Local Clay Target shooter Scott Brydon has just returned from the International Para-Clay Target Shooting Grand Prix in Italy where he finished a very creditable 4th.
Brydon has a ball at Para-Clay Grand Prix
Brydon, who became a paraplegic after a motorcycle accident in 2011, competed in the wheelchair Para-Clay category in Italy.
Brydon and another Australian shooter, Mark Farrow (pictured opposite) represented Australia.
In his wheelchair class, Brydon was up against 30 other competitors and, after finishing the regular competition with a score of 101 out of a possible 125 targets, he’d qualified for a shoot-off for the gold medal match.
Shooting against the New Zealand competitor and former gold medallist in this competition, Anthony Brogden, the scores were level after shooting 10 targets. Then, in order to find a winner, the competition was extended with more targets added.
Brydon eventually lost out to the Kiwi (who went on to the shoot-off for the gold medal) and Brydon was relegated to the bronze medal match. He unfortunately lost this match by one target to his Italian rival to place fourth overall, which was a great result for a relative new-comer to the sport.
Brydon only took up clay target shooting a few years ago after his accident when he was looking for a sport he could handle in his wheelchair.
Being paralysed from the chest down, he has a limited range of movement and cannot rotate to the right and so he straps himself into his chair when he is competing.
This year’s Grand Prix event attracted 74 competitors representing 15 different countries and was held at the T.A.V Accademia Lombarda Shooting Range at Battuda just outside Milan.
Shooters competed in very foggy conditions from October 28 to 30.
Also at the shoot were representatives of Para-Clay Shooting and the International Paralympic Committee.
Brydon is looking at more international competition in the future and said there is talk of a three series World Cup planned for next year.
“We are hoping there will be an exhibition event in the Tokyo Para-Olympics so we are aiming for that,” Mr Brydon said.
He said he was very grateful for the donations he received from local community groups and a gofundme.com page that helped him to raise the money to be able to travel to Italy to compete.
This exhibition event is in the hopes of para-clay target shooting becoming a competition event at the 2024 Para-Olympic games.
