Sporting Clays National Championships
23-24 May 2009

The Ladies Champion Gabby Kirk takes careful aim.


John Howe swings on a downhill target.


The Veteran shooter Roger Kerslake after some
springing teal targets. The 2009 Sporting Clays National Championships was successfully staged at the Griffith Field & Game Club on May 23 and 24 in conjunction with their major two-day shoot. The club range is positioned in a unique location at the top of a rocky hill covered by sparse bushland. While the range provides superb views of the countryside, the cliffs on one side provide plenty of opportunities to throw targets downhill or uphill or along their base. Targets thrown at these steep angles often prove very deceptive to competitors, who are generally used to shooting on more level ground.

The shoot attracted 88 competitors from around New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. Two special layouts of simulated field targets with an excellent variety of challenging targets were set up in the bushland around the range. The targets were ably set by Griffith shooters Frank DiFiore, Frank Tagliepetra, Greg Allen and Doug Osborne, who also capably maintained the traps over the weekend. The targets were very visible and looked easy to hit, but were just as easy to miss.

The 100-target MIA Simulated Field Championships began early on Saturday morning with very strong gusting winds that blew the clay targets well off their planned trajectories, making it difficult for respectable scores to be achieved by most competitors. The results were:
High Gun: Peter Hall (Melbourne) 82/100 (after a shoot-off with Shaun Krzus)
AA grade: Marty Seymour (Yarrawong) 79, Ross Clancy (Stratford) 77, Bart Brighenti (Griffith) 77 (shootoff)
A grade: Shaun Krzus (Griffith) 82, Anthony Salamon (Griffith) 74, Mick Scarfone (Griffith) 71
C grade: James Palfreman (Griffith) 52, Gareth Atthon (Sydney) 49, Lachlan Atthon (Sydney) 47
Ladies: Shannon Palfreman (Griffith) 47, Gabby Kirk (Cobar) 44, Jan Jacka (Hay) 44
Veterans: David Brenton (Wollongong) 70, Alec Ceccato (Griffith ) 68, Roy Giason (Griffith) 62
Juniors Under 18: Ton Katsoolis (Albury) 53
Juniors Under 15: Tom Trembath (Lake Cargelligo) 38

On Sunday, the 100-target Riverina Sporting Clays Championships saw conditions improved with the strong winds abated, but with still plenty of wind affected targets, keeping the overall scores relatively low for the weekend. No competitor managed a possible of 25 targets. The results were:
High Gun: James Clancy (Stratford) 79
AA grade: Leo McIntyre (Moama) 77, Doug Osborne (Naradhan) 76, Peter Hall (Melbourne) 76
A grade: Frank DiFiore (Griffith) 77, Sid Gugliemino (Griffith) 73, Shaun Krzus (Griffith) 69
B grade: Anthony Cahill (Cobar) 72, Milton Cartriwright (Temore) 66, Anthony Mancini (Griffith) 64
C grade: James Palfreman (Griffith) 54, Lachlan Attion (Sydney) 50, Troy Adams (Griffith) 48
Ladies: Gabby Kirk (Cobar) 47, Marissa Hall (Melbourne) 40, Jan Jacka (Hay) 38
Veterans: David Brenton (Wollongong) 72, Max Cavanagh (Wagga Wagga) 69, Roger Kersake (Moama) 68
Juniors Under 18: Tom Katsoolis (Albury) 60, David Douglas (Newcastle), Jarrod Williams (Barnawartha) 52
Juniors Under 15: Tom Trembath (Lake Cargelligo) 35, Anthony Gras (Griffith) 33

At the conclusion of the two days of shooting, the overall winners for both Championships were:
National Sporting Clays Champion and Griffith Field & Game Club High Gun: Peter Hall (Melbourne) 153/200
AA grade: Leo McIntyre (Moama) 153, Ross Clancy (Stratford) 150, Marty Seymour (Yarrawonga) 150 (shootoff)
A grade: Shaun Krzus (Griffith) 151, Frank DiFiore (Griffith) 145, Anthony Salamon (Griffith) 138
B grade: Anthony Cahill (Cobar) 138, Milton Cartwirght (Temora) 132, Anthony Mancini (Griffith) 131
C Grade: James Palfreman (Griffith) 106, Lachlan Attion (Sydney) 96, Gareth Attion (Sydney) 81
Veterans: David Brenton (Wollongog) 142, Alec Ceccato (Griffith) 133, Roger Kerslake (Moama) 129
Ladies: Gabby Kirk (Cobar) 93, Jan Jacka (Hay) 82, Shannon Palfreman (Griffith) 81
Junior Under 18: Tom Katsoolis (Albury) 113
Junior Under 15: Tom Trembath (Lake Cargelligo) 73

The shoot was generously sponsored by Casella Wines, Griffith, with plenty of Yellowtail Wine and merchandise, Eley Ammunition, Royal Wolf Containers and SSAA provided the engraved national medallions. A number of local businesses contributed other merchandise. Prizes were presented at the end of each day, while sashes, SSAA medallions and other prizes were presented to the overall winners of both days. On Saturday, competitors and their families enjoyed a shoot dinner at The Coro Club, which was sponsored by Casella Wines.

The 2009 Sporting Clays National Champion Peter Hall with Shotgun National Discipline Chairman Warren Brown.	The Ladies prize winner Shannon Palfreman from Griffith.	The Junior Under 15 Champion Tom Trembath from Lake Cargelligo.