Clay Target Nation

The official magazine of the National Skeet Shooting Association and the National Sporting Clays Association

Ray Harding Open at Fredericksburg Rod & Gun

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Fredericksburg Rod & Gun Club held the first Ray Harding Open (a rename of the Battlefield Open) on July 15-16 to honor Ray Harding who gave so much to Virginia skeet during his life.  Ray shot skeet for 50 years, was president of the VSSA for two terms, was skeet chairman and NSSA Director for 20 years, and served on the club’s Board of Directors for most of his skeet career.

HOA CH Conor Stephens and Lady HOA Lindsay Coffman

Photos of Ray were displayed and shooters talked about him all weekend. Ray had a hobby of carving and painting intricate wooden pins of birds, dogs, fish and grouse feathers. Each gun champion at the shoot received a grouse tail feather pin as a memento of the shoot and Ray.

The first shooter to be “pinned” was Fred Wood, who won doubles. Conor Stephens was 12-gauge champ with the only 100 of the weekend, followed by 28-gauge champ Dick Weinley and 20-gauge champ Gil Traore, both with blistering 99s. Conor repeated as .410 champ, but the pins were “one to a customer.” James Reinhold was presented with the fifth pin in the box for his fine shooting (doubles third, 12-gauge A1, 28-gauge runner-up, 20-gauge A1, .410 third, and HOA runner-up, even as he refereed after each time he shot in the hot and humid weather. His HOA score was his personal best, just six birds behind HOA Champion Conor Stephens.

Judy Harding took delight in presenting pins to the champs and noted she had found more (of Ray’s carvings that she can present next year.

– Contributed by Judy Harding and Becky Myers

Judy Harding 12GA CH Conor Stephens
20ga CH Gil Traore

Judy Harding and Doubles CH Fred Wood

WorldWide Summer Classic

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Many years ago, Gordon MacRae sang “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin” in the musical “Oklahoma!”, and indeed it was on August 6 as the Victor Rod and Gun Club in Victor, New York, hosted the seventh annual WorldWide Summer Classic. The weather was as near perfect as it gets in Western New York, with light winds and temperatures in the 70’s. This 12-gauge and doubles one-day registered skeet shoot, with $3000 in added money, is highly favored by shooters in the region. 

The shooters started to arrive for registration early in the morning. Shooter registration was fast and efficient for the 45 shooters due to a new, streamlined pre-registration process. The shooters were in very good spirits as they gathered in the pavilion. They enjoyed catching up with old friends while making new friends. The machines were dialed in to throw great targets against a great background. Everyone was eager to start the competition. The freshly cut and trimmed fields awaited the shooters.

The morning started with the 12-gauge event. Both Christopher Dole and David Cooley crushed all 100 targets for the only perfect scores of the day. After a brief shoot-off, Dole emerged as 12- gauge champ with David becoming the runner-up. Bill Kalwas and Mat Kelley took their scores of 99 into a shoot-off for AA class 1st and 2nd. Kalwas emerged as class AA1 after a lengthy and exciting shoot-off. Chad Seelbinder had the lone 99 score in B class to claim B1. Mike Haff and Victoria Ferchaw also had scores of 99. Mike emerged the winner of the shoot-off over Victoria to claim A1. Rounding out the other 12-gauge winners were Walt Aldrich (C) and John Yackiw (D).

At midday, the kitchen crew prepared a great lunch, much to the delight of the hungry crowd.  For the afternoon doubles competition, the winds remained relatively calm. Owen Cooley and Bill Kalwas each broke 99 targets. Kalwas won a short shoot-off to claim the doubles title, with Owen Cooley taking the runner-up spot. Doubles class winners were David Cooley (AA), Scott Janowski (A), Jeff Ventry (B), Terry Prem (C) and Jack Mutchler (D).

For the ninth year in a row, a shoot-off was not required to crown the HOA champ. Bill Kalwas bested the field with a superb 198×200 score. This was Bill’s second HOA Champion title in a row. David Cooley and his son Owen shot off for HOA runner-up. This father-son match-up drew the interest of the crowd. David was able to beat Owen after a spirited shoot-off, with Owen taking A1. Owen is a Junior shooter and a rising skeet star. We will be seeing him a lot on future winners’ stands. The remaining HOA class winners were Kody Hoth (AA), Dan Berry (B), Jack Mutchler (C) and William DiSalle (D).

Everything ran smoothly from the registration process through the shoot-offs due to the tireless efforts of the members of the Victor Rod and Gun Club.

We cannot thank Rick Simmonds enough for generously sponsoring this shoot. Rick is a long-standing member of VRGC and an avid shooter. We also want to thank Chief Referee Jim Thompson and his crew of referees, who did a fantastic job as always. Most importantly, we would like to thank the shooters. Without shooters willing to travel from across the region to participate, we could not have a successful shoot. We are very fortunate to have such a passionate group of skeet shooters in this part of the country. We look forward to another great shoot in 2024.

– Contributed by Wes Bailey

5th Annual Harry Michelson Memorial Skeet Tournament

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One of the premier events at St. Joe Valley Conservation Club is the annual Harry Michelson Memorial Skeet Tournament. Harry was a decorated WWII pilot, lifelong NSSA member and chief referee for many years. Harry came to St. Joe Valley for many years, serving as Chief Referee for the many events throughout the summer. Harry passed away in 2018, and his daughter Sandy elected to continue her father’s legacy by sponsoring the tournaments in his honor. This year’s tournament was shot July 14-16. with approximately 60 participants vying for honors and prize money.

Left to right: Bruce Christian, Sandy Michelson, Dave Schiebel

Friday’s weather was excellent to start the tournament. In the doubles event, there were no 100’s shot, but Michael Schmidt and Owen Knight each scored 99. In the shoot-off, Michael Schmidt prevailed, Owen Knight took runner-up and Bruce Christian third.

Saturday morning the 12-gauge event started out a bit wet, with light rain for a good portion of the morning. By noon the skies began to clear, and the sun began to warm things up. There were nine 100 scores posted for the morning rotations. During the shoot-offs, it came down to three shooters going toe to toe, but in the end Bruce Christian, champion, beat out squadmate Dave Schiebel, runner-up, and Jack Krispin (AA1). Other class winners were Mark Presnell (A), Dan Adam (B), Tom Davis (C), Tom Houlihan (D) and Folke Boman (D).

Saturday afternoon skies were sunny with mild wind for the 20-gauge event. By the end of the day, there were 12 perfect 100 scores posted. With that many 100’s posted, shoot-offs took some time, and participants put on a great demonstration of their skills. In the end, Dan Adams prevailed, Donald Kitchen was runner-up and Joshua Crofutt was AA1. Class winners were Jeff Pope (A), Kyle Krispin (B) and Mike VanZile (C).

Sunday morning opened with the 28-gauge event, and shooters enjoyed cloudy skies and light winds. During the morning session, five shooters posted scores of 99. The top shooter at the conclusion of the shoot-offs was Jack Krispin, champion, followed by Fred Tschantz, runner-up, and Mike Rykaczewski Jr. (AA1). Other class winners were Mike Rykaczewski Sr., (A), Adam Smith (B), Kenneth Meyers (C) and Marc Brown (D).

The .410 winds began early in the afternoon and persisted throughout the remainder of the day. Despite the gusty winds, five shooters posted scores of 99. The winds continued to be an issue for the .410 shoot-offs, but Mike Schmidt prevailed to take top honors. Mike Rykaczewski Jr. was runner-up and Brent Edwards AA1. Other class winners were Tom Davis (A), Gerald Novak (B), Adam Smith (C) and Folke Boman (D).

HOA for the 5th Annual Harry Michelson shoot was Mike Rykaczewski Jr. with a 397. Brent Edwards, Mike Schmidt and Jack Krispin shot-off their 395’s to finish in that order. Class winners were Tom Davis (A), Mike Rykaczewski Sr. (B), Mike VanZile (C) and Folke Boman (D).

A big thank you to John Waters and Debbi Perry for sponsoring the “Fun Handicap Bonus Pool” with added money. Several of the shooters benefited from their generosity.

This tournament is one of the favorites here at St. Joe Valley Conservation Club. We have the privilege of honoring a true WWII hero and skeet legend, Harry Michelson. A big thank you to Harry’s daughter, Sandy, for continuing her father’s legacy.

Next year’s tournament will see a change in the date. Because this is a memorial tournament, St. Joe Valley will be hosting this tournament over Memorial Day weekend, May 24-26, 2024. The Kolar Mid America tournament will be held at St. Joe on July 19-21, 2024. So, mark your calendars for those new dates and join us at beautiful St. Joe Valley Conservation Club.

St. Joe Valley Conservation Club is 100% operated by volunteers. A big thank you to all people that work behind the scenes to make this tournament a big success, including the groundskeepers, target loaders, food servers, machine mechanics and those working behind the counter. Thank you!

– Contributed by Ted Nussbaum

20th Holtz Memorial at Generations Skeet Club

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Generations Skeet Club (PA) hosted the 20th annual Holtz Memorial Shoot, a 5-gun affair, on June 2-5, 2023. This shoot is held in memory of Ralph Holtz, his wife Mary Louise, and their grandson Kyle Holtz. Ralph died in 2003, Kyle in 2004, and Mary Louise in 2018.

(L) Chris Kline-410, 28 AND HOA CH, (R) Joe Vescovi – HOA RU

Except for an hour of rain on Saturday afternoon, the weather for the weekend was great. Fifty-five shooters shot at least one gun. Four Maryland shooters joined the festivities — thank you for coming! Top HOA finishers were Chris Kline, champion (395), Joe Vescovi, runner-up (395), and Denny Lehman, third (390). Missy Vescovi was Lady HOA Champion.

Thirty-one participants shot doubles on Friday afternoon. Bryson Fox emerged as Champion after defeating Gary Nace and Joe Vescovi in a shoot-off of 97s. Class firsts went to Mike Wollard (AA), Nace (A), Bill Calvert (B, after a shoot-off of 93s with Michael Moats), Joe Gans V (C), and Bryan Fox (D).

The 28-gauge shooting took place on Saturday morning with 47 shooters participating. Kline was Champion, but not before he won a shoot-off of 99s with five other shooters. Class firsts were Joe Vescovi (AA), Lehman (A), Pat Leyo (B), George Kirik (C) and George Gleich (D).

Shooting continued on Saturday afternoon with the 12-gauge event which involved 53 shooters and a rainstorm during the second flight. There were four 100 straights. Lehman won the shoot-off and was 12-gauge Champion. Kline, Clay Gormish, Bryson Fox, Missy Vescovi, John Davies and James Holtz, respectively, were AA, A, B, C, D, and E class winners.

On Saturday evening a bountiful meal was served including delicious grilled venison hors d’oeuvres prepared by Joe Vescovi, chicken, (grilled by Ryan Holtz) and a large variety of delicious desserts. Following dinner, the Generations Skeet Club’s President’s Award for 2023 was awarded to Pat Leyo for his long-term and outstanding service to the club. The Three-Man Blind event (to be based on Sunday’s .410 scores) was also set up with lively auction bidding for the 14 computer-picked teams after dinner. A total of more than $2,800 was wagered.

The .410 bore was shot on Sunday morning (46 shooters) with beautiful weather prevailing. Kline was Champion and AA1 with a nice 98. Other class firsts went to Wollard (A), Tom Shields (B), Jack Makdad (C), and Dan Amsler (D).

The 20-gauge event took place on Sunday afternoon. Jeff Meidinger roared out of B class, shot the lone 100-straight and was champion — way to go, Jeff! Wollard took AA1 after winning a shoot-off of 99s with Tyler Mroczka. Other class firsts were Joe Vescovi (A), Missy Vescovi (B), Paul Hunt (C) and James Holtz (D).

Ryan Holtz and Mark Strickland handled registration and score keeping/posting; Michael Vescovi was chief referee. Non-shooting referees included Renee Calvert, Paige, Andrea, Elle and Jackie McMullen, Braden Holtz and Alex Farrell. All did a great job, thank you!

Joe McGarvey provided homemade vegetable soup which was gobbled up on Saturday and Sunday. Biscuits and gravy were also available on Sunday. Joe Gans (3 and 5) made delectable sandwiches for lunch on Saturday and Sunday. Renee Calvert’s chocolate chip cookies didn’t last long. As always, Pat Leyo provided filled and regular doughnuts on Saturday and Sunday morning, much to everyone’s delight.

The 3-man blind winners were Chris Kline, Roy Holtz and Dan Amsler, and each shooter received $55. Kline and Lynn Holtz bought the winning team at auction and took home $1,100 to share. Pay-outs went to the four highest-scoring team’s shooters and buyers.

Notable events included: Jeff Meidinger shooting his first 100-straight in 20 years in the 20-gauge; Emily Harshbarger shooting her highest registered score ever (95 in the 20-gauge); Dan Amsler being the “dark horse” in the 3-man team event by shooting an 86 (more than 10 birds above his average) in the .410 and spurring his team to win the event; James Holtz shooting 89 in the 12 and 94 in the 20, good for Junior and Class E first in the former and Junior and Class D first in the latter (Generations’ next wave of skeet shooting youngsters are on their way!).

A notable upcoming event is the Pennsylvania State Skeet Shoot which will be held August 18-20 at beautiful Shenecoy field in McConnellstown, PA. More than 250 shooters and more than $25,000 added money are being anticipated for this event. Please come and join in the fun!

 – Contributed by George Gleich

Three generations of Holtzes
Jeff Meidinger – 20 GA CH
Bryson Fox – DBLS CH
Denny Lehman – 12 GA CH
Three man blind auction

JTH Agency Classic

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Victor Rod and Gun Club proudly hosted the 2023 JTH Agency Classic, June 9-11. This year’s event was the 34th anniversary of this registered skeet tournament and the 19th consecutive year that John and Elizabeth Hessney, owners of the JTH Agency, sponsored the doubles and four-gun events. The Hessneys were very generous, as they always are, providing over $6000 in added money and valuable prizes for this year’s shoot. Shooters traveled from around the regional area to attend this well-respected tournament. 

As club members and shoot committee greeted the shooters, the new pre-registration process helped speed the shooters through the registration process. This year’s shoot was expanded from 50 shooters to 60 shooters to meet the increased interest in this shoot.

Mother Nature provided a very pleasant weekend for shooting with no rain, temperatures in the 70’s, and light winds. The smoke from the Canadian fires even abated. The grounds were in great condition with the grass looking more like a golf course than skeet fields, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the grounds crew. We were set for another great skeet tournament.

Friday afternoon started the competition with 46 shooters in the doubles event. Mat Kelley was the lone shooter to run the rack for a 100. Squadmates Dess Ivanov and Don Lewandoski were one target behind Mat. In a short shoot-off, Don prevailed as runner-up, with Dess taking the AA class title. Other class winners were Scott Janowski (A), Zach Jacot (B), Ron Casella (C), and Tom Williams (D). After the conclusion of the shooting, the shooters were treated to a happy hour and meal compliments of Jim and Hilda Thompson. Thanks, Jim and Hilda!

Saturday’s weather cooperated with the shooters. The morning skies were partly cloudy with little wind, but not bad for early summer in the Northeast. Fifty-eight shooters took to the fields for Saturday’s competition with the .410 bore event first. Four shooters finished the event with a score of 98. Denny Lehman prevailed in the shoot-off to take the .410 champ title with Clay Tietjen claiming the runner-up spot. Class winners were Steve Wood (AA), Kody Hoth (A), Dale Patterson (B), Mike Kinsella (C), and John Yackiw (D).

The 20-gauge competition commenced on Saturday afternoon. Three shooters posted scores of 99. After a lively shoot-off, John Boone was crowned 20-gauge champ, with Kody Hoth following as runner-up and Rick Ayers taking A1. The remaining class winners were Steve Wood (AA), Ethan Call (B), Ed Cornelius (C), and Dave Pickles (D).

This year, Pete Hamann of Pete’s Stockworks in Bloomfield, New York, generously donated $300 in added money for a special 20-gauge handicapped event for B-C-D class shooters only. Ed Cornelius won this year’s handicapped event, with Owen Cooley and Dave Pickles splitting the 2nd and 3rd place monies. Thank you, Pete, for your generous support of this event and for all that you do for the recreational shooting community.

A special shout-out goes to Gavin Polmanteer. Gavin is new to registered skeet shooting. Gavin posted his first 25 straight in the 20-gauge event. As a result, Gavin has a new highly ventilated hat. Congrats, Gavin!

At the conclusion of Saturday’s shoot-offs, the shooters, family members, guests, and gun club volunteers all enjoyed a great happy hour and a succulent steak dinner donated by a group of Victor Rod and Gun Club members. The steaks were grilled to perfection, and all savored them to the last bite.

Sunday’s weather continued to be delightful. With great anticipation, the shooters went to the fields to compete in the 28-gauge and the 12-gauge events. First up was the 28-gauge event. Five shooters were able to post 100’s. Mat Kelley prevailed in the shoot-off to take the 28-gauge champ title, with Steve Wood closely behind to take the runner-up spot. Class winners were Jeff Ventry (AA), Denny Lehman (A), Doug Paddock (B), Ed Cornelius (C), and Joan Paddock (D).

Sunday afternoon featured the 12-gauge event. Four shooters crushed all 100 targets. After a very competitive shoot-off, Steve Wood took home the 12-gauge title, with Denny Lehman as runner-up. Class winners were Dess Ivanov (AA), Kody Hoth (A), Ed Cornelius (B), Paul Barnas (C), John Mutchler (D), and Victor Stirpe (E).

Throughout the weekend, Kody Hoth was steady, consistent, and on-target. Kody’s 393×400 was the top HOA score. Kody needed every target, as Steve Wood was only one target behind to become HOA runner-up. HOA class winners were Mathew Kelley (AA), Denny Lehman (A), Colin Smingler (B), and Ed Cornelius (C-D-E combined).

For the eleventh consecutive shoot, the HOA competition featured the added handicapped HOA Challenge. All four-gun shooters were eligible to enter this event. This event is named “Joe’s Challenge” in memory of Joe Strazzeri. Joe was a great skeet shooter and a stalwart of the Victor Rod and Gun Club. The DIMARCO GROUP donated $2500 in added money for Joe’s Challenge. The event drew great interest from the shooters. The scoreboard was watched closely at the conclusion of each event. When the results were all in, Kody Hoth took home the top prize of $1000, followed in order by Colin Smingler ($750), Peter Bogdon ($500), and Mike Kinsella ($250). Congrats to all winners of this year’s “Joe’s Challenge” handicapped HOA event.

Special thanks go out to our club volunteers for their strong support of this shoot. Congratulations to our admin team of Mark S., Terry P., Andy N., and Keith M. for streamlining the registration process and ensuring that the shoot management process ran flawlessly. Also, thanks to Jim Thompson and Dan Caryl and the great crew of fine referees. We cannot thank shoot sponsors John and Elizabeth Hessney enough for their support and generosity. Each year they give back to the sport by sponsoring this fine shoot. John and Elizabeth are the owners and proprietors of the JTH Agency. They sell quality firearms, apparel, and accessories for the recreational shooting sports. Check out the store online at https://www.jthagency.com

Thank you to this year’s shooters. We appreciate your continued support of this shoot. We look forward to seeing you at the 2024 JTH Agency Classic!

– Contributed by Wes Bailey

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