Sophie Henderson shakes up the shooting sports
by senior correspondent Jennifer Martens
The sport of shooting has traditionally been reserved for men - and more often than not for older men. But these days, the younger generation is shaking up the sport’s status quo and giving the stalwarts of the sport a run for their money. Take, for instance, 15-year-old SSAA member Sophie Henderson of Port Macquarie. She is proof that people of any age and either gender can enjoy and succeed in the shooting sports.
Sophie’s interest in shooting began in the bush, hunting with her family. She’s used her .22LR and her Browning A-Bolt in .243WSSM to take a number of rabbits, foxes and goats.
In 2007, she ventured from the bush to the range, taking an interest in the sport of Rimfire Benchrest shooting, particularly the SSAA five-shot events. Having performed well in a number of local and state competitions, it is easy to see that she made a successful transition. Sophie took the Top Junior Award at the SSAA NSW Rimfire Benchrest Championships at Coffs Harbour in 2007. More amazingly, she shot the smallest group of the entire championships - a .173", which was good enough to win her Screamer Patch and send shivers through the other competitors. In addition to being Top Junior, she finished 5th outright in Light Rimfire, 6th outright in Custom Rimfire and 4th outright in the 2-Gun.
Sophie also won the Junior Championship at the SSAA Queensland Rimfire Benchrest Championships and took Top Junior in both the Custom and Traditional Rifle at the SSAA NSW Hunter Class Championships at Seaham.
If that was all Sophie had ever achieved in the sport, everyone would agree that she’s had a good run. However, Sophie’s rise in the shooting sports has just begun. She attended the World Rimfire Benchrest Championships in Italy and proved that her first-year accomplishments were no fluke. She won gold in the Junior 50m Sporter Rifle event and bronze in the 25m Sporter Rifle event. “It was a really tough shoot for the Australian Team,” said Sophie. “Our equipment arrived late, so we had to share firearms. We all learned a lot and will be much better prepared for the next World Championships.”
As this was her first international trip of any kind, there was a lot for her to absorb. She says the highlights were “shooting against other countries, seeing how other top shooters perform and sightseeing in Milan”.
The accomplished youngster is grateful to her father, her coach Nick Catlan and her fellow club members for teaching her so much about the sport and helping her to attain her goals.
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