Simon and Shelbie attended the Sunday and I visited the day before. Although just over a 100 miles from my home, the second 50 miles of the journey took a while, with roadworks southbound at junction 15 of the M6 preventing an easy route using the M5.
Nonetheless the Worcestershire and Herefordshire countryside makes for a lovely drive.
Most of the Bromyard club members reside in Worcestershire, with a few from over-the-border in Wales, and up the A49 to Whitchurch, which is a long drive away. The two-day Bromyard Open Shoot offers a fair bit of ‘woodenware’ to attract competitors.
Despite the trophies on offer, just 20 competitors attended over two days, though the competition had to compete with England and Ireland World Cup rugby matches on the Saturday morning, and Wales playing the next day. In addition, not having the event listed on the clubs own web site or in the NSRA Open Shoot calendar likely limited attendees to those who had taken part in-the-past or had received an email from their County. Without an email forwarded by Mike Arnstein I’d have likely never known of the event.
The weather on the Saturday wasn’t very pleasant, with a shifting wind and occasional rain squalls. The afternoon got better, but during the morning details I was foxed by the wind flags, with each invariably blowing in a different direction to the one next to it. I relied on muzzle smoke, but every shot was unrelated to the one before or the one that would follow. A brief few minutes of respite during one detail resulted in an amusing rapid-fire competition as everyone, well, three of us, tried to capitalise on the lack of breeze.
Like Sywell the second half of the 100 yards range was free of any wind at all, and sits in its own micro-climate, shielded by the bushes behind the 50m range. Both ranges reside in a meadow, surrounded by fields on three sides. A dirt track leads to a ‘B’ road. The edge of the tiny market town of Bromyard is just a 100 yards away. The club has lots of car parking, and space for caravans and campers. It boasts a lovely clubhouse with old donated sofas, a kitchen area, and an adjacent room for setting-up. The firing points run along one shed, with a step down to the 50m range.
Sundays weather apparently began a little more benign, but in worsening conditions Simon took first in the X Class English Match at 50m and the 100 yards Scottish Match. Shelbie bagged first in Class B at 50m, with a score which would have secured her second place in Class A. She also took second at 100 yards and bagged the Junior and Ladies competitions. I managed a third at 100 yards in B Class, but there were only three entrants willing to shoot at 100 yards. A Class attracted the most competitors, at eight for 50m over two days, but with just four taking-on 100 yards. A third, aggregate competition would likely encourage more to shoot at the longer distance.
If this Open is to survive-and-thrive it will need a higher attendance and a more widespread notification of when it’s being held.
Reported by Brendan Newport