English Sporting Summer League, Round 1
The first round of the Isle of Man Clay Pigeon Shooting Club’s Summer Sporting League was held at Meary Veg, Santon today, where 22 competitors battled the elements as well as fifty testing targets spread across five stands.
Sporting veteran Paul Mihailovits wasted no time in making his mark on stand one with nine points scored, followed by Rob Corlett, Mark Hepworth, and Mark Barnett on eight. Stand two saw Peter Kelly and Brian Faragher join Barnett and Mihailovits with almost perfect nines, while Brian Kelly and new / unclassified shooter Mark Corrin scooped eight targets each.
The third stand featured a tricky battue target which rotates as it slices through the air as well as a naughty jumping rabbit, but neither of these nasties fazed Rob Corlett as he smashed his way to a perfect ten, followed by Peter Kelly and Ben Stembridge with nine apiece. Brian Faragher looked like he too would clean this testing stand but was cheated of two points by leaping bunnies and had to settle for eight, as did Dave Corlett and Mark Barnett.
Stand four provided everybody with equal opportunity to score ten points, but only Peter Kelly, Paul Mihailovits and Corlett Junior took advantage, clearing the high chandelle and incoming midi with aplomb, while Nicky Barnett and husband Mark had to settle for nine hits each. Level pegging on eight were Mark Corrin, Will Rand, and John Moore.
Stand number five – the only one not shot from the relative comfort of our shelters – featured a pair of incoming ducks attempting to roost on our dedicated beginner’s range, but Dave Corlett had other ideas and smashed all ten clays, the only one to clear a stand which we had initially thought too easy. Mark Corrin also did well and missed just one watery fowl, while John Moore, Mark Hepworth, Andre Visnjov, Brian Faragher and Mark Sweetman each let two get away, so at least we’ve got a couple of breeding pairs.
The end of a very wet and windy day’s shooting saw Mark Corrin and Dave Corlett finish with 38 points overall, with Mark Barnett on 39 and Rob Corlett on 41, but joint top guns were Peter Kelly and Paul Mihailovits with 42 points each. Our sincere thanks to Suntera Global for once again sponsoring the league and supporting clay sports on the Isle of Man, and to Sheila Kelly for keeping us all going with mugs of tea and sausage baps. Next week it’s the first round of ABT, DTL and Olympic Skeet, with Brian Faragher and Will Rand at the helm for Saturday practice.
