Wayne Pickersgill (centre) shooting at Geraldton last week. Photo: Ron Chambers
Last weekend was the annual Crayfish Carnival in Geraldton where over three days, shooters gathered from all over WA to compete for the Golden Crayfish.
This year a team of five Esperance locals included Wayne Pickersgill, Hayley Channing, Stefan Colagiuri, Wally Walsh and Shire President Ron Chambers.
Mr Chambers said he got into the sport of shooting earlier this year at the annual Esperance Easter shoot.
“As Shire president, I opened the clay target shoot by shooting a clay target,” he said
“I had to give it some practise, but it was something I really clicked with.”
This year’s Crayfish Carnival brought together 212 shooters and according to Mr Chambers, the diversity of the competitors was one of the best parts of the sport.
“The good thing about clay target shooting is there were kids starting at 15 and men in their 90’s competing together,” he said.
“Because it’s set up with handicaps, it tends to level out the competition.”
“That brings with it that real community side of it.”
Among the competitors were Olympic shooters Laetisha Scanlan, James Willet and Mitchell Iles who travelled cross-country to shoot at Geraldton.
Mr Chambers said that though the Esperance team couldn’t bring the Golden Crayfish home, they all did the town proud.
