Clay shooter represents SA at world champs

He became the first FITASC sporting clay shooter from the Lowveld to achieve his green and gold colours and represent the South African National team at the 38th World FITASC Sporting Clay Championships held in Perugia, Italy recently.

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Over 1 100 sporting clay shooters from 41 different countries, included the best professional shooters from the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK), were at the opening ceremony.

Matthew and his wife, Sylvia were joined by 13 South African shooters and their supporters as the senior and junior teams paraded the SA flag in their green jackets in front of the huge audience.

“It was truly an emotional moment for me and a dream come true,” said Matthew.

The competition comprised of a total of 200 targets shot over four days on challenging terrain in the Umbrian mountains. With average day temperatures around 37 degrees Celsius and an unplanned rainstorm on day two affected many shooters,

Matthew shot well with his K80 Krieghoff shotgun and ended as the fourth highest placed South African shooter. Overall winner was Derrick Mein from the United States, winning the championships by only one target over 26 time world champion George Digweed from the UK.

National trails for all clay disciplines in South Africa, consist of eight provincial shoots throughout the country and a national championships. All were conducted according to the rules and laws of the CTSASA (Clay Target Shooting Association of SA), with a minimum qualifying percentage of 92 per cent required for FITASC sporting participants.

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Running a safari business from their Gold Valley Lodge near Mbombela, and specialising in hunting and photographic safaris, Matthew also runs Gold Valley Clay shooting academy, a fully automated skeet range and sporting clay layout. It is set up for teaching beginners, inexperienced shooters and those wanting to get more competitive.

He is also the only certified NSCA instructor in the country after qualifying as a level-one instructor in the USA five years ago.

Matthew says it takes lots of hard work, dedication and sacrifice to achieve the highest goals in sport, especially at the age of 49.

“After achieving Gauteng North colours several times and running three Comrades marathons in succession in 2009/10 and 2011, I decided to really focus on clay shooting and take it to the next level.

Without total commitment to the one sport every weekend, I would never have achieved my livelong dream of becoming a national shooter.”

Competitive target shooting is alive and well in the Lowveld with many young shooters being introduced to the air-gun and rifle disciplines at a young age, at school level and with hunting organisations. Now the exciting sport of clay-shooting can hopefully also find its place.