It isn't over YET but I'd really like to thank Richard, pj, and Stuart for their coaching over the last couple of days and making some excellent decisions when under pressure with Brendan (another one to watch) and the cookie monster mike wilment helping us bring it home in the teams.
Jerome ziersch from ziersch custom rifles for doing the impossible and building me 2 amazing guns that we shared through the team. Being perfectionist with a machining trade, a passion for accuracy and honest to a fault I couldn't recommend him highly enough to anyone that is looking for an accurate hunting or target rifle!!
Lastly guys like Pete Larsen (another other one to watch) for teaming up and helping pull targets at crazy hours of the morning, shobby for always being on the other end of the phone when I've made the call "hey mate. . . . Have you got a flux capacitor I could borrow?"!! Haha and last but not least Ian pavy for steering me in the rite direction with a few pieces of gear that I feel have really helped pick up that last few points when you need em!
It was great to finally put some faces to names and meet some if the people I keep hearing about.
Friday morning and Im back at my desk, piles of paperwork and stuff to do. All I can think of is how much fun I have had over this week.
The WA open team would like to thank everyone who made the event possible- NRAA, Tas Rifle Association, Match Directors and the RO and Target Pullers and all the other state teams that welcomed us with open arms into the competition. I believe it was about 10 minutes into the practice session I actually felt content with what I had already learnt and would not have complained at going home at that stage. Add onto that the next few days and it was such a surreal experience overall. We now know just what sort of preparation is required, and what we are capable of. It was great to hold our own on some ranges (particularly in the longs) with other states.
Congratulations to South Australia on their performance- such a professional bunch of guys. Brilliant shooters, brilliant coach and captain, and a brilliant work ethic. It was an eye opener as to just how close knit and accountable everyone was in that team. The results speak for themselves.
Individual people that I met- Col Sutton, Cameron and Julie McEwan, Mark Fairbairn, Tony Berry, Marty Lobert, Greg Warrian, Mike Waites, Rod Mahon, Jenni Hausler, Richard and Stuart Braund, Adam Pohl, Charlie and Stephen Lazarus and countless other people who I apologize to for forgetting names- All wonderful people, willing to share experiences and have plenty of laughs along the way.
The sportsmanship shown by everyone was most impressive. I have never been to a shoot before where I havent seen somebody get stuck into somebody else. That sort of animocity just wasnt there- great to see for the future of F class competition in Australia. The event was easily the highlight of my shooting career.
WA's FO team have a large step up to take before Belmont next year and we are already in planning and setting our goals for that event. The only way is up now, and the path to better performance is clear. I cant wait.
Good luck to all in the leadup and individual queens.
For anyone who may be interested Jim Blomfield coached a team from North Queensland to the National Grand Aggregate Teams Trophy as well as the Long Range Trophy for F standard.
In the "weird way they broke up the results" Victoria beat us on the short ranges by ONE point!
2 of the five in the team would have qualified for F/TR.
The main match is shot over 300, 600, 900 & 1000 yards, which is what Victoria won. Well done Vic. The second 1000 yards is a separate match, which does not have quite the same merit as the 1st, however, well done N Qld, you shot well. These two states were well head of all the others in the grand agg, with N Qld taking the lead by 4 points.
Chop
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