Clay Target Nation

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

JTH Agency Classic

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Left to right: HOA Champ Dan Morris, Shoot Sponsor John Hessney, HOA A1st Champ Clay Tietjen, and HOA RU Dess Ivanov.

Victor Rod and Gun Club in New York hosted the 2022 JTH Agency Classic from June 10 to June 12. This year’s event was the 33rd anniversary of this registered skeet tournament and the 18th 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 $6,000 in added money and prizes for this year’s shoot. Shooters traveled from the Western New York region, Pennsylvania and Illinois to attend this well-respected tournament. We were delighted to have our Canadian friends be able to attend this year as the COVID border restrictions have eased.

The club members and shoot committee greeted the shooters. The VRGC website online registration helped speed the shooters through the registration process. After volatile spring weather in the Rochester area, Mother Nature provided a very pleasant weekend for shooting. The clubhouse and grounds were in tournament condition due to the hours of preparation work by our club’s volunteers. The members take great pride in hosting this event. We always strive to live up to the shoot’s tagline as the “Biggest Little Shoot in New York State.”

Friday afternoon started the competition with 44 shooters in the doubles event. No shooter was able to run all the targets. Squadmates Dess Ivanov and Steve Wood each posted excellent scores of 98. In a short shoot-off, Dess prevailed as champ with Steve taking the runner-up spot. Class winners were Craig Parsons (AA), Scott Janowski (A), Mike Haff (B), Al Grundman (C) and Mike Kinsella (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 a little wind, but not bad for early summer in the Northeast. Fifty shooters took to the fields for Saturday’s competition with the .410 bore event first. No shooter was able to break 100 .410 targets. Brian (BJ) Jensen lost only one bird to finish with a field best of 99, claiming the champ’s title. Canadian Dan Morris and Pennsylvanian Mike Wojtecki posted 98s. Dan was runner-up after besting Mike in a shoot-off. Mike took the B class champ title. Other class winners were Dennis Lehman (AA), Don Lewandoski (A), Ron Casella (C) and John Yackiw (D).

The 20-gauge competition commenced on Saturday afternoon. Another full field of 50 shooters took to the fields. Mat Kelley and Clay Tietjen brought the first 100’s to the clubhouse. Mat triumphed as 20-gauge champ, with Clay becoming the runner-up. After the shoot-off clay dust settled, the class winners were Dan Morris (AA), Rick Laurito (A), Terry Prem (B), Guy Barr (C) and Joan Paddock (D).

This year, Pete Hamann generously donated $300 in added money for a special 20-gauge handicapped event for B-C-D class shooters only. Pete is the owner of Pete’s Stockworks & Shooting Supplies, LLC in Bloomfield, NY. Guy Barr won this year’s special 20-gauge handicapped event, with Doug Goodman and Kerry Henderson splitting the 2nd and 3rd place money. Thank you, Pete, for your generous support of this event and for all that you do for the recreational shooting community.

At the conclusion of Saturday’s shoot-offs, the shooters, family members, 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. Jim Hunter emceed the night’s events and got the festivities started. As a special note, Jim Hunter is one of the founders of this shoot. Thanks, JimBob, for all of your contributions to this registered shoot over the past 33 years.

Sunday’s weather was ominous with a forecast that included possible thunderstorms. Undaunted, 50 shooters went to the fields to compete in the 28-gauge and 54 in the 12-gauge event. Much to the delight of the shooters, the weather held off until near the end of day. First up was the 28-gauge event. The winds were calm, and Ivanov and Wood took advantage by running all 100 targets. After a friendly shoot-off, Steve Wood came out the 28-gauge champ, with Dess Ivanov being the runner-up. Scott Janowski’s score of 99 earned him the AA title. Other class winners were Colin Smingler (A), Clay Tietjen (B), Mike Kinsella (C) and Joan Paddock (D).

Sunday afternoon featured the 12-gauge event. Three shooters – Ivanov, Morris and Justin Aldrich – crushed all 100 targets. After a very competitive and hard-fought shoot-off, Ivanov took home the 12-gauge title, with Morris being the runner-up, and Aldrich claiming the A1 title. Other class winners were Steve Wood (AA), Jim Reilly (B), John Yackiw (C), Todd Abbey (D), and Emily Streber (E).

As a special note, during the 12-gauge competition, Don Lewandoski shot his 50,000th registered target. Congratulations, Don!

For the third consecutive year, a 395×400 was the top HOA score. This year, though, both Dan Morris and Dess Ivanov posted the 395s. Morris won the shoot-off to claim the 2022 JTH Agency Classic HOA title. Ivanov finished as the runner-up. The class winners were Mathew Kelley (AA), Clay Tietjen (A), Brian Jensen (B), Kerry Henderson (C) and Joan Paddock (D).

For the tenth consecutive shoot, the HOA competition featured the added handicapped HOA Challenge. All four-gun shooters were eligible to enter this event, 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. Sadly, we lost Joe to pancreatic cancer in November, 2018. Joe was a great friend to all that knew him. He is greatly missed, but always remembered. Our shoot sponsors, John and Elizabeth, added a bounty of prizes for this event including two Beretta shotguns and a Briley gift certificate. Needless to say, the event drew great interest from the shooters. The score board was watched closely at the conclusion of each event. When the results were all in, Clay Tietjen took home a 20-gauge Beretta A400 Action shotgun, Dan Morris won the 12-gauge Beretta A400 XCEL shotgun, and Dess Ivanov won the Briley gift certificate. Congrats to all winners of this year’s “Joe’s Challenge” handicapped HOA event.

Special thanks go out to our shoot chairman Andy Nolan who manages the shoot project. He has strong support from Keith, Max, Hilda and Jim T., John Y, Terry P, Ron B and many others. Also, thanks to 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 www.jthagency.com.

We look forward to seeing you at the 2023 JTH Agency Classic!

– Contributed by Wes Bailey

Pictured left to right are HOA Champ Dan Morris, Shoot Sponsor John Hessney, HOA A1st Champ Clay Tietjen, and HOA runner-up Dess Ivanov.

JTH Agency Classic

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Victor Rod and Gun Club hosted the JTH Agency Classic on June 8-10, the 15th consecutive year that John and Elizabeth Hessney, owners of the JTH Agency, sponsored the Doubles and four-gun event and 30th anniversary of the tournament. For the shoot’s anniversary celebration, the Hessneys increased the added money and prizes to a combined value of over $6000, much to the appreciation of the shooters. Shooters trekked to the Victor Rod and Gun Club from western and central New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Canada. As the shooters arrived at the club, they encountered the customary hospitality and a facility and grounds gleaming from months of preparation and numerous capital improvements. The club does its best to live up to the shoot’s claim as the “Biggest Little Shoot in New York State.”

The JTH Agency Classic started with the Doubles competition on Friday afternoon, with 40 shooters taking to the fields under clear skies and warm temperatures. Dess Ivanov was right on the targets, bagging all 100 for his first 100 straight in Doubles competition. Five shooters tied with scores of 98. William Kalwas was the eventual winner of the shoot-off to claim Doubles runner-up. Other Doubles winners were Ian Smingler (AA), Dean Herzberg (A), Colin Smingler (B), Mike Kinsella (C), and Victor Stirpe (D). After the conclusion of the shooting, all of the shooters, referees, and volunteers were invited into the club house for an excellent Italian-style meal donated by Tim Archetko, executive chef of the very popular Otto Tomotto’s Good Italian restaurant in Victor, NY. Otto Tomotto’s is one of the highest-rated Italian-style restaurants in the area, and the shooters thoroughly enjoyed the delicious meal.

Saturday’s weather was perfect for skeet, as the winds were calm all day and the blue sky presented a very good background. A total of 42 shooters took the field for Saturday morning’s .410 bore event. Dan Walker crushed all 100 targets for his first 100 straight in competition. Dan needed every target to outlast a pair of 99s from Corey Bogart (runner-up) and Dale “Bob” Patterson (A1). The balance of the .410 field of winners were Dess Ivanov (AA), Scott Janowski (B), Mike Wojtecki (C), and Al Morris (D).

The 20-gauge event concluded the shooting on Saturday afternoon. Ian Smingler got all 100 targets to take the champ title. After a lively shoot-off of three shooters, Canadian Dean Herzberg prevailed as 20-gauge runner-up. The balance of the class winners were Dess Ivanov (AA), Peter Bogdon (A), Ethan Call (B), Victoria Barner (C), and Steve Dickerman (D).

Again this year, shooter Randy Cook generously donated $300 in added money for a special 20-gauge handicapped event for B-C-D class shooters only. Victoria Barner and William Black tied for the top two scores, splitting the prize money. We really can’t thank Randy enough for his generosity and his support of this very popular event. We are very fortunate to have thoughtful and generous shooters like Randy that give back to the sport they love so much.

At the conclusion of the shoot-offs, the shooters, family members, and gun club neighbors all enjoyed a festive happy hour with free refreshments and hors d’oeuvres featuring sushi donated by California Rollin’. How many shoots have sushi? The sushi was a big hit and quickly disappeared. The shooters and guests were then treated a great steak dinner, donated by Dick Evans, Don Lewandoski, Mark Snyder, Justin Aldrich, and Joe Strazzeri. Ron and John grilled the steaks to perfection. Jim Hunter emceed the night’s events and got the festivities started. The shooters and their guests had a great time renewing acquaintances and catching up with their skeet friends. As an added feature, the Hessneys donated enough prizes for every four-gun shooter to win a prize in a raffle. The smiles abounded.

Partly sunny skies and comfortable temperatures greeted the 43 shooters for Sunday’s lead-off 28-gauge event. Six shooters posted scores of 99 in the event. After a suspenseful shoot-off, Ian Smingler emerged as 28-gauge champ with Don Lewandoski as runner-up. Dean Herzberg finished as the AA class winner. Other class winners were Ed Call (A), Bill Costello (B), John Yackiw (C), and George Kirik (D).

On Sunday afternoon, the scoring continued in the 12-gauge event with Dan Morris and Dave Eckert posting 100s. Morris won the shoot-off to become the champ. Eckert took runner-up honors. Other 12-gauge winners were Ian Smingler (AA), Don Lewandoski (A), Mike Kinsella (B), George Kirik (C), Al Morris (D), and Joe Messineo (E).

After the conclusion of the four-gun events, the HOA title required a shoot-off between Dan Morris and Ian Smingler to determine HOA champ. Dan and Ian each had 394×400 four-gun totals. After a short shoot-off, Dan Morris was victorious as HOA champ, with Ian finishing as runner-up. Other HOA honors went to Ivanov (AA), Lewandoski (A), Victoria Barner (B), and Mike Wojtecki (C/D/E).

For the seventh consecutive year, the HOA competition featured the added handicapped JTH Agency Classic HOA Challenge. All four-gun shooters were automatically entered to win premium prizes for the event. John Kapron won this year’s HOA Challenge event and received a Beretta A400 Xcel shotgun. Ian Smingler claimed the second-place prize of a Beretta A300 shotgun. The third-place prize of a $600 Briley companion tube gift certificate was earned by Dess Ivanov. Fourth place was a fine Boyt shotgun case that went to Dan Morris. Three more shotgun cases were given out to the fifth- through seventh-place finishers. How is that for a bundle of prizes? Congrats to all winners of this special event, and thanks to John Hessney for the donations of these fine prizes, in addition to the added money for the shoot.

The JTH Agency Classic is a great source of pride for the members of the Victor Rod and Gun Club. The club is very fortunate to have such a group of dedicated volunteers that devote countless hours to making this shoot the best that it can be. It is gratifying to know the shooters notice the effort and show their appreciation. We truly appreciate that the shooters keep this shoot on their shoot calendar and return each year. Many shooters have been coming to this shoot for more than 10 years and some from the very first shoot. Thanks for your support!

Special thanks go out to our shoot chairman Andy Nolan who manages the shoot project. He has strong support from many members. Thanks also to Dan Caryl for being the chief referee and to his great crew of fine referees. Many thanks go to the advertisers in the shoot program. We believe that we have one of the best quality shoot programs in the country. We can’t 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.

Please go to VRGC web site (www.victorgunclub.com) to check out pictures of the shoot. The club continues to make a number of continuous improvements to make the shooting experience better every year. See you in 2019!

– Contributed by Wes Bailey

JTH Agency Classic at Victor Rod and Gun Club

By

Victor Rod and Gun Club (New York) hosted the JTH Agency Classic June 9-11. It marked the 14th consecutive year that John and Elizabeth Hessney, owners of the JTH Agency, sponsored this Doubles and four-gun event and the 29th anniversary of this registered skeet tournament. Shooters arrived at the Victor Rod and Gun Club from western and central New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Canada. The shooters saw first-hand how the months of preparation and numerous capital improvements provided a first class-shooting venue for the “Biggest Little Shoot in New York State.”

The JTH Agency Classic started with the Doubles competition on Friday afternoon with 40 shooters taking to the fields under clear skies and a slight breeze. Canadian Doubles champ Dan Morris let one bird escape, but his 99 was enough to win without a shoot-off. Both Steve Wood and Dean Herzberg took their 98s to a shoot-off to determine the Doubles runner-up. In a lengthy shoot-off, Wood prevailed, with Herzberg becoming the A1 class champ. Other Doubles winners were Don Lewandoski (AA), Ed Freedman (B), Brian Quealy (C), and Victor Stirpe (D).

The spring weather in western New York brought historic amounts of rainfall. Saturday’s weather did break with a threat of a shower, but fortunately all the showers passed around the club, and the day turned into a warm, breezy summer day. A total of 49 shooters took the field for Saturday morning’s .410 bore event. Ian Smingler bagged 98 targets to best the field and claim the .410 bore champ spot. The balance of the .410 field of winners were Des Ivanov (AA), Mat Kelley (A), Ed Call (B), John Mutchler (C), and Al Morris (D).

The 20-gauge event concluded the shooting on Saturday afternoon. Five shooters were perfect in crushing 100 targets. After a spirited shoot-off, Canadian Dean Herzerg won the 20-gauge championship, with junior shooter Hunter Dickerman close behind as the runner-up. The balance of the class winners were Joe Strazzeri (AA), Justin Aldrich (A), John Mutchler (B), Michael Cawley (C), and Al Morris (D).

Again this year, shooter Randy Cook generously donated $300 in added money for a special 20-gauge handicapped event for B-C-D-class shooters. Junior shooter Michael Cawley had the top handicap score and won the first-place money, with John Mutchler and Al Morris splitting the runner-up cash prize.

Clear skies and warm temperatures greeted the 50 shooters for Sunday’s lead-off 28-gauge event and closing 12-gauge event. The high scores continued with three 100s and two 99s. In a three-way shoot-off, Ian Smingler bested Dennis Lehman, runner-up, and Mat Kelley to take 28-gauge champ honors. Mat Kelley finished the event as the AA class winner. Other winners included Justin Aldrich (A), Dave Eckert (B), Mark Snyder (C), and Jim Fox (D).

On Sunday afternoon, Ian Smingler, Mat Kelley, and Steve Wood all posted 100s in the 12-gauge event. In a shoot-off lasting into the third box, Ian Smingler emerged as the 12-gauge winner. Kelley took runner-up honors with Wood becoming the AA class champ. Other 12-gauge winners were Colin Smingler (A), Hunter Dickerman (B), Jim Johnson (C), Michael Cawley (D), and Al Morris (E).

The HOA champ was decided without the need for a shoot-off. Ian Smingler dropped only two targets to register the top score of 398. Mat Kelley was three targets behind to finish as HOA runner-up. Other HOA honors went to Ivanov (AA), Joe Strazzeri (A), Hunter Dickerman (B), John Mutchler (C), and Al Morris (D).

For the sixth year, the HOA competition featured the added handicapped JTH Agency Classic HOA Challenge. All four-gun shooters were automatically entered to win premium prizes for the event. Joe Strazzeri won this year’s HOA Challenge event and took home a certificate for a full set of Briley matched-weight tubes. Al Morris claimed the second-place prize of a premium Perazzi gun case. The third-place prize of a Beretta gun case was earned by Ian Smingler. Congrats to all winners of this special event and thanks to John Hessney for the donations of these fine prizes, in addition to the added money for the shoot.

The JTH Agency Classic is a source of pride for the members of the Victor Rod and Gun Club. The club is fortunate to have a group of such dedicated volunteers who devote countless hours to making this shoot the best it can be. We appreciate that the shooters keep this shoot on their shoot calendar and return each year.

Special thanks to shoot chairman Andy Nolan, along with many volunteers. Thanks also to chief referee Dan Caryl and his great crew of fine referees. Many thanks to the advertisers in our excellent shoot program and to shoot sponsors John and Elizabeth Hessney for their support and generosity. 

Visit victorgunclub.com to see photos from the shoot.

– Contributed by by Wes Bailey

Click on the photo to enlarge it.

JTH Agency Classic
JTH Agency Classic

 

 

 

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