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Sharon Drysdale and Tracey Skelton won the 101 Challenge Cup on a crisp night at Castletown.
Competing as a pairs team for Douglas, they overcame Martin Moore and Richard Arthur of Castletown in the final on a night of fun as well as serious shooting.
The event was contested by fourteen shooters. Sharon scored a near-perfect 99 and Tracey a superb 98 to beat their rivals who both scored 96s.
Sharon admitted she had no idea why it went right for her on the night.
'I am bewildered and that's the honest truth,' she said.
Modest stuff from the Fifer but her stunning form of late seems to be unstoppable and, coupled with the impressive performances of Skelton this is just one more demonstration of the strength of rifle shooting on island.
You can find the full results of the 101 Challenge Cup at http://iomra.net/www/Results/2016-17/24.10.16%20-%20Results%20-%20101%20Challenge.pdf
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Greg never forgets his island roots
Greg Hogg is on the up and up and, despite working away from home in Belfast, he has never forgotten where he started out...
'Air rifle shooting has always been a substantial part of my life since joining Laxey Rifle Club at the age of 12, where I gained interest in the sport through the Scouts. During this time, every Friday evening after school I was coached in the art of air rifle shooting by veteran shooters Martin Caley and John Wood, whom over the years taught me the vast amount of physical technique and psychological skills required to precisely shoot a 4.5mm diameter air rifle pellet into a target 10 meters away, where the ten ring or ‘bullseye’ measures only 0.5mm in diameter.
'As an Olympic, Commonwealth and Island Games discipline, the 10-metre air rifle event is shot in the standing position where medals are determined by the shooter’s performance during a 60-shot match over a period of one hour and 15 minutes.
'My experience in the sport of rifle shooting when competing around the UK has been extremely positive and it has always been great to see familiar faces when returning to compete at the start of the season. There is a high level of camaraderie amongst shooters which is a major highlight of the sport and I found this particularly beneficial during my first few major competitions after meeting a number of experienced Commonwealth games shooters and coaches.
'After competing on and off for the last few years whilst balancing shooting in the past with A-Levels and university, I am now extremely fortunate to have a reasonable balance between work and time spent on the range training for future competitions. A highly beneficial aspect of rifle shooting is the amount of focus required in order to lower one's resting heart rate, which for me has always been a great way to unwind after a busy day at the office.
Greg took part for the island at the recent Commonwealth Shooting Federation (European Division) event in Cardiff and he garnered some impressive results which have spurred him on to get better and better.
'After shooting air rifle to a high standard for a number of years I am now in the process of qualifying for the Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast in 2018, with my next major international match at the Intershoot in the Netherlands followed by the 2017 Island Games in Gotland in Sweden.'
Laxey is calling you
Laxey Rifle Club are always on the lookout for new members in both air weapons and small bore rifle disciplines. You can be sure of a warm welcome at the Laxey Glen Gardens venue.
Contact Martin Caley for more details and how to pop in for a visit. Everyone can come and have a try and Martin is more than happy to spend time with new people.
It seems most clubs have their own guardian angel and for his part Tom Lord, laid low from actually talking part by a hand condition, is still working his magic for Kirk Michael from his "base" at the Sinclair Range in St John's to bring on new shooters and of course boost KM's depleted numbers.
Michelle poised for a comeback ...
Michelle Smith returns to the island next month for the latest instalment of her popular coaching sessions. The Commonwealth Games medalist will be working her magic with the Development Squads on November 19-20. The focus of the weekend will be going back to the basics covering: Expectations, Evaluating Performance, Planning Training with one eye already on the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast in Australia in 2018.
There will also be the usual fun, games and comradery. If you need more information or would like to attend let Michelle, Lara Ward or Michael Duncalf know.
