Ben Killian explains how he put himself on the road to success, with Jasper Fellows

Freezing weather can’t keep Ben from his training

Young shots looking to reach the top need talent, that’s obvious. But even the most talented youngsters still need to nurture that talent, to put in the work, train hard and find a support network that can help mould them into truly competitive clay killing machines.

At just 16 years of age, up and coming Trap and Helice shooting Ben Killian is already on the right path to success.Through hard work, and with the support of some of the best in the industry, he’s turned his clear natural talent into an exceptional ability to pick up silverware. He has already claimed medals at English Opens, Grand Prixes and European Championships and is now working hard towards his ultimate dream of regularly representing Team GB in Olympic Trap on the world stage.

Mind you, Ben didn’t begin shooting in order to chase medals. He first picked up a shotgun, at just 8 years old, for the most relatable of reasons.

“I first started shooting as a way to spend more time with my dad, Wayne,” says Ben. “We would travel to our local ground on Sundays so that I could learn and practise with him. He taught me the basics during those Sunday shoots and slowly I moved from a bolt action .410 all the way up to a full size 12-gauge.”

One of the great joys of the sport is in enjoying it with friends and family, but Sunday shoots weren’t quite enough for young Ben – as his father’s competitive side clearly started to rub off on him.Aged 11, he entered 2016’s British Schools and Young Shots Championships (BSYS), competing in the under-14 league.