Major or not?

Richard59 · Oct 1, 2024

It seems the "season is over" whatever that means in an outdoor pursuit shot in all weathers, Im oft seeing a shoot, now this only refers to English Sporting described as being a "major", now me, Im of the humble and own opinion that the only "majors" are the CPSA English Open, CPSA British Open and the home Bi-Annual CPSA NSCA Worlds.is there any others that warrant being called a "major championship"?? In not including the Home International as that's a closed shop affair.

jasper · Oct 1, 2024

I think your right Rich. The only majors are as stated.
The others are just "big" shoots. Some are decent. Mainly the ones with sponsored prizes to inflate the value. Some are just trumped up registered shoots with enhanced entry fees.
To be honest the majors have lost their magic recently .
The other big shoots seem to think they can charge what they want because they consider themselves to be a major . Couple that with a broken classification system and there's very seldom any reason to waste money on any of them.

chesterse · Oct 2, 2024

The Pro One at Barbury imo is just as good as the English and British Opens.

jasper · Oct 2, 2024

Yep it might be but it's not a major. It a good "big" shoot.
Tennis for example has 4 majors. French , Australian and US opens and Wimbledon. And it also has lots of very good big tournaments. Which are not majors.

chesterse · Oct 2, 2024

What’s the appeal of majors? Just interested, is it the prestige of coming somewhere in them?
To me if the shoot has has excellent targets and venue, prize money is good and extensive and I supported by a trade area and great facilities then personally I couldn’t care less if it’s a major or not.

jasper · Oct 10, 2024

Just for info. The world .410 championship is not a major.
It's not anything .
Someone , somewhere , has given it a title way above its non existent status.
A bit like saying I'm a waste product management technician.
Other wise known as a Bin man. (sorry . Bin person)

My local straw bailer has more kudos.

leighH · Oct 10, 2024

Outside of the 3 shoots mentioned in the OP, I believe the organisation and infrastructure that Mike Brunton used to put into the early Classics were the nearest of any other shoots to being considered a major.

Regards

Leigh

MartynB · Oct 11, 2024

Yes , I remember shooting their Gurston Down Classic . It wasn’t squadded and to get people out early had prizes on every stand for the first ten shooters to shoot a straight . For years I had a table lamp in my office made from a bottle of Moet from a straight .

chesterse · Oct 11, 2024

MartynB said:
Yes , I remember shooting their Gurston Down Classic . It wasn’t squadded and to get people out early had prizes on every stand for the first ten shooters to shoot a straight . For years I had a table lamp in my office made from a bottle of Moet from a straight .

That was some shoot!

jasper · Oct 11, 2024

Some of the classics were just that. Greenfield , unshot sites made it what it was.
So yep that came close. They had one near Stratford upon Avon. Course set by Arnie . And to this day that is THE best shoot I've ever been to.
But once again became a shadow of its former self. Using established grounds where lazy course setters invariably used the Same targets that had been practiced all week gave the upper hand to locals and destroyed the competition.
As is now happing to beretta world.

Jonny English · Oct 12, 2024

The essex masters about 10 years ago was as close to a non reg major as you could get. Busy as hell, great atmosphere and some monster targets. Used to be a belting shoot!

leighH · Oct 12, 2024

'They had one near Stratford upon Avon. Course set by Arnie . And to this day that is THE best shoot I've ever been to.'
Believe that would have been Stoke Edith around 1999?

The Classic FITASC at Gurston in 2000 (?) had some of the toughest and most entertaining targets I have ever seen.

Regards

Leigh

jasper · Oct 12, 2024

Can't recall the exact location. But I think it was later than that. It was two courses, two long drags up some large hills. Hig George got ferried round in a buggy. Had to jump on a bus to the one course. Shot on a squad with Kevin Howland. Either that year or the year before he had won the English open. (2010?)

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