From the 12th to the 15th of May, several Welsh shooters set off to France for the 55th running of the FITASC European Championship. Held at the fantastic Ball Trap de Signes Shooting Ground in the beautiful Provence Alpes Cote d’Azur region meant weather conditions were perfect for a great 4 days of competition.
With a strong Welsh representation in Team GB, hopes were high for some good results in the team competition.
With 50 targets each day, and a total of 200 over 8 testing layouts, it’s fair to say this event is a marathon not a sprint. The targets were technical but very well presented in and around the stunning mountainous landscape. From the opening ceremony on the Wednesday, to the closing awards presentation on the Sunday, the hospitality and organisation at the shooting ground was first class.
Once the last shot had been fired and all the scores tallied, Team GB were on the podium in most of the categories. The Ladies team, which included Janine White, picked up a very well-earned silver medal as did the Veteran team, including Mick Harding. Mick also picked up his first Team GB cap. The Senior team shot very well to earn the bronze medal, as did the Juniors, who consisted of Annalise Evans on her first cap. The Mens team, with Rob Evans, were narrowly pipped for bronze by a late scoring surge from Spain. A solid set of results given the strong opposition from the home nation, France, and their neighbours, Italy.
Also, a big congratulations to all the other Welsh shooters who participated as individuals and tested their skills against the best in Europe.
Next up is the World Championships in Italy in July. Stay tuned for more Welsh success.
Oh, by the way – for those of you who wanted to know, the winner of the Keeble, White & Hughes Challenge Cup (the biggest title on offer) was White, who snuck up from behind to take the title by 1 clay. The presentation ceremony has been put on hold until Keeble & Hughes come to terms with the crushing defeat. 😊
Report and pictures by Nicola Walker
