Eketahuna wins Dale Shield, again!
Eketahuna Gun Club sent two teams to challenge for the Dale Shield, the ‘Ranfurly Shield’ of competitive clay target shooting, on Sunday October 28.
Eketahuna is only a small club but punches way above its weight, having won the shield back in 2014.
Hutt Valley is the current holder as teams travelled from all around the country to compete for this prestigious shield.
The teams are made up of five shooters having to shoot at 100 targets each, with the most targets hit coming away with the spoils. Both Eketahuna teams toiled away all day being very competitive, but it was in the second round where the B team pulled away.
One of the senior shooters in the team, George Baker, is the only remaining member of the team that successfully won the shield in 2014.
“Winning the shield in 2014 was a real highlight for the club and I wanted the guys to know that feeling,” George said.
The whole the day was very close with all shooters not wanting to drop a target, and in the end the Eketahuna B team won the Dale Shield shooting 96 targets out of 100. The shield will sit in pride of place in the Eketahuna Club Rooms for the next 12 months where they will defend it on home soil.
The Eketahuna Gun Club shoots on the second Sunday of every month and welcomes all new members.