Despite a massive storm the night before and light drizzle on the morning of the competition, nothing would dampen the mood of competitors in the Western Cape PRS competition held, last year, in Darling Steel Valley.
The SAPRF committee decided to combine the provincial and national shoots giving competitors the option of shooting on the first day and logging their scores for the provincial series or to stay and shoot in the shoot in the nationals on the second day.
The first day comprised 10 stages of eight shots and an additional six stages planned on day two. The first stage was on the rooftop but this one differed as competitors had to shoot from the side of the roof and they moved to a new position every four shots, what’s more, is that the angle of the roof made getting into a good angle very difficult. This set the tone for the other stages with challenges such as shooting from different size cable spools, a traditional tank trap with a twist and shooting from different positions on a rocky outcrop.
The final stage on day one saw three 50cm water pipes in a J shape and only the bipod of the rifle was to touch the pipe. It was a long and innovative day with gaps in the programme due to rain which meant it was a late finish.
Luckily the weather was kinder on Sunday and the competitors were challenged with six stages that were more long-range skills with a mixture of positional shooting. One of the most aptly named stages, The Viper, left a number of competitors feeling somewhat down but perhaps the view after this challenging stage made up for it?
The Sunday stages finished around 2 pm where the entire team of shooters gathered for an informal meal and the prize giving which saw the following results:
Open Class
1st – Garth Olivier
2nd – Le Riche Coetzer
3rd – Schalk Jacobs
Factory Class
1st Rob Ramsden
2nd – Perry De Gouveia
Tactical/Limited Class
1st – Greg Sykes
2nd Yvette van der Westhuizen
3rd – Neville Koudstaal
There was so much camaraderie and enthusiasm shown by the organizers and competitors alike, set in the most beautiful surroundings and with much to offer everyone in terms of learning and improving their shooting accuracy – time well spent.
