First on my list is Elvin Clayton, who shot at and broke his 25,000th singles target. Gary Womack shot at and broke his 25,000th singles target. Dennis Leochner shot at and broke his 25,000th singles target. Sonny Cook shot at and broke his 25,000th doubles target. Doug Briggs shot at and broke his 50,000th singles target. The last attaboy goes to Billy Hopson, who has now shot a combined 100,000 registered targets. The only attagirl I have this time is Babette Cade, who shot at and broke her 25,000th handicap target. Congratulations to all for their shooting attainments.

The last state zone shoot for this target year will be the Zone I at Amarillo GC June 18-20. The directors and volunteers have been working hard to get the club ready. Make your plans now to attend and warm up for the Texas State Shoot that will also be hosted by Amarillo GC. The dates for the state shoot are June 29-July 4. I hope to see you there.

There is someone who I would like to thank for all the work done for the Texas Trapshooters Association. He works behind the scenes and asks for no notoriety or thanks. He is the person who keeps the TTA officers informed of things that can and cannot be done, according to our by-laws. He also does our state shoot program and many other things for the TTA. My personal thanks to Mr. Forrest Dermid for all you do for the shooters of Texas. When you see Forrest, give him a big thank you.

Please read the Rulebook. There were at least two incidents at the Southwestern Grand that happened on the firing line, and no one knew the rule pertaining to the infraction. It is your responsibility to know the rules. Don’t depend on someone on your squad to know the rules for you. As I have said before, the person who knows the least is usually the loudest when it comes to a rules question. Please learn the rules. Release pre-squadded positions if you are unable to attend. Call the club or someone you know at the shoot and release the positions you have reserved. It’s the courteous thing to do.

Remember, my **** list does carry over. If you were on it last year, you are still on it this year. Just warning you again that if you get three strikes, you ain’t gonna like it.

Another reminder: if you receive a computer-generated yardage reduction and are not planning on taking it, please let the ATA office know that you are refusing the reduction. If you don’t notify the ATA office and you go to the next shoot and shoot from your old yardage, you may be disqualified. Just another example of “shooter responsibility.”

I do not do Messenger. I repeat, I do not do Messenger. Third time is the charm, I do not do Messenger. Call me, e-mail me or send snail mail because I do not do Messenger.

For those of you who read this far, thank you. If you have news, please let Princess or me know. I can’t include it in these ramblings if I don’t know about it. You can reach me by phone at 806-679-6889, snail mail at 907 S. Main St., Hereford, TX 79045; or e-mail [email protected]. I do not do Messenger.

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

Jerry O’Connor

ATA Delegate

Arizona

Smoke and chips: We are currently in our tweener season between all hands-on-deck in the winter and relaxing in the highland’s cool breezes in the summer. It’s when the action starts to shift from south to north—with an exception or two. Now in case you have been living under a rock and haven’t heard, the summer’s big event will be the Western Zone at the Prescott site—yes, Prescott, July 16-18. Here is a great chance to escape the summer’s heat, shoot some birds in the Bradshaw foothills, and then relax downtown along the historic square. You might even see the ghost of the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday while enjoying an adult beverage or two. The shoot starts at 8 a.m. Friday, but Prescott T&S is open on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for some practice. Any questions about where to stay or eat, just give Karen or me a call at 516-381-6774. It is our home turf. Now I know that Anaconda, Clark Co. and Spanish Fork are popular destinations for the Zone; they are all great places, but it’s hard to top Prescott in July—come on home!

On a much sadder note, we lost Larry Mane on April 6 after a valiant battle with cancer. Larry was a past president of the ASTA and a longtime board member. His presence and contributions to our sport will be sorely missed. May he rest in peace.

Around the state: It was April showers time at Casa Grande April 1-4; the only thing missing was the showers. It was also the last stand for many of our always-welcome winter visitors. Singles started things off, and Randall Winch was the top Arizona shooter. Next came the handicap, and that old war horse Fred Frazier not only was tops in Arizona, he beat everybody. Event 4, Friday’s doubles, saw Ron Schroer take senior vet honors, and George Miller won C class. Greg Spiczka dropped one bird on the third trap for a 99 in Event 5, the singles, while sub-junior Alexis Fernan, senior vet Wayne Thompson and political refugee from Colorado Don Volz finished at 97.

Friday ended with the ’caps, and John Owenby and Wayne Thompson tied at 94 for the senior veteran title. Ed Marsden was high veteran. On Saturday my good buddy George Miller did his Lazarus imitation, tying for high gun at 99 and winning senior vet outright in the opening singles. Ken Murphy lost out by one with a 98, and Bob Dobbs and Bob Mlynarz had 97s for senior vet runnerup. Walter Allen then tied for high gun and took veteran in the handicap with 95. I think that score earned him a punch to the 27. Doubles was the last event of the day, and one of our Lady I superstars, Kaitlin Quan, beat all of the guys with a nice 96. The traps remained set for doubles Sunday morning, and Ron Schroer was high senior vet. Then it was singles time, and Don Volz finished on top of the senior veterans. The handicap put an end to four nice days of shooting, and junior Brett Hardesty was the Arizona champ.

The scene then switched to Ben Avery for their Shooter Appreciation Days April 17-18. Greg Holden’s 199 led the field in the opening singles, while Joe Henderson took senior veteran. Mark Matthews won sub-vet, and Steve Haynes topped Class B. Ninety-four was the number in the handicap, and we had a five-way tie. Steve Bell, Larry Kennon, Doug Moore, Quan and up-and-coming junior Isabella Ricci all showed their stuff. Sunday had three events, starting with singles. Joe Henderson got up early and ran the only 100, taking senior vet. He eked out his squadmate Jim Sharp by one. Max Peevyhouse won sub-vet, and Ricci was the high junior. In the handicap Steve Haynes, Ken Mlynarz and Isabella all tied at the top with 91s, while senior veterans Fred Frazier and George Miller were one back. Jesse Zamora was the high veteran. Ken Mlynarz stood alone with a 95 in the doubles, while Haynes took sub-veteran. Joe Henderson won senior veteran, Greg Holden did likewise in veteran, and once again, right up there with the boys was Quan, the high lady.

June features a two-day shoot at Flagstaff on the 12th and 13th, followed by a doubles marathon at Rio Salado June 17, and then Tucson has their monthly shoot on the 19th. Pleasant Valley, now owned by Scott Skaggs, closes out the month June 25-27. Rio Salado starts off July on the first with a singles marathon, and Casa Grande celebrates our nation’s birthday with an extravaganza July 2-3. Rio Salado is back with a doubles marathon July 15. Then we have the forementioned ATA Western Zone at Prescott July 16-18. And don’t forget that Casa Grande throws Big 50s every Monday.

See you on the line.

John Bergman

ATA Delegate

California

The California State Shoot (June 22-27) is rapidly approaching, which means so is the ceremony honoring the three newest inductees into the California Trapshooting Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place on Sunday, June 27, in front of the KGC office building before the start of the championship handicap. This year’s inductees are Chuck Redding, Augusta (Gus) Yapelli and Albert (Al) Yapelli Jr. If you’re at the state shoot, please make the effort to attend their induction ceremony.

Chuck Redding began shooting ATA targets in 1985. Since that time, he has amassed a very extensive list of shooting accomplishments with the ATA and PITA and as a member of the U.S. shooting team (national team). In 1989 he was state sub-junior champion plus won the sub-junior Clay Target, Doubles and an additional six trophies at the Grand American. He was also the sub-junior All-American team captain for that season (1990 team). In 1992 he was the Grand American junior Doubles champion and junior Singles Class Championship winner. The next year, at age 18, he captured the Grand American Doubles Championship in a three-round shootoff over eight others. He’s been the ATA Western Zone doubles champion six times (all after 100 straights) as well as the all-around champion in 1994. He completed his ATA Grand Slam (No. 150) in 1994. That year he was the ATA’s handicap and doubles average leader, the latter with a then-record .9910. He made the junior All-American team in 1991, 1992 and 1993 and was a member of the men’s team in 1995. Chuck has won 15 PITA state championships (singles, handicap and doubles, two each; all-around, six; HOA, three). He has won eight Grand Pacific Championships (Champion of Champions, one; doubles, two; all-around, three; HOA, two). He completed the PITA 400×400 in 1995. Chuck’s U.S. Shooting team accolades include being the 2001 national Double Trap champion. Between 1996 and 2002 he shot on the Double Trap national team at various competitions around the world. In addition to the 2001 National Championship, he won eight other individual medals (two gold, five silver and one bronze) and four team medals (three gold and one silver).

Although Augusta (Gus) Yapelli hasn’t shot competitively for several years, when she did, she was a force to be reckoned with. Gus started shooting in the 1960s and participated in both ATA and PITA competitions. She shot approximately 225,000 combined registered targets at countless clubs across the United States. Regardless of the weather conditions, Gus was going to shoot, and she would often check with her husband Al to make sure he had put her gun and ammunition in the car. Al said she shot a Model 12 and that her favorite brand of ammunition was Federal papers. He also indicated that she was the 51st lady in ATA history to reach the 27-yard line. In 1970 she was the ladies’ handicap champion with a 97 at the California State Shoot. She won back-to-back ladies’ singles titles in 1972 and 1973. In 1972 she and Al were husband-wife champions in the same event. From 1972 to 1988, she was a member of seven winning ladies’ zone teams based on their combined scores during the championship singles. In 1983 she took home both the ladies’ doubles and all-around trophies. Gus was also the PITA ladies’ singles champion three times (1977, 1983, 1984) and runnerup twice (1981 and 1987). She was a three-time PITA ladies’ doubles champion (1972, 1979, 1980) and ladies’ HOA champion in 1981. Gus is a three-time All-American, making the ladies’ second team in 1973, 1974 and 1975.

Albert (Al) Yapelli Jr. has registered over 633,000 ATA targets and an additional 25,900 PITA targets. He has been a member of two perfect 500 singles squads and has been on four or five 498×500 doubles squads. He has had several 99s from the 27-yard line, one where he was 97 straight before losing one. Missing his ATA Grand Slam by that one bird is about the only milestone that he hasn’t accomplished during his distinguished shooting career. His list of major trophies include wins at the California and Arizona State Shoots, Spring Grand and ATA Western Zone. However, the wins that he spoke the fondest of were the husband-wife championships that he shared with Gus. Al has won over 30 trophies at the California State Shoot and has secured an additional 26 at ATA Western Zone shoots. His California State Shoot trophies include: 1998 Handicap Championship, 27, 98; 2007 class singles, veteran, 199; 2008 President’s Handicap, senior vet, 97; 2012 and 2015 Doubles Championship, senior vet, 97 and 96; and 2013 all-around, senior vet, 385. Al has been a member of 26 California state teams: 12 men’s (four first, seven second, and one honorable mention); two veteran first teams (2006 and 2008, both times as captain); and 12 consecutive senior vet first teams (2009 through 2020), four of those as captain (2009, 2011, 2019 and 2020). In addition to all of Al’s outstanding shooting accomplishments, he has provided many years of dedicated service as a member of the California Trapshooting Hall of Fame board.

Again, please come out and support these very deserving 2021 California Trapshooting Hall of Fame inductees.

Stay healthy and shoot well!

Steve Cloyd

ATA Delegate

New Zealand

In April we had our annual Charles Hartley Memorial Doubles shoot.

Charles was an outstanding clay target shooter in both New Zealand and Australia. He won a number of championships in New Zealand during his career as well as high gun at the Australian National Championships.

Doubles was one of Charles’ favorite disciplines, which he shot very well, so we throw doubles for his memorial shoot.

The NZ ATA is honored to be able to host this event and is very appreciative of the Hartley family’s generosity for their donation to the prize pool. The family has provided the perpetual trophy on which the HOA winner’s name is engraved and which stays at the club. The HOA winner also gets a miniature cup engraved with their name that they keep.

We had a fantastic day of weather with clear skies, and the breeze held off until the afternoon. There was some really good doubles shooting, but given the conditions at the start of the day, it’s surprising it wasn’t even higher with an excellent pair on all fields against a great background.

Thanks to the Thames club crew for providing the grounds in their usual manicured condition.

A big thanks to all those who helped, including Ian Evans setting up the fields; Dale Speedy and Brian Hartley helping with target-setting; Martin Van De Wetering, who came in just to help out for the day; and all those who helped during the day with refereeing and keeping the traps full as well as clean-up at the end of the day. Also a big thanks to Wayne Merrie for helping to run the office and, of course, Nola for preparing another great lunch.

We ran three classes—A, B, C per ATA rules. Some good scores were posted during the day. Steve Pearson found the groove in the first event and continued with a winning performance over the field. Evans found the groove and timing in the last event with a 49-49 for a well shot 98.

           Paul Basten

           ATA Delegate

Utah

The trapshooting season has finally started in Utah. There were plenty of shoots to attend.

Purgatory CS started the flurry and held their annual three-day shoot. Turnout was only mediocre. Not sure if it was because of COVID or lack of shells.

Ogden GC was up next, and weather was very nice. During the handicap event, 13-year-old Daxton Cook broke 100 from the 19-yard line! Dax was shooting with his father Tye and sister Tyeli. Mom was also on hand to watch the squad celebrate the nice family affair.

The following week was Golden Spike GC’s turn. Saturday’s attendance was about as expected, six squads, but Sunday, there were only three squads, which was sad because the weather was great.

Spanish Fork GC held a two-day shoot in mid April with a nice turnout, 12 squads. One of the highlights was Steve Ottesen breaking a hundred in the singles on both Saturday and Sunday. Another high point was Tye Cook (father of Daxton Cook) breaking 99 in the handicap from the 20-yard line. I would venture to guess that we may be seeing the Cook family a lot more this year.

Now onto some sad news: Lawrence Sims passed away April 16. Larry had been sick for the last few months and recently suffered a stroke. He was born on Sept. 19, 1934, and was 86 years old.

The old-timers in the state will certainly miss this colorful person. Back in the day, Larry could hold his own at any shoot. He started registering targets in 1972 and registered his last in 2018. He had amassed 42,975 singles, 58,175 handicap and 26,650 doubles targets.

Larry became a regular fixture at Lee Kay Shotgun Center the last 10 years and would usually shoot at least twice a week. If I was there, I would always join him in a round of whatever he wanted to shoot, and he would always join a few of us in a round of doubles. He could still break very good scores. The last time I shot with him was around March 1. He was always happy to be there and still had some of his great stories to tell.

One of my fonder memories of Larry was watching him and Doug Devries in a singles shootoff at the old Salt Lake Gun Club in the latter part of the 1980s. It was pouring rain, and they shot at least three rounds and kept tying, so the gun club manager, Larry Mitchell, crowned them co-champions.

Larry will always be remembered for driving his older Cadillac, smoking cigars, wearing a cowboy hat, and having $100 bills in his money clip.

I will always remember Larry as being one of the colorful ATA characters in Utah trapshooting history. I am glad to have been a friend of his and will miss seeing him every week at the gun club. Rest in peace, Larry!

           Ed Wehking

           ATA Western Zone Vice President

 

Washington

I hope this finds you all well and that you are getting out to the range and canceling the flights of a lot of clay targets.

We are shooting pretty steadily here in Washington now. The Northwest Grand, Marlin, Coulee City and Inland Empire shoots are in the books, and we are getting geared up for the state shoot. The Colton, Othello and Odessa clubs all host shoots in June, leading up to the WSTA championships, so we should be tuned up for some great competition at Walla Walla. For RV reservations, there is a link on shootwsta.com and which is also shared on our Facebook page. There is a lot of nice lodging in Walla Walla also and all within a few minutes of the gun club, so we hope to see you there.

The above-mentioned Northwest Grand was well attended at the Spokane GC despite some windy conditions. Several squads of youth shooters took part in the two-day event, most notably a contingent from the Colville and Metaline Falls clubs. Several of the youth who shot the required events had their yearly ATA dues paid via a drawing. Noah Bell and Patrick Wolf walked away with ATA life memberships. Again, we would like to thank George and Karma Seubert and Larry Bunch for making life memberships available for our youth these past several years. WSTA director and past president Roger Clouse was the master of ceremonies for this year’s drawing at the Northwest Grand and did a fine job.

WSTA Hall of Famer Pat Thomson was once again a major contributor at this year’s Inland Empire Handicap, providing reduced entry fees for junior and sub-junior shooters and sponsoring the championship doubles. These endeavors, along with getting young men and women involved in the various operations of your clubs, ensure the future of our sport. When youth and new shooters learn the ins and outs of what it takes to throw a shoot and maintain a club, they take a vested interest in the game and stay around a long time. The efforts of the shooters I mentioned above are a testament to my previous statement.

You will still have time after you get this installment to think of a unique and creative donation to our silent auction at the state shoot. Remember, there are non-shooting accompanying spouses and family at the shoot, so items geared for them can be a big hit. Contact me at [email protected] or just bring your items before the start of the shoot and we’ll get them displayed. I’ve found some very useful items at these auctions myself, and so will you.

We will have a few weeks to get our guns cooled off and cleaned up for the Western Zone at the Colton GC and then a shoot at Malden-Pine City at the end of July. Some of you from other states and Canada will enjoy the hospitality of the clubs in Washington. One thing I guarantee is that if you go hungry, it is your fault! The barbecue at Othello alone is worth the drive from wherever you are coming from!

Lastly, I would like to thank you for the privilege of serving the WSTA as a director for several terms and as your Alternate Delegate recently. I hope to be of service for as long as you will have me.

Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

ATA Alternate Delegate