Sporting shoots 2023. How was it?

[perazman]

Anyone any idea who won? Well done the CPSA. Zero live feeds, zero updates of the final of our sports world championship. Pathetic.

I imagine those supporting finalists from other countries may have been mildly interested as well. Buttering up sponsors seems to be the cpsa's main aim on social media.

PM.

 

[jonz]

Oh, there’s me thinking there were entries of teams / individuals from many other nations? If so and CPSA decided to restrict entry to the UK event how does that work for the overseas participants?

The host country sets the rules now so what makes you think the overseas entrant should have a say if things changed?

 

[Richard59]

The host country sets the rules now so what makes you think the overseas entrant should have a say if things changed?

My query is more how does an overseas shooter actually qualify for your restricted entry World Championship? Crumbs I’m just imagining the muddle over here what with instead of them”fastest on keyboard” entries months in advance your suggesting a selection shoot process that would need to be so close to actual event as to reduce class movement that’s now every three months. Present event does not claim to be perfect but 1600+ at main event is pretty impressive. Next years in USA is targeting around 1400 ( entry $299 ) so big entry - massive bucks for the national bodies

 

[jonz]

My query is more how does an overseas shooter actually qualify for your restricted entry World Championship? Crumbs I’m just imagining the muddle over here what with instead of them”fastest on keyboard” entries months in advance your suggesting a selection shoot process that would need to be so close to actual event as to reduce class movement that’s now every three months. Present event does not claim to be perfect but 1600+ at main event is pretty impressive. Next years in USA is targeting around 1400 ( entry $299 ) so big entry - massive bucks for the national bodies

Im just suggesting that the event needs to be more professional not have every Tom Dick and Harriett turn up and enter, do we even know who won? Was there any live feeds for the shoot off, even pub games like darts and snooker gets better media coverage and sponsorship. The sport is going backwards in my view, I remember when events used to attract sponsors and top end watches or cars were up as prizes .
1600 + entries just means very big bucks for the ground that hosts the event how many of those people who entered were capable of winning their class? How can someone who has never won anything be allowed to enter the world championship? The sport needs to move forward we don’t all drive Ford Cortinas anymore let’s get with the times

 

[Mike]

https://englishsportingclays.co.uk/english-sporting/world-championship/results

 

[Richard59]

Im just suggesting that the event needs to be more professional not have every Tom Dick and Harriett turn up and enter, do we even know who won? Was there any live feeds for the shoot off, even pub games like darts and snooker gets better media coverage and sponsorship. The sport is going backwards in my view, I remember when events used to attract sponsors and top end watches or cars were up as prizes .
1600 + entries just means very big bucks for the ground that hosts the event how many of those people who entered were capable of winning their class? How can someone who has never won anything be allowed to enter the world championship? The sport needs to move forward we don’t all drive Ford Cortinas anymore let’s get with the times

At present am of opinion that English Sporting clay target shooting ( minority sport / pastime at best ) is at present doing well to hold its own, any attempts to curtail by restricting participation at flagship events etc will I fear backfire. It’s inclusivity at “majors” should be seen as it’s USP and encouraged and not a problem to be solved. With the massive investments at some of the grounds plus the amount of grounds that are now around ( given the almost severe restrictions placed on shooting sports ) I’d offer it’s progress of sorts and not regression.

The national associations take the £ $ entry (here you enter via CPSA) so I’d imagine they are in control of the money trail?

If entry was limited to “won something“ what level are we looking at? Theres lots of national competitions etc where the overwhelming amount of participants wont have won “anything“ but boy will they have put time / effort / financial resources into trying / competing for the very chance, think most do get that their “championship“ is only in their respective class, and yes do see your point that maybe a few found the event a bit too much of a challenge.

I oft hear that back in the day there were indeed the chance to win cars ( Ford Cortinas, boy that was 70s ) and or fortunes? but now shooting sports are, in this country up against a anti gun PR lobby that will make life very difficult for most brands as they will all be wary of any perceived involvement let alone financial commitment, bit of a curse SM at times.

All just my glass half full / rose tinted spectacles opinion of course and appreciate yours is somewhat different, we can’t all be of same, otherwise what’s the point.

 

[Westward]

Are the masses of shooters who will never have the ability to win a world championship or win their class adding anything to the event ?

To start with they with turn it into something the sponsors want and that matters. And what also matters is that the hundreds who have no prospect of any sort of prize, pay up and front up because they are adding something to their lives. It's a big event and one they'll never forget.

Holding shoots just for the elite has been tried in the US and it eventually petered out as an expensive failure. TV and the mass media weren't interested, therefore the sponsors weren't interested and even the ordinary mortal clay shooters lost interest. We already have selection shoots for the national teams and only the most dedicated competitors attend them all.

 

[chesterse]

I thought it was a fantastic event. Targets were challenging all the way through with very few card fillers but that is how it should be for a world championship.
It’s great that anyone can enter most know they haven’t got a cat in hells chance of winning but hope they might do well in their class.

 

[Sian]

Im just suggesting that the event needs to be more professional not have every Tom Dick and Harriett turn up and enter, do we even know who won? Was there any live feeds for the shoot off, even pub games like darts and snooker gets better media coverage and sponsorship. The sport is going backwards in my view, I remember when events used to attract sponsors and top end watches or cars were up as prizes .
1600 + entries just means very big bucks for the ground that hosts the event how many of those people who entered were capable of winning their class? How can someone who has never won anything be allowed to enter the world championship? The sport needs to move forward we don’t all drive Ford Cortinas anymore let’s get with the times

Yes we do it was Sam Green who is a lovely down to earth lad who led all week and who I have shot with a few times. An ordinary man with no airs and graces. The thing is most of our elite shooters are ordinary people, not precious like most other sports elite. They have no issue shooting alongside the likes of me. We are never going to be an elite sport to people outside of shooting sadly. The days of cars as prizes is long gone.

 

[Charliedog]

I only shot the sporting with my lad and thought both courses were excellent, no breakdowns and personally not a single no bird. I thought both courses were targeted for difficulty spot on, I shot above the overall average of 69 and actually pretty much my cpsa average, my lad shot very well and scored 4 over his average. No target looked unhittable although a couple proved me wrong but I felt attending registered shoots in East Anglia was very good preparation for these types of events. Long may these competitions continue in the current format as we have the opportunity to make memories with friends and family in quite a unique way.

 

[philmoss]

Im just suggesting that the event needs to be more professional not have every Tom Dick and Harriett turn up and enter, do we even know who won? Was there any live feeds for the shoot off, even pub games like darts and snooker gets better media coverage and sponsorship. The sport is going backwards in my view, I remember when events used to attract sponsors and top end watches or cars were up as prizes .
1600 + entries just means very big bucks for the ground that hosts the event how many of those people who entered were capable of winning their class? How can someone who has never won anything be allowed to enter the world championship? The sport needs to move forward we don’t all drive Ford Cortinas anymore let’s get with the times

Maybe your ill informed but any hosting ground has a tender process, having to factor in price increases for 18 momths in advance for clays, staff, refs, etc..this is the process for regional, national & international events.
For the masses its not about winning, its about the taking part & being part of a world championship....remember, this is a hobby for most NOT a way of life or a income

 

[jonz]

Maybe your ill informed but any hosting ground has a tender process, having to factor in price increases for 18 momths in advance for clays, staff, refs, etc..this is the process for regional, national & international events.
For the masses its not about winning, its about the taking part & being part of a world championship....remember, this is a hobby for most NOT a way of life or an income

But Darts and snooker are hobbies for lots of people and also a highly sponsored sport and a way of life for those at the top. You can’t just enter the world championships in any other sport so why is clay shooting so poorly sponsored and still a minority sport?? Perhaps it needs to get more professional and become something that the media would be interested in?

 

[paul b]

World sporting and sportrap for me i thought were fantastic ,you never got a break it was full on concentration throughout,the top shots had a chance to show us just how amazing they are and boy did they.Hard work for me from a wheelchair and being older and fatter than i was when we used to do fitasc sporting didn't help but shot with a great squad who helped me round made it doable.Great event ran by pro's couldn't realy expect anything better loved it.

 

[Macc Ladd]

And that’s how it should be, a suitable World Champion is going to be one of a few shooters not one of the masses, perhaps there needs to be a qualification event to get to the World Championships ?

Good point

 

[jonz]

To start with they with turn it into something the sponsors want and that matters. And what also matters is that the hundreds who have no prospect of any sort of prize, pay up and front up because they are adding something to their lives. It's a big event and one they'll never forget.

Holding shoots just for the elite has been tried in the US and it eventually petered out as an expensive failure. TV and the mass media weren't interested, therefore the sponsors weren't interested and even the ordinary mortal clay shooters lost interest. We already have selection shoots for the national teams and only the most dedicated competitors attend them all.

The experience may be one the “ no hoper” remembers for a long time, but I’ve yet to find AA or AAA shooter that likes to follow someone who can’t hit a barn door , it’s the only sport I can think of that allows someone with zero experience to compete at a world championship without getting to a required standard or qualification, and it’s probably the only sport that has failed to meet its full potential and get decent sponsorship… think there could be a link?

 

[Bebo]

The experience my be one the “ no hoper” remembers for a long time, but I’ve yet to find AA or AAA shooter that likes to follow someone who can’t hit a barn door , it’s the only sport I can think of that allows someone with zero experience to compete at a world championship without getting to a required standard or qualification, and it’s probably the only sport that has failed to meet its full potential and get decent sponsorship… think there could be a link?

Nope. How many people play, or have played, darts or snooker? Pretty much everyone has had a go at both, they understand the rules and can relate to it. Both of those hobbies televise well. Joe Public associates guns with drive-bys, incels going mad and killing wildlife. Clay shooting is also dire to watch on TV, even for those of us that are actually interested in the sport. It doesn't televise well and guns have negative connotations, it's never going to get decent sponsorship in the UK.

 

[Skeetstar]

Bebo, absolutely correct. Virtually nil spectacle in clay shooting (at least with modern video technology). Shooting is seen as, and is, a minority sport that hardly touches most people, large scale sponsors outside the shooting industry are a pipe dream. To be frank shooting for many people and organisations, has connotations of Hungerford, Dunblane and school shootings in the US.

Increasing legal restrictions, and inevitable negative publicity mean shooting will do well to maintain its current profile in the UK.

 

[paul b]

Just to be clear "clay shooting" is more than sporting, in its Olympic form it attracts a world wide audience and has full time paid professional athletes in it,and fingers crossed may even double its exposure with para trap in the LA 2028 Paralympics.

 

[jonz]

Just to be clear "clay shooting" is more than sporting, in its Olympic form it attracts a world wide audience and has full time paid professional athletes in it,and fingers crossed may even double its exposure with para trap in the LA 2028 Paralympics.

Good point and you have to qualify to get to the Olympics…..

 

[jonz]

Clay shooting is also dire to watch on TV, even for those of us that are actually interested in the sport. It doesn't televise well and guns have negative connotations, it's never going to get decent sponsorship in the UK.

Would have thought that with the latest drone technology and cameras it could get some exciting angles and give a totally different view of the sport.
I agree with you that guns in the UK does have a negative opinion but isn’t it the duty of those in the sport to at least try and change public opinion not just accept it?