Kelowna’s Les Madsen raised his trusty weapon, took aim, and gave the voice command for the trap to be released from the hut.
Madsen obliterated the orange White Flyer trap target, the 450,000 registered Pacific International Trapshooting Association target hit of his career, done during the first day of the two-day Honours Shoot, hosted by the North Okanagan Trap and Skeet Club in Spallumcheen.
“We celebrate these milestones as they are important for the shooters to achieve such, and it’s also an honour for our gun club to host the event where he shot the target,” said Lisa Salt of the host club. “Les is the first person ever to have shot his milestone target for 450,000 at our club. In fact, Les is one of the few PITA shooters to even reach 450,000 targets.”
Over the past few years, Madsen has achieved his goal of being the shooter who has shot the most targets for the year in the entire PITA, which covers all of Western Canada and the United States.
“It is a huge accomplishment,” said Salt. “So we have cake and a celebrate for his huge accomplishment for his 450,000.”
Madsen, however was kept out of the prizes at the Honours Shoot. Salt, however, picked up four division wins.
She beat clubmate Hugh McWhirter and High Prairie, Alta.’s Jesse Smith in a shootoff to win the Joe and Helen Richter Singles A Class event after all three hit 96/100 targets. Bruce Davies of the host club won the B Class with 97.
Jerry Broten was the Perpetual event winner, hitting 99/100 targets in the C Class. Tom Ginn of North Okanagan won the High Vet event with 94, while Mike Noer of the host club won the High Senior Vet with 98.
Salt beat Ginn in the Rod Macindoe Doubles event in a shootoff after both hit 93/100 targets. Salt was also the event’s perpetual winner. She won the Art Salt High Over All honour (named after her dad, Art, who competed and won the High Elder class in the Henry Rottacker Singles with 81/100) by shooting 452/500 targets, and won the High Over All for the A class.
Other North Okanagan winners: Bob Coleman – 96 (High Senior Vet, Henry Rottacker Singles); Noer – 89 (Short Yard John Genier Handicap); Davies – 88 (C Class Rod Macindoe Doubles); Coleman – 91 (D Class, Rod Macindoe Doubles); McWhirter – 91 (Long Yard Hank Dedish Handicap).
The North Okanagan Trap and Skeet Clubs hosts two-to-three registered trap shoots each year plus a number of fun shoots.
“We have one skeet shoot and one sporting clay shoot,” said Salt. “We welcome new members, and we are available to help people learn the game, choose equipment, and basic introduction on how to shoot in each of these disciplines.”
The club is open Wednesday afternoons and Sunday mornings for practice, and its website for updates is www.shootNOTSC.com.
