IDEAL conditions and a blue sky welcomed 30 competitors to the well-presented grounds at the Wangaratta Clay Target Club to take part in their inaugural Universal Trench (U/T) competition on Saturday, July 27.

Later during the day, the weather turned cold and some wind got up, challenging the shooters’ skills somewhat at the shoot.

The entire shoot went off very smoothly and the LaPorte traps operated flawlessly.

Consistent high scores were achieved on the day, a fantastic result especially considering some of the competitors were relatively new to this most challenging discipline.

High praise and many positive comments were made by the visiting competitors about the excellent standards of the U/T design and layout.

Plenty of time, thought and engineering design work went into the construction of this significant structure, but it all paid off considering the local club is one of only a few clubs in the state which can boast having a world class system in operation.

Competitors visited the range at North Wangaratta from as far away as the Gold Coast, with a strong contingent attending from Melbourne and other regions, as well as local members.

U/T is becoming increasingly popular, both nationally and internationally - the challenge it presents suits many shooters who have the ability to connect with faster moving targets, greater angles of flight and different elevations.

The club was fortunate to have a group of shooters there on the day who will soon attend the World U/T Titles in France in August.

Local member John Wojcik will be accompanied by Mark Coleman, Gabriel Sensi, world champion Anna Shedrina, Phil Matthews and Olympian Craig Kenwood competing for Australia at the highest levels of competitive clay target sports.

With the World Titles event coming to the Melbourne Gun Club in 2026, the facility located at North Wangaratta will see plenty of use as a training ground for this major event.

It's anticipated this will attract a large group of visiting shooters on a regular basis both to the range and also to enjoy the many other facilities in the Rural City of Wangaratta.

RESULTS

O/A & AA was split between Gabriel Sensi and Craig Henwood, 96/100.

A grade - 1st: Mark Coleman 91/100, 2nd: split between John Wojcik and Craig Sessions, 84/100.

B grade - 1st, 2nd: split between Peter Munro and Tom Caldwell 90/100.

C grade - 1st: Stephen Wilson 81/100, 2nd: Kudri Demaj 77/100.

Junior: Finn McBurnie 75/100.

Ladies: Liz Schroeter 87/100.

Veteran: John Wojcik 84/100.