There is a packed weekend of action ahead at the Echuca Clay Target Club as the 2024 State Trap Carnival rolls into town.
Over 350 of the state’s best shooters have converged on the region to battle it out in six events, across men’s, women’s, junior and veteran categories.
The action kicked off on Thursday with the state Champion of Champions event.
Friday and Saturday will each host two events with the Double Rise and Handicap championships to take place on Friday, and the Single Barrel and Double Barrel events to be held on Saturday.
The weekend will then conclude with the Points Score Championship on Sunday.
Shooters will also have their scores aggregated to determine winners in several team categories.
“It's a state level event where the shooters compete for the ultimate prize of making the 15-man Victorian team,” Victorian Clay Target Association vice president Travis Williams said.
The top performers who earn selection will represent the state at the national titles in Western Australia in 2025.
The competing field features a slew of high-profile names, including three Olympians.
Most relevant to the area is Yarrawonga-born world number one James Willett, who placed sixth at this year’s Olympic Games.
Willett is currently in a share of the lead in the Champion of Champions event, hitting 123 of 125 targets.
Also part of the Olympic contingent is Mitchell Iles, and reigning bronze medallist from Paris 2024 Penny Smith.
Locals are also in the hunt, with Steve Atkins, Aiden Calleja, Andrew Fiek, David Currie, Steve Haberman and Peter Attard among the Echuca representatives.
“It’ll be a great spectacle for anyone who wanted to come along and see some of the better athletes not only in Australia but in the world competing,” Williams said.
Trap shooting differs from the other shotgun shooting categories in that targets are typically launched away from the competitor from a single launcher or ‘house’.
The Echuca Clay Target Club’s state grounds is the venue of choice for prominent shooting events in Victoria, having previously hosted the ISSF skeet and trap championship and the VCTA state school student championships this year.