August has been a very successful month for me. Not only did I receive my exam results, thankfully achieving a 100 per cent pass rate, I also put my shooting skills to the test once again. A week after winning the West Midland area championship, I returned to Gloucester Clay Shooting Club for the Hereford and Worcester Olympic Skeet county championship.
This was my second competition of the 2020 season, so I was still getting used to the competition environment after such a long time away. The event started off with my worst nightmare: missing the first target out! This is something that can have a psychological effect on the entire competition, as well the round at the time. Starting off well makes the competition feel a little bit smoother and releases a certain amount of pressure.
Missing two in my first nine targets of the competition was an uncomfortable feeling at first, but I was able to dig deep and finish the rest of the competition without a mistake, shooting a 75 ex-75 straight after a challenging 23. I was able to lock myself in a determined state of mind, which was rather blissful, as it was one of those times where you know without a doubt the next target is going to break. The only reason I can think of that allowed me to claim this score was my pre-shot routine, in challenging times the way I continue trudging forward is by going back to basics and sticking to my method, which I know can demolish the targets. Whatever the reason, my score of 98 ex-100 was enough to clinch the county champion title, as well as the junior championship - a very satisfying result.