Issue link: http://ssaansw.uberflip.com/i/1059218
Sporting Shooters Association of Australia (NSW) Inc. 27 Many of the best sporting clays shooters from around south eastern Australia attended the 2018 SSAA Sporting Clays National Championship in conjunction with the Dave Wallace Memorial Shoot at SSAA NSW Griffith Branch Sporting Clays Range recently. There were 96 competitors attending from around NSW, ACT, Victoria, WA and Queensland to compete in this popular event and vying to be crowned National Sporting Clays Champion. SSAA NSW Griffith Branch uses part of the Dave Wallace Range for its sporting clays range which is situated around the top of a rocky hill and named after the person who originally established it. The shoot consisted of 200 targets set on two separate sporting clays courses that were set up by local members in the bush around the hilly escarpment at the Dave Wallace Range. Local members set an excellent variety of different targets that challenged all the shooters and were worthy of a national championship. Many of the visiting shooters had difficulty with the Griffith Branch range which is quite unique with clay targets thrown down, up and along cliff faces as well as having competitors shoot from atop towers. The wide variety of simulated field targets coming from all directions in the bush required competitors to stay focussed to post a credible score. The homegrown advantage held by local shooters and regular visitors who are used to these conditions showed in the final results. The shoot received generous sponsorship from Casella Wines, Rod McNabb Caltex, Bronze Wing Ammunition, Liftek, F I Lasers & Hydraulics, SJR Industries, Yarran Wines, Area Hotel, Precision Aviation and the Capital Hotel Group with over $7,000 in prizes on offer to the overall and grade winners. Local shooter Bart Brighenti demonstrated his superior skills with the sport of sporting clays and was crowned "King of the Mountain" when he won the Dave Wallace Memorial Shoot and then was crowned SSAA Sporting Clays National Champion when he won the 2018 SSAA Sporting Clays National Championship. While many high scores were posted, only one competitor, Daryl Groundwater (Qld) managed to post a perfect round of 25 targets. In the shoot off for the State Team Shield the NSW Team of Doug Osborne (Griffith), Bart Brighenti (Griffith) and Darren Macartney (Hay) were successful with a combined score of 512/600 followed by teams from Queensland, Victoria and the ACT. Winners on the podium over the weekend were: Dave Wallace Memorial Shoot High Gun; Bart Brighenti 90/100 AA Grade: Darren Macartney (Hay) 87, Doug Osborne (Griffith) 86, Darren Sasse (Goulburn) 86 A Grade: Bradley Richens (Beckom) 75, Evan Speirs (Ariah Park) 82, Clayton Millington (Kurunjang) 82 B Grade: Shane Rinaldo (Griffith) 79, Stewart Brown (Karabar) 79, Grant McMillan (Griffith) 74 C Grade: Peter Daunt (Griffith) 68, Blake Osborne (Cobar) 65, Steve Fedrigo (Griffith) 64 Ladies: Shannon Palfreeman (Brisbane) 75, Lyndall Groundwater (Cooloola Cove) 66, Petra Deadman (Wagga Wagga) 56 Veteran: Jeff Pagett (Griffith) 84, Daryl Groundwater (Cooloola Cove) 83, Lance Brissenden (Griffith) 83 Super Veteran: Alec Ceccato (Griffith) 85, Max Kavanagh (Wagga Wagga) 79, Georff Irvine (Buderim) 70 Junior: Sebastian Zanotto (Griffith) 76, Campbell Conallin (Wodonga) 73, Thomas Bilney (Shepparton) 72 2018 National Sporting Clays Championships National Champion: Bart Brighenti 176/200 AA Grade: Doug Osborne (Griffith) 172, Matt Webster (Canberra) 169, Mick Coll (Ngambie) 167 A Grade: Angelo Salamon (Griffith) 157, Leo McIntye (Moama) 153, Simon Gee (Hay) 149 B Grade: Stewart Brown (Karabar) 155, Grant McMillan (Griffith) 150, Peter Skelly (Goulburn) 141 C Grade: Jack Ryan (Canberra) 125, Peter Daunt (Griffith) 125, Blake Osborne (Cobar) 124 Ladies: Shannon Palfreeman (Brisbane) 154, Lyndall Groundwater (Cooloola Cove) 125, Petra Deadman (Wagga Wagga) 104 Veteran: Daryl Groundwater (Cooloola Cove) 172, Sid Gugliemino (Griffith) 165, Lance Brissenden (Griffith) 160 Super Veteran: Alec Ceccato (Griffith) 160, Max Kavanagh (Wagga Wagga) 154, Geoff Irvine (Buderim) 138 Junior: Thomas Bilney (Shepparton) 144, Campbell Conalin (Wodonga) 143, Sebastian Zanotto (Griffith) 144 SSAA NSW Griffith Hosts Successful Sporting Clays National Championship