Sasso, McMaster to defend sporting clays shoot
Three-time national shotgun champion Christian Sasso and four-time national female champion Wendy McMaster are raring to take to the course in the Driftwood Gun Club Sporting Clays Challenge today at picturesque Murphy Hill Estate, which overlooks the town of Ocho Rios.
The competition has been renamed in honour of David East, one of the club’s founding members who passed in 2020, and will now be called the David East Memorial Shoot.
Sasso will have to look out for competitors such as six-time national champion Shaun Barnes, Ray McMaster, Craig Simpson and Robert Yap Foo, among others.
The Ladies section will be also be competitive with Wendy McMaster expecting to be challenged by daughter Aliana McMaster, Marguerite Harris and Renee Rickhi.
Mention must be made of the Juniors who have been posting wins against some of the top shooters. Juniors such as Danzell Knight, Mark Desnoes, JJ Ralston and David Wong will be on the course to post good scores.
The shooters will compete in various classes including A to E, Junior A to D, Sub-Junior, Ladies and Hunters, or beginners.
The 2021 staging will see a number of changes to last year’s shoot due to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. These include a one-day shoot instead of two days in order to reduce the contact time among the shooters. There will be no hospitality on the course and no after shoot prize giving ceremony or lyme, while mask-wearing, temperature checks on entering the venue, physical distancing will be enforced.
Importantly, fewer shooters will on the course at any one time. This means that there will be two start times (9:30 am and 1:30 pm), which will lead to a longer day overall, but makes for easier social distancing with fewer shooters on the course at any given time.
The Driftwood Gun Club is celebrating 17 years this year and is planning to treat the shooters to one of the best laid walking courses.
The proceeds of the tournament will be used for the Driftwood Gun Club’s charities which are dominated by educational support in the Treasure Beach area in the parish of St Elizabeth.
