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Bathurst Rifle Club Inc 9th May 2015 I Hughes and J Porter Trophies, 700yards

            The 700 yard range, the penultimate stage of the Club Championship, had a profound effect on the Championship with the Club Champion Trophy being decided a week ahead of the final range. Steve Williams with a masterful 99.05 locked the door on a game Gordon Shepherd who has turned the clock back this year and threatened to return to the top, 25 years after his last Club Championship triumph. This is Williams 20th win in the ultimate trophy.

           Dennis Lavelle won his 4th B grade Champions Cup in just 13 years of full bore target rifle shooting after John Coghills’ challenge fizzled out in a puff of wind. Lavelle who has led the B grade for the entire season, and tightened his grip on the trophy at the 600 yard range last week, completed the task with a fine 95.02 blowing Coghills’ chances off the mound. 

           The story in F-class is completely different however with Grahame Willis coming from the clouds to mount a strong challenge to Jeff Epplestons’ monopoly of the F-class Champions Cup. Willis in the absence of his brother Geoff, who has failed to qualify due to shooting only one 600 yard range, has placed himself in a prime position to snatch the cup from Eppleston for the first time since its inception in 2007. Not yet qualified, he needs to shoot the 900 yard range in a fortnight’s time, and get within 4 points of Epplestons’ score on the day, for his first major club triumph. Geoff Willis took out the F-class daily Cock of the Walk with an average but unspectacular 112.3.

           The wind almost ruined Willis’s chances when a late blow cruelled his efforts to establish an insurmountable lead. As it was, he drew within a point of Eppleston and holds a six point lead at 900 yards. Coghills’ efforts were destroyed in a poor first stage but the late wind gusts didn’t add to his demeanor. Graeme Brights’ rejuvenation continued with a steady 95.02, whilst Lawry Sim, also became a victim of the savage wind gusts late in the day, in excess of 8 windage points, or 1.5 metre deviation. 

           Williams won the I. Hughes Trophy and Lavelle, the J. Porter trophy. 

           The Captains Trophy will commence next Saturday at 800 yards 

Scores: 

D Lavelle TRB 95.02 (5 ½) 100

G S Willis FSA 112.3 (8) 100

S Williams TRA 99.05 (1) 100

G Bright TRA 93.07 (6 ½) 99 ½

G Shepherd TRA 94.05 (2 ¼) 96 ¼

G P Willis FSA 108.4 (6 ¾) 95 ¾

J Coghill TRB 81.02 (12) 93

L Sim FSB 96.0 (10 ½) 88 ¾

by John Coghill