Trapshoot event expected to pull in 70 contestants

Lake Havsu City Sportsman’s Club will draw nearly 70 trapshoot enthusiasts during its 11th annual “Turkey Time Trapshoot” set for Saturday and Sunday.

The event is an Amateur Trapshooting Association event and all contestants must be registered with the association to participate. A yearly sign-up fee with ATA costs $20. The local trapshoot competition’s registration fee is $29 to cover targets, trophies and shooters service as well as $10 for Lewis Purse, divided 60/40.

To kick off the event, Friday is the designated Marathon Target Day. The marathon is an ATA shoot without trophies and is available to sport shooters to accumulate targets that will determine what class in which they will shoot during competition Saturday and Sunday. Participants can expect a 10 a.m. start on Friday and a 9 a.m. competition start time Saturday and Sunday, according to the event program.

“The (trapshooter) classification is based on 2009 target records and known ability,” said Wayne Chadwick, a competitor who traveled from South Dakota for the event.

The ATA records and event registration system is computer-based to provide quick, accurate and up-to-date information to help place the competitors in squads, according to Gary Palese of Lake Havasu City Sportsman Club.

Saturday’s competition will begin with Event No. 1-R Guns & Collectibles Doubles that will featured 50 pair of double targets — meaning two clay targets, also called birds — will be released at once in order for the sportsmen to showcase their ability.

Event No. 2-Anderson Automotive Group Singles is the 100-16 yard target competition. Trapshooters will take aim from 16 yards away at 100 birds, Palese explained.

Event No. 3- David Siegler Handicap 100-target shoot will require shooters to take aim from 18-21 yards away, 22-24 yards away or 25-27 yards away depending on their skill and ATA classification or rank.

Trophies will be awarded for High Lady, Vet (65-69 years of age), Senior Vet (70 and older) Junior (15-17 years of age) and Sub Junior (9-14 years of age). Trophies will also be awarded to each competitive handicap group.

Sunday’s competitions include Event No. 4-Bradley Chevrolet & Ford Singles and Event No. 5-Lake Havasu Marina Handicap. A high overall trophy will also be awarded.

The trophies will be in the form of commemorative coins donated by David Siegler this year versus gift cards for local services that prevailed last year to accommodate the many out-of-town or out-of-state competitors participating in the trap shoot.

Silver necklaces will be awarded as trophies to the lady competitors, Palese said.

“Twenty (competitors) have signed up so far,” Palese said Monday. The club anticipates as many as 70 will show for the competition. Palese is expecting seven competitors traveling by RV to arrive from Minnesota, Washington, California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado.

Trap shoot competitions are set up on a circuit-type basis and will be continuing around the state through summer 2010, Chadwick said. As a South Dakota resident, Chadwick said the northern address is just that, an address. He and his wife are full-time RV travelers who drive from one trap shoot competition to the next, he said.

Food by JC Catering will be served at the event beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Lake Havasu City Sportsman’s Club has about 625 members. The club also organizes generation shoots that include fathers, sons, grandfathers, mothers, daughters and grandmothers.

The club is open to the public Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon. All other scheduled times are for members only. For more information about the club, call 453-5404.

You may contact the reporter at jhanson@havasunews.com.