It is the longest continual shoot in Australia, and the annual Gumtree Championships attracted record numbers, and even some international interest, when the 52nd event was held on the long weekend.
Hosted by the Gunnedah Sporting Clays club, shooters travelled from all over Australia to compete, one competitor making the trip all the way from Germany.
”He’s (Tom Litges) friends with some of the shooters.
“He’d heard about it and wanted to come over,” Gunnedah Sporting Clays publicity officer Scott Kelly said.
The event caters for beginners through to state and national level shooters, and drew around 250 shooters.
One of the novel features is what the club calls the Perazzi Clean Break Challenge.
But once again the perfect score eluded the shooters.
“It’s a bit like a hole-in-one in golf, it’s very hard to get,” Kelly said.
Victorian Robert Hall took out the overall high gun for the two days.
There was little in it though with a shoot-off required after four shooters finished on the same score.
“We have a shoot on Saturday for the Vic Eather Memorial and then a shoot on Sunday for the Gumtree Championship Shield,” Kelly said.
Hall won the Saturday event with 96 out of a possible 102 while Queenslander Brett Chambellant shot 97 to finish on top on Sunday.
Tom Lyne was the best performed of the local contingent winning the overall high gun for the sub-juniors after winning both days’ shoots. He scored 86 on Saturday and 82 on Sunday.
Competing in the juniors, older brother George was first on day one and second on day two to just miss out on the overall honours by one point.
2018 Gumtree Championships two-day results: Overall - Robert Hall 190/204 + 9, AA - Gregory Morey 190/204 + 8, A - Jake Guzelian 161/204, B - Graham Angove 137/204, C - Bruce Williams 110/204, Veterans - Darryl Groundwater 183/204, Super Vets - Frank Searles 176/204, Ladies - Kimberly Atkins 181/204, Juniors - Xavier Russell 181/204, Sub-Juniors - Tom Lyne 168/204.
Gumtree Championship (Sunday): Overall - Brett Chambellant 97; AA - 1st Aaron Knowles 96/102 + 5, 2nd Gregory Morey 96/102 + 4, 3rd Doug Osborne 96/102; A - 1st Jake Guzelian 87/102, 2nd Tom Fuller 81/102, 3rd Andy Sawers 79/103; B - 1st Graham Angove 75/102, 2nd Stephen Woods 71/102, 3rd David Peters 69/102; C - 1st Bruce Williams 57/102, 2nd Robert McKechnie 53/102 + 8, 3rd Peter McDonald 53/102 + 6; Veterans - 1st Darryl Groundwater 90/102, 2nd Vinnie Vitale 89/102, 3rd Frank Seve 86/102 +5; Super Vets - 1st Frank Searles 90/102, 2nd Colin Barker 86/102, 3rd Geoff Irvine 84/102; Ladies - 1st Kimberly Atkins 88/102, 2nd Andrea Barrowman 77/102, 3rd Mel Phillips 76/102; Juniors - 1st Xavier Russell 93/102, 2nd George Lyne 91/102, 3rd Christoperh Koolbanis 70/102; Sub Juniors - 1st Thomas Lyne 82/102, 2nd Charlie North 80/102, 3rd Nicholas Lyne 76/102; Winner of the Miroku Gun - Andy Sawers; Winner of the 22 Rifle - Mark Jones
Vic Eather Memorial (Saturday): Overall - Robert Hall 96/102 + 18; AA - 1st Steve Atkins 96/102 + 16, 2nd Gregory Morey 94/102 + 17, 3rd Adam Shale 94/102 + 15; A - 1st Simon Abbott 76/102 + 9, 2nd Tom Fuller 76/102 + 7, 3rd Troy Kleinschaefer 75/102 + 8; B - 1st Snow Burgess 66/ 102, 2nd Michael Grills 65/102 + 10, 3rd Ben Coxhead 65/102 + 8; C - 1st Bruce Williams 53/102, 2nd Robert McKechnie 51/102, 3rd Owen Crighton 49/102 + 3; Veterans - 1st Darryl Groundwater 93/102, 2nd Max Holland 90/102, 3rd Vinnie Vitale 89/102; Super Veterans - 1st Frank Searles 86/102, 2nd Geoff Irvine 85/102, 3rd Phil Craig 84/102; Ladies - 1st Kimberly Atkins 93/102, 2nd Andrea Barrowman 87/102, 3rd Michelle Craig 79/102; Juniors - 1st George Lyne 89/102, 2nd Xavier Russell 88/102, 3rd Mackinley Codrington 73/102; Sub-juniors - 1st Thomas Lyne 86/102, 2nd Charlie North 78/102, 3rd Nicholas Lyne 73/102; Clean layouts – Robert Hall and Robin Elton; Winner of the side x side shotgun – Mellissa Bourke
