Ten shooters managed the trip down to Mid Wales for Gwynedd’s 3rd and final Skeet and Sporting qualifiers. A sunny day with a cold biting wind affected the skeet in the morning, but luckily the promised showers stayed away.
Bangor based shooter Barry Hughes could not make it as he was in hospital with pneumonia, we wish him well and a hope he makes a quick recovery.
We might be crap shots, but were good at posing and looking cool..
Keith Hill enjoys handling all the guns he can't afford.
Bala's infamous Father and Son, Sion and Dennis Evans.
Skeet.
A strong wind behind the high bird made for an interesting target as it dived towards the low house, which caused quite a few problems for the majority of shooters.
I’m glad to say the traps worked well (unlike Keith’s auto) and there were no breakdowns and very few no birds.
At the end of the morning it was very close between the top 5 shooters:
Ken Griffiths (me) taking the honours on a credible 47, followed by Gwyn Richards 45, Anthony Lowe 45, Keith Hill 44, and Dennis Evans on 43.
Team Positions for the Skeet Final:
Seniors:
1/ Gwyn Richards (Captain)
2/ Ken Griffiths (+1)
3/ Keith Hill (+4)
4/ Elgan Pugh (+5)
5/ Anthony Lowe (+8)
6/ Dennis Evans (+9)
7/ Gerallt Jones (+12)
8/ Dewi Griffiths (+28)
9/ Dafydd Jones (+32)
10/ Dave Jones (+37)
Reserve/Barry Hughes (+43)
Junior:
Rhys Davies (+31)
Colt:
Sion Evans (+13)
Vets:
Glyn Jones (+6)
Bob Carter (+13)
Sporting.
This was the most problematic sporting qualifier we have ever had.
Trap breakdowns on four of the five stands left many of the shooters frustrated and tempers were frayed.
What should have taken an hour and a half tops, lasted twice as long as it should have.
A much harder layout than the previous qualifier left many shooters with glum faces at the end of a long afternoon. A tricky long out crossing pair saw a few shooters leave the stand with a zero. Rhys Davies our junior had about 10 gun malfunctions using Keith Hill’s Semi-auto, which caused him to have a few tantrums.
Luckily the gun stayed out of the lake and I somehow think he will stick to his over and under from now on.
Father and son Dennis and Sion Evans had a good battle to the end, with Dennis getting his own back following an embarrassing defeat at the last qualifier.
Gwynedd may not have the best shooters but I’m glad to say the one’s we have, have a lot of heart. Half the Gwynedd shooters are clay pigeon novices and I’m glad to say this difficult qualifier did not put them off.
At the end of the afternoon the top 5 scores were as follows:
Keith Hill, Top Gun on 39, 2/ Ken Griffiths 38, 3/ Dennis Evans 33, 4/ Sion Evans (Colt) 32, 5/ Glyn Jones 32.
Team Positions for the Sporting Final:
Seniors:
1/ Ken Griffiths (Captain)
2/ Keith Hill (+1)
3/ Gwyn Richards (+9)
4/ Dennis Evans (+11)
5/ Elgan Pugh (+13)
6/ Anthony Lowe (+21)
7/ Gerallt Wyn Jones (+23)
8/ Dewi Griffiths (+26)
9/ Barry Hughes (+40)
10/ Dave Jones (+42)
Junior:
Rhys Davies (+30)
Colt:
Sion Evans (+15)
Veterans:
Glyn Jones (+11)
Bob Carter (+29)
Ladies:
Christine Carter (+28)
Sue Gauton (+30)
Speak for yourself am y llun gynta ne Keith
This a great report! This is what I love about you boys….your desire to have a great time rather than some teams that are so over competitive! Look forward to seeing you all and buying me coffee!!
Sion, my name is Ken not Keith (he’s the bald one)
Don’t get us wrong Angie, we’re deadly competitive against each other but we try our hardest to have a good time as well.
I doubt we’ll ever win anything major, but we damn enjoy trying.
You could try to smile Ken!!!!!!1
Hia Dave the joiner from Anglesey
Thought you had no idea how to use a computer?
I’ll want your picture for the report on the finals, so long as the lens doesn’t crack
whilst taking it.
You might join Barry in the conservation society…
angie, you will be waiting for a long time for a coffee off ken and glyn, we usially stop on the way home from shoots for a pint, they havent paid for a round for about two years,
i am naming and shaming them to see if this will make them cough up
No no no, I bought the drinks when we stopped at that cosy pub a few months back. We sat by that enormous fireplace where you and Keith had about 3 pints each (Where the hell was it?).
Glyn is a poor boiler repair man, how can he afford to buy drinks
Mind you, I can’t ever remember Glyn buying even a cup of tea for anyone…
Has he ever bought one for himself?
Now now boys…no falling out before you get there lol! Get yourself a rota. And as for my coffee….well well well, after all the hard work I do for you. I’ll just put it on their account!!
You’d be surprised what Gwyn would want in return for a coffee. He might be married with two kids, but he still has an eye for good looking older ladies
He”ll have no trouble finding any of those around!!
Apparently he knows one already, and she’s a shooter from down South
Who’s that then …..Do I know her??
Hmmm what was her name????
I know it’s Angie something!!!!
Angie Jones, Angie Williams, Angie Thomas, Angie Roberts, Angie Goodman!!!
No no no it was Angie Oliver
Glad to say Barry Hughes is out of hospital and recovering at home. Pity he couldn’t make it to Hodnet yesterday, but hopefully he will be at the skeet final a week next Sunday