Shooting Day at Dusty Ranch well attended

BARBERTON – The customary .303 shooting day, which is annually held by Regiment Botha at Dusty Ranch, kicked off early on Saturday morning with registrations which were open since 07:00.

The rules were straight forward. Contestants could make use of any handgun or rifle, provided they brought their own ammunition. Teams as well as individuals could enter and there were even catered for those fond of clay pigeon shooting.
Shooting as a sport, however, is about so much more than just pulling a trigger. Skill, acumen and patience are all part of the activity and it requires a lot of practice.

Barberton Times spoke to the Officer Commanding, Regiment Botha, Lt Col APC Joubert, about how the day originally came about and on how it has advanced since.
We found out that Joubert, who has been at Regiment Botha since 2008, took the initiative to host such an event and the first of its kind was held at Dusty Ranch in 2009. He said he is only aware of two, maybe three other Regiments in the country presenting similar events.

“The whole purpose of this day is still as it was in the beginning, to promote shooting as a sport,” said Joubert.
Since that first event, the day has grown in popularity, with people from as far afield as Potchefstroom, Bethal, Middelburg and Witbank turning up to partake.

“Not only does the day contribute to promote and encourage the sport itself, but it is a wonderful opportunity for the troops of Regiment Botha, as they have the chance to compare their own expertise with people from outside, as well as to better their own shooting skills,” said Joubert, who has this year entered a team of troops from the Regiment.

Joubert said that during that first event, it was clear that this was something that would only grow in popularity as 46 contestants showed up on the day.
In the years succeeding those early times, the numbers has increased annually, as well as the ages of the participants.

“This year, we have a lot of youngsters taking part. I think the youngest contestant must be around of five or six years of age. These young ones shoot with their .22’s and it is pretty clear that they are enjoying it immensely,”
Joubert said that he has also over recent years seen a definite increase in female participants.

This year an addition was the introduction of archery, which is becoming a widely exercised sport worldwide and there were already four participants who took part in the archery section.
“We believe that this category will develop even more over the next couple of years, as ammunition is becoming increasingly expensive,” said Joubert.

He said that it was a whole learning curve since five years ago and still is.
“Whenever we saw something lacking, we made sure it was sorted out before the next annual event. It is about so much more than shooting. The event requires a huge amount of planning, and we have learned a lot, especially in terms of the administration. Once there was a hitch, we dealt with it before the next competition. I do believe that by now the ship’s bow is out from underneath the waves and we are sailing on more familiar waters since years ago,”

It has also become a progressively popular community and family event where even those not taking part come along to enjoy socializing. At only R50 per adult and R25 per child, including a spit braai with side dishes, it is surely something to mark in your calendar for next year, and with entries at only R100 per participant it is very reasonably priced.
Lt Col APC Joubert conveyed a big thank you to all their sponsors, the people who were in charge of the spit braai, the medics as well as everyone who turned up to enjoy the day with the troops at Dusty Ranch.

To view the results click here.