Students were recently given the opportunity for students to be introduced to the competitive sport of Clay Pigeon shooting, and to hold the first school shooting competition of the academic year.

For the past 18 months The Grange shooting club has been supported by John Barnett of Mickley Hall shooting ground who has hosted a variety of Shooting Events for the school and kindly given many hours of top class tuition to students of all ages. John was joined for today’s event by his son Scott who already has achieved great success in his own right.

The students were split into groups depending on age and experience and  proceeded around a 50 bird shoot.

The weather was very much on side. John had set up a course to support the students yet set them a good stern challenge. The initial standard was set by one of the younger students Jeremy Sutherland who really showed the older boys and girls how it should be done, but by the final stand Charlie Withinshaw, who is this year’s shooting Captain, forced his way into first place in the senior section. The winner of the junior section was Reece Lester, who was a complete novice, taking to the sport like a duck to water! Excellent performances were from Ally Jacques with her 20 bore, John Walters another total novice who scored a superb 34/50 and Joanna Craven who overcame her dominant left eye
with carefully placed black tape.

All the boys and girls who took part in the day’s shooting thoroughly enjoyed themselves and now look forward to the Spring Term when shooting Clubs starts up ready for the summer ahead.