Jamie Dunn lines up his next shot at the VCTA state titles. Photo: Steve Huntley.
The hotshots came to town last weekend to battle wild winds and cold conditions – and hundreds of other shooters, from as far afield as Darwin, chasing victory in the Victorian Clay Target Association state titles.
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And despite it all, Queensland’s Alex Dallas walked away with the blue ribbon – the state double barrel crown – after hitting an amazing 382 consecutive clay targets on a weekend when some targets thrown out on one stand were grabbed by the wind and whipped one or two stands down before anyone could pull the trigger.
Alex Dallas took out the blue ribbon event at the weekend with an amazing 382 consecutive hits. Photo: Jim Shepherd.
VCTA executive member Travis Williams said Echuca’s nationally ranked shooting facility proved a magnet for shooters – from Olympians and Australian champions to locals and youngsters looking to work their way up the ranks.
Williams said the 400-plus shooters who turned up for the event brought families and friends with them, adding a welcome cash injection into the local economy as well as creating a new generation of champions.
Triple Olympian James Willett was the AA winner. Photo: Steve Huntley.
“Apart from the incredible accuracy of Alex Dallas in the incredibly demanding conditions, we also saw Glenn Barton take out the overall high gun with a score of 467 out of 475,” he said.
“Olympian James Willett was AA grade champion just one shot further back.
“With four days of shooting, we faced just about every weather setting you could imagine, but the wind was the biggest factor.”
Overall high gun winner Glenn Barton, pictured with new VCTA president Kim Thompson, won with a score of 467 out of 475. Photo: Jim Shepherd.
Williams said the state title – held in Echuca every November – is surging back to its pre-Covid levels, when it regularly attracted more than 500 shooters.
He said like many sports, Covid hit participation hard, but the year-round competition “is now definitely turning and people are again coming to this event from around the country”.
The 2025 titles offered a total of $40,000 in cash and prizes for the successful shooters, another sign of the sport’s future.
Ben De Pedro in action. Photo: Steve Huntley.
“Like the shooters our sponsors are also coming back as numbers keep going up, and because this is such a popular family sport with generations of some families taking part it has a very wide appeal,” Williams said.
“And it isn’t just about one or two titles, there are opportunities for shooters of every skill level,” he said.
“Look at James Willett, he started shooting as a 14-year-old and has been to the Rio, Tokyo and Paris Games – and been a finalist twice.
State Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh opened the tournament.
“He is aiming for Los Angeles, literally, and reckons it would be a fantastic finish to his career if he could keep going until Brisbane in 2032.
“Those are the opportunities this sport offers, and for youngsters it can all start at events such as the ones held here in Echuca.”
Dean and Glenn Woodhatch from the Bendigo Academy of Sport were busy talent spotting. Photo: Steve Huntley.
