DEFENDING champions Craig Simpson and Aliana McMaster are set to defend their Jackson Bay Hunting & Fishing Club Sporting Clay titles at the club’s base in Portland Cottage, Clarendon, on Sunday. The previous event was held in 2024. The 2025 staging was postponed due to the passing of Hurricane Melissa.

Some 128 gunners are registered for the first sporting clay tournament on the Jamaica Skeet Club calendar for 2026. They will be spread out on the 17-station course at least 15 minutes ahead of the 10:00 am shotgun start of a challenging day, on a course which should see them facing the lush hills and the expansive sea below hopefully clear blue skies.

If the conditions from the last tournament are repeated on Sunday then the competitors can expect to compete in extreme heat, wind and some rain. Winning under those conditions — which could mean the overall winner, class winners or improvement over previous events — can be very satisfying for the shooters.

Simpson shot 91 and then had to take on Shaun Barnes and Chad Ziadie in an exciting,three-way shoot-off before being declared the highest overall winner two years ago.

McMaster shot 86 to take the Ladies’ section. She is the two-time defending champion having topped the Ladies’ section for all of the Jackson Bay Sporting Clay tournaments.

The top contenders for this year’s tournament include former national shotgun champions Ian Banks, Shaun Barnes, and Chad Ziadie plus Roman Tavares-Finson, Bruce DeQuesnay, and Ray McMaster.

On the women’s side, McMaster will have to contend with her mother and many-time national female shotgun champion Wendy, as well as several other ladies who have been shooting well, including former national women’s shotgun champion Marguerite Harris, and Tatrecia Mitchell.

Club President Sean Clacken looks forward to the tournament for the development of the club as well as to gain well-needed funds to assist the Portland Cottage Primary School.

Clay shooter Craig Simpson.