This month we put 10 Questions to Jenni Clark who is a much lauded 15 year old sub-junior shooter who hails from Liberty, Texas.  She has been making waves in the U.S. national scene and is poised to be the top Lady shooter in the country.  Just last month she won the Ladies HOA at the first major of the NSCA season the 2010 Seminole Cup.

International Sporting Clays:  Congratulations on the win at the Seminole.  You beat some big names in the Ladies, how does it feel?

Jenni Clark:  It feels great to have my first lady champ win at a major shoot.  I worked hard and did my job and it paid off.  I hope to do it again soon.

ISC:  How did you prepare for the event?  Did you do anything special?

JC:  Actually, I was a little worried about that.  The strange southeast Texas winter we’ve been having had kept me from practicing very much.  But I have been working on my mental game quite a bit and I was able to shoot with Dan (Carlisile) a few times.

ISC:  How did the shooting go for you?  What is your impression of the targets?

JC:  The first day I was distracted, I think.  Or just excited.  But by Friday afternoon, things started coming together for me.  The targets were really great.  I enjoyed that many of them were challenging and made me work for them and none of them were "fluffy". They pushed me to use what I have been working on to maintain my focus.

ISC:  Any particular station that stood out in your mind?

JC:  Not so much any particular station but it was fun shooting from the platforms they have there.  I’ve never shot like that before.

ISC:  I noticed that you did not shoot the FITASC event, do you prefer English sporting?

JC:  I do enjoy FITASC.  I just didn"t put in my schedule this shoot.  I wanted to focus on the Main Event.

ISC:  Are you still shooting a Beretta?

JC:  Yes, I love my gun.  Silver Pigeon II

JC:  Yes, it was an awesome surprise added to an already great weekend.  I tried their Panther glasses last year because its frameless style helped me see the targets better in bunker trap.  I liked them so well I use them in sporting as well.

JC:  I mostly want to keep working on my mental game.  I really feel like that’s my biggest obstacle to see my scores improve.  I want to be competitive in Master class.  Its time for the ladies to be at the top, too.

ISC:  What’s next up for you event wise?

JC:  I am at the Browning Briley now and will be at National FITASC next week.

ISC:  Lastly feel free to say anything you want us to know…

JC:  Just keep learning, keep it fun and keep shooting!

ISC thanks Jenni Clark for her time and cooperation.  Photo courtesy of Jenni Clark.

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Here are 10 Questions put to Mike Hafley the event manager of the 2010 North American Parcours de Chasse Championships.  The event is to be held March 25-28 at Dogwood Hollow Sporting Clays in Bucksnort, TN outside of Nashville. The event is a North American and World Cup Qualifier.  Being a new facility it can be considered a ‘greenfield’ site which will provide FITASC target setter Ben Husthwaite a fantastic opportunity to entertain us with some UK style targets.  This is going to be a must shoot event for 2010.

International Sporting Clays:  Being the new club on the block, what can shooters expect?  What is the facility and terrain like at Dogwood Hollow?

Mike Hafley:  Planning an event and building a club at the same time does have its advantages. For those that haven’t seen a picture of the grounds, they need to take a look at the one on our site. It will give you a better idea of what I mean. With the layout, we could have any number of courses running at the same time.

Purchasing new ground for a club in a somewhat anti-shooting climate could be somewhat challenging in itself. We were fortunate to be able to purchase ground and complete the zoning regulations in an area that thinks it’s still ok to shoot for recreation. We had criteria that the piece of ground had to meet before it would be considered. The property needed easy access from the interstate, to be located within an hour of Nashville, pass zoning regulations, be close to hotels and offer the best terrain available and still meet the other requirements. Affordability was also a factor, and many of you know land can be all over the place price wise.

With that said, there are also a few drawbacks to buying ground that is remote enough for a gun club. We are located in an area that has very little housing. This means a lack of utilities which we are now making arrangements to take care of. Unfortunately, those will not be in place for this event. We do, however, have a plan in place that allows us to provide all of the everyday services that people expect.

ISC:  What equipment is in use and are there any towers?

MH:  Promatic has stepped in to help us as a sponsor of the event. Throughout the courses and the games we will have over 100 traps. They have helped me out with shoots in the past. They provide us a premium service with the use of machines as well as a trained technician. Having the technician is great from a club owner’s perspective, as it lightens our load tremendously knowing that help is available if things get hectic. We will have two 45 foot man lifts for the four days of the event that will be used as towers.

ISC:  What kind of weather can we expect at tournament time?

MH:  The weather will be spring like. I did some research before picking the date. Over the last 12 years the weather for 10 of those years has been 70′s and nice. On the flip side, two of the years we won’t discuss. I am sure early morning and late evening jackets will be in order.

ISC:  You are known for being a good target setter yourself, what went into the decision to bring in Ben Husthwaite?

MH:  I will still be involved with some of the target setting. Ben will be setting the FITASC. I will set the Dogwood Cup, Sub-Gauges, Super Sporting as well as the Preliminary.

I had two or three things on my mind when the decision was made to bring in another target setter. One was, of course, to divide the load between myself and someone else. On an event this size, it just makes it easier if there is more than one set of hands involved. I had compiled a short list of target setters that I would like to work with and Ben was immediately put on the list. A few emails and phone calls later the deal was struck. 

I don’t have a target setting ego, if someone tosses up a big number on Saturday, so be it. That doesn’t mean I have to get even on Sunday. I try to set targets that are enjoyable and challenging, and the rest takes care of itself. When you add Ben and his background, we should have a terrific weekend with the blended styles.

ISC:  What is the event format?  Old system?

MH:  We will have 8 Parcours that will run as old style with a maximum of 192 entries. Right now we have 50 or so spots left to fill.

ISC:  Who is expected to be on the referee staff?

MH:  This is always a challenge. Thankfully a couple things have been put into place. Barry Kelly is in charge of the courses at The Willows. His club is hosting the US Open in June this year. They are located a couple of hours from ours, and he needs certified refs for the US Open. Barry and I have been working on getting several referees certified before our event. That will give all of the clubs in this area a pool of refs to draw from. The balance will come from refs Ashleigh and I have met over the years shooting competitively. The NSCA also provides an up to date list of certified refs to draw from.

ISC:  What vendors do you expect to have displays and what kind of food and drink will be available at the shooting grounds?

MH:  I have commitments from a few vendors right now. Promatic, Shooting Supplies by Shelia, PMS Firearms (Mike and Granny Sherman) and S&S Plus stocks will also be there doing fittings. There are a few others that are interested but haven’t made a commitment to us yet. We will have food vendors on site. We normally take care of meals in-house, but with the new grounds and all we decided to hire a food vendor instead.

ISC:  When flying in to the event I assume Nashville is the best airport?

MH:  Nashville is the closest airport. It is located just over and hour from the club. It is located just east of Nashville and we are just west. Both the airport and the club are located off of interstate 40.

ISC:  For people bringing their own carts will there be parking and security for the carts overnight? Also are there any on-site RV spaces?

MH:  We will have someone on site at all times during the events. We will also have shuttles run back and forth to the Parcours as well as the course. I think we have a total of four shuttles lined up to take people to various locations.  We will have places for RV’s to park if they are self contained.

ISC:  What else would you like competitors or spectators to know?

MH:  I have been letting everyone I talk to know that overall this club will be developed over the next few years. The plans are laid out to make it into what we hope is a facility that will be second-to-none. I have also mentioned that I was happy our first event will be a FITASC event. With that type of event, as long as everything looks good and the targets are as billed, the rest will be ok. Pristine is not what we are after on this first event. We are looking at providing a quality shooting experience that will provide the competitors a really good event overall. 

I have joked about the fact that there isn’t enough money in the budget to hire a gardener just yet.  We will be working on building pole barns, shelters and a lodge over the next year. Right now we are working out of a portable office and purchasing equipment as well as working on the utilities situation. We will do our best to provide everything needed at this shoot to allow everyone to have a good time, but I also have to stay within budget as we improve and build.

More details:

If you’ve not been in sporting clays a while you might wonder about having such a prestigious event at a new club in of all places, Tennessee.  In fact the area has a long and deep relationship with sporting clays.  One of the greatest sporting grounds ever was located just outside of Nashville.  The now defunct Grinders Switch Club was the hallowed site of many great sporting events and was known for its Little Switzerland stations.  Stations built into a steep slope with many FITASC like target presentations. 

It’s not too much of a stretch to imagine that Dogwood Hollow will have shades of Grinders Switch being located not far from the old site.  For you high-gun types there will also be an ESP event running concurrently the "Dogwood Cup."  Click in the interactive map below for the location of Dogwood Hollow and host Hotel locations.  Hotels rates for the event are more than great.  Down right cheap in fact.  

View 2010 North American FITASC Champ. in a larger map

 2010 North American Parcours de Chasse Championship

March 25-28, 2010

Dogwood Hollow Sporting Clays
Bucksnort, TN

Homepage

Flyer

Hotel Info

 International Sporting Clays.com thanks Mr. Mike Hafley for his cooperation.

Here are 10 Questions with Gebben Miles the National Sporting Clays champion of 2009. Switching guns just a month before the event, with Anthony Matarese and Scott Robertson biting at his heels, he won an epic shoot-off against Brandon Powell for the win. Some would consider his win an amazing feat, me included. A shooter with a strong faith the young Arizonan has also made waves in the shooting community off of the field as well.

International Sporting Clays: I guess anyone would say that winning the Nationals was a more than OK way to finish out the year but how would you say your overall performance was throughout the season?

Gebben Miles: I had a slow start to the year. I didn’t shoot for three months before the Browning/Briley this past year and it was not a good idea. What I did after the shoot was just work very hard on my game. In March my season started turning around and I had some really good performances, including a tie for 3rd at the U.S. Open. This year made me realize there is no substitute for hard work. There is a quote in the weight room at U of A that says, "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard."

ISC: Did you have any particular goals for the season and was winning Nationals one of them?

GM: Winning the Nationals has been a goal of mine for many years. I’ve learned that you have to set mini goals on your way to the big goal. This season was compiled of daily goals that included perfecting my pre-shot routine and really learning how to tie my faith in with competition.

ISC: How did you prepare for the event? Did you have any particular training regimen leading up to it?

GM: I switched guns to a K-80 Pro Sporter a few days before the Arizona State championship which was just over four weeks from the Nationals. This made me train really hard for the Nationals so I could figure out the new gun. I shot 30 out of 33 days leading up to Nationals with a minimum of 100 shells in a practice session but never more than 300. Along with working on my physical game, I worked on my mental game even more. I spent many hours per day perfecting my pre-shot routine, working on Biblical principles about incorporating God into sport and being mentally prepared for every situation that I could face.

ISC: You switched to a K-80 this year can you tell us a little about that decision?

GM: As I mentioned in the previous question I did switch from a Perazzi to a Krieghoff K-80 Pro Sporter about 5 weeks before the Nationals. I wasn’t going to switch until after Nationals because I was shooting very well at the time. When I received the K-80 I was so impressed by the way it moved and the feel of the gun that I wanted to start shooting it immediately. It is just a sweet shooting gun. I’ve never felt a gun that moves so solid and is just fun to shoot.

ISC: How did you set up the gun? Stock work? Balance etc…

GM: Krieghoff balanced the gun just like a stock Pro Sporter, but they of course custom fit the wood. I shoot a slightly longer length of pull than a stock K-80 and the forend is slightly longer than a stock gun as well. It’s just like different size shoes for different size people, the dynamics are the same just bigger or smaller.

ISC: Any problems adjusting to the gun?

GM: As stated earlier, I struggled the final day of the Arizona state because I had started off so well with the gun that I figured I would have no issues with any type of target. However shooting some really tough targets at the state made me realize I needed to work just as hard with the new gun as I did before.

ISC: What kind of shells do you shoot?

GM: I don’t have a shell sponsor. For practice I shoot cheap shells but for competitions I like shooting Winchester AA Super-Handicap.

ISC: What type of shooting method do you use?

GM: I shoot all "methods." My coach is Steve Schultz of Target Line shooting school and he teaches all methods of shooting. While my foundation is Intercept, Steve has taught me when and where to use a method. Certain targets can be broken more consistently with a specific method and you certainly can’t break every target consistently with just one tool in your bag.

ISC: Tell us about the meetings you’ve held at some events and the Athletes in Action organization.

GM: I’ve held meetings at several events this year that are chapel type meetings. I felt "called" a year ago to start doing this and to serve the shooting community. I didn’t feel like I was equipped to do so, but I realized that God doesn’t always call the equipped but he always equips the called. These meetings have turned into more of a Bible study format and we talk about Biblical truth and how we can incorporate that into sport. Athletes in Action is a ministry that is geared toward athletes and is the organization that has helped me get my life on track and learn how Jesus can be part of my sport and how I can glorify Him on the field of shooting. I’ve learned how to use shooting as an act of worship. I love the sport of sporting clays and I love the people involved in the sport. That is why I want to serve the community of sporting clays and be a spiritual resource for people in the sport.

ISC: What are your plans for next season?

GM: My plans for next season are to continue shooting. I have to realize what has gotten me where I am and that is shooting. I’ve been blessed with the resources that have allowed me to shoot and hopefully be able to continue to shoot in the future. Winning nationals has definitely opened some doors for me as far as expanding my ministry and also with some other new exciting ventures.

2009 National Sporting Clays Championship Scores

 International Sporting Clays thanks Gebben Miles for his time and cooperation.

The following are 10 questions (it’s actually only nine but I won’t tell if you won’t) put to Jean Pierre Delsaux an organizer of the 32nd European FITASC Championships to be held in Orville, France from 11 to 14 July 2009. Unlike the World event which sold out in a matter of days there are still spots available for the Euro. Europe is cheaper than ever this summer so if you have ever dreamed of competing abroad now is the time. For further info see my previous post on the European Championship.

International Sporting Clays: For the people traveling to and shooting in Orville for the first time can you tell us what to expect?

Jean Pierre Delsaux: The club consists of an area of 80 hectares with a lodge and club house. You can practice several activities like parcours de chasse, compak sporting, universal trench and also there are four paintball fields for training and tournaments.

ISC: What kind of weather is expected at tournament time?

JPD: The competition takes place during summer so we expect to have nice weather around 20-25 degrees Celsius. (68-77 F.)

ISC: For shooters traveling from abroad what is the best airport to arrive at?

JPD: For shooters coming from abroad the most convenient airports are those from Paris (Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly.)

ISC: Tell us about the competition grounds in Orville, what type of terrain, are there any towers and what kind of equipment is used?

JPD: In Orville we have the ability to have 10 permanent parcours (with 4 machines each peg) in a former stone pit. You will have the opportunity to take various shots including 45 meter tower shots and 35 meter droppers. We have 80 machines of various kinds including standards, mini, rabbit, chandelles etc. and we will ad another 90 machines for the tournament having an overall of 170 machines over 32 pegs.

ISC: What vendors do you expect to have displays and what kind of food and drink will be available at the shooting grounds?

JPD: The public and the shooters will have the opportunity to enjoy and discover the displays from most famous brands like Browning, Winchester, Beretta, Blaser, Zoli, Guerini and Tunet. A rich variety of food will be on offer along with several kinds of drinks. The shooters will also have the opportunity to take part in Compak Sporting events and possibly win shotguns.

ISC: Who will be setting the competition targets and what type of targets can we expect?

JPD: The president of the Federation Francaise de Ball Trap and the president of the International Federation both agree that it will be an exciting competition on the championship level based on many kinds of shots and not only distant and fast ones. The parcours have been designed to fit most shooters so that everyone can enjoy the competition. We tried as much as we could to stick to the reality of hunting, that is with a respect for the type of prey with reasonable distances and trajectories.

ISC: What specific brands of shot shells will be available for sale at the venue?

JPD: On site most of the manufacturers will be available: Tunet, Winchester, FOB, Mary in 28gr. (7, 7.5 and 8 shot)

ISC: Where can we get information on bringing a shotgun into France for the competition?

JPD: For all the information regarding guns, hotels and transportation, I invite you to visit the FITASC website and the club website which is in French only. (see below)

ISC: Lastly feel free to say anything you want us to know about the competition.

JPD: We are all very excited and impatient to welcome you all on the field. We will do anything we can to organize an unforgettable competition. Links of interest:

-EDIT- Pictures from this event can be found at http://www.sportingphotosshop.com under "Storefront."

The following are 10 Questions put to Ben Husthwaite (GBR), who picked up a Bronze in the 2008 World F.I.T.A.S.C. Championship held at Limassol International Shooting Club, Cyprus. With his medal finish on 194 ex 200, Ben continues to be a tough competitor on the world shooting scene.

International Sporting Clays: Lets review for a moment. According to the F.I.T.A.S.C. web site you have finished in an open Senior class medal position in each of the last 4 years. 2005 (3rd), 2006 (1st), 2007 (2nd) and 2008 (3rd), a very consistent record. How do you feel about your record thus far?

Ben Husthwaite: I have medaled at every world championship since 1999, that’s a record in itself. 9 consecutive medals. It’s a record I am proud of and it proves for 9 years, I have been one of the top 3 in the world.

ISC: How would you rate your performance in this years comp?

BH: This year I was pleased with my performance apart from the 22 ex 25 (on Parcour Beretta). It’s the first time a 100 straight has ever been shot at a world championship. I won the (F.I.T.A.S.C.) World Cup as well.

ISC: Tell us about the ones that got away. Shooting 194 ex 200, with so few misses you must remember what caused them, technique, execution, etc. Any in particular that stand out?

BH: I only ever miss due to lack of concentration, that’s the same as every other top shot. We have good fundamentals, it’s only concentration that gets in the way.

ISC: Tell us briefly about the shoot-off for Silver against Anthony Materese Jr. (USA)?

BH: By the time the shoot off came around I felt flat and couldn’t get up for it (scoring 20 ex 25). Saying that, Ant’s score (194 ex 200/22 ex 25) was superb, he is a great friend and one of the best shots in the world.

ISC: Not to take anything away from Richard Faulds’ (GBR) marvelous 198 ex 200 score, it has been speculated that the new standards set by the F.I.T.A.S.C. regarding percentages of difficult targets thrown per layout may have ‘softened’ the targets a bit. What is your impression?

BH: 198 was the best display of shotgun shooting I have ever seen, but I do feel that the targets need to become harder. The targets were not bad and could have been harder just by throwing the hard bird in the pair.

ISC: In terms of titles, do you feel the World F.I.T.A.S.C. is THE ONE to win?

BH: The World F.I.T.A.S.C. is the one to win, followed by the Euro F.I.T.A.S.C., then the World Cup and then the World Sporting.

ISC: Give us some thoughts on the Limassol grounds and the targets thrown in particular.

BH: I have shot Limassol before and knew what to expect, the targets were OK, the grounds and facilities were great.

ISC: What cartridge did you shoot and how important is it that you shoot a particular brand or load in competition?

BH: I shot Gamebore Buffalo as usual and if you believe in what your shooting, your fine.

ISC: What do you think about the fact that 800+ shooters turned out for this event in a small out of the way place and how do you see next years turnout in a less small but even more out of the way place, Australia?

BH: Cyprus is easy to get to so was always going to be busy. I’ll be surprised if Australia have half that entry.

ISC: Any closing thoughts?

BH: I believe fitness played a huge part of this years World. The 3 medal winners were all fit young men, this can’t be a coincidence.

Ben Hushwaite website

The International Sporting Clays Blog thanks Mister Ben Husthwaite for his cooperation. Photo courtesy of Mister Henry S.F. Nachaj. More can be found at his website www.sportingphotosshop.com. For official scores and updates see the F.I.T.A.S.C. site.