Cutting down a talented list of shooters with worthy records over the past 12 months was particularly tough, but Clay Shooting magazine is proud to announce the Clay Shooters of the Year Awards 2015.
George Digweed
At one point this year, George had won three world championships in four months. He became the only person ever to win the biggest prizes in English Sporting, FITASC Sporting and Compak in one calendar year. Long live the king.
Mark Winser
Not only did he win the biggest prize in clay shooting by hitting 25-straight on the toughest of sequences to claim the Range Rover Autobiography at Royal Berkshire’s Ultimate One, he conquered the Essex Masters, the FITASC British Grand Prix, the All Round British Open and the Jack Pyke English Open. He also won the Clay Shooting Classic for the third consecutive year – this level of success could not be ignored.
Cheryl Hall
Cheryl earned a massive cash prize at the Nad Al Sheba Desert Shooting Championship. She topped the FITASC Sporting World Championship, and the Compak World Championship win was her fifth in seven years. She won the European FITASC Championship for the seventh year straight, and domestic competitions like the Beretta World and the British Open seemed like a breeze.
Joy Hirons
Joy Hirons has gone undefeated in the Ladies category. Look at the results of any major – Home International, British Open, English Open, and the others – and at the top of every Ladies competition in Wales, England, Ireland or Northern Ireland you will see her name.
Amber Hill
A trip to the first ever European Games led to a succession of big achievements and wins. She won gold in Baku – along with an Olympic quota place – then claimed bronze in the Gabala World Cup. Amber was invited to the World Cup Final where she brought home the top prize again. And more recently, she earned a spot on the British team for Rio de Janeiro 2016.
Michael Turner
When one person wins one of the biggest CPSA events in the DTL calendar, the English Open, not many expect that same person to win the British. But Michael Turner hit his first ever perfect score of 100/300 to claim the top prize in England. Then, travelling abroad with the team to the Home International in Ireland, Michael hit every target to win the British.
British Double Trap
The teams that represented Britain at the European and World Championships this year were dominant. At the European Championship, Tim Kneale shot 142 to go with Steve Scott and Matt Coward-Holley’s scores of 139 for a first-place finish.
At the World Championship in Lonato, Tim and Matt pulled on their British tracksuits, this time with the support of Matthew French and they struck gold again.
I vote for Cheryl because she’s such an inspiration to all us female shooters. Hope she wins!!