HAMILTON shooter Allan Pollock will represent Victoria at the Australian Clay Target Championships.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Pollock, 58, is one of five marksmen who make up the state men’s squad for the championships at Wagga Wagga in March and April.
The self-employed builder earned selection by producing a stellar set of performances at state championships at Echuca last weekend.
Selectors used results in the single barrel, double barrel and points score events to select the Victorian squad.
Pollock hit 50/50 in the single barrel, 50/50 in the double barrel and finished with 149/150 in the points score.
He failed to claim top honours in either discipline — losing the first two in a shootoff — but was the best-performed Victorian across the three.
Pollock said he was “very pleased” to secure his berth in the Victorian squad.
He was confident of a good weekend at Echuca, having impressed at the 2014 nationals earlier this year.
But state selection barely entered his thinking. “The Victorian state team is the hardest team in Australia to get into, simply because there are so many good shots in Victoria,” he said.
Pollock took up clay target shooting in 1991. He used to go field hunting “but I don’t see any need to kill things”.
“I was doing a bit of field shooting. That led me to shooting field and game, which is another clay target discipline,” he said.
“From there I went into down-the-line shooting, simply because it gives you the opportunity to shoot at a lot of targets.” He has been a regular at state and national carnivals since, holding his own against the best shooters the country has to offer.
Pollock has never represented his state but lined up for an Australian B team at the 2006 world championships at Wagga Wagga.
“I travel all over Australia doing it. It’s very enjoyable.It’s a very social sport,” he said.
His other results at Echuca included 42/50 in the double rise and 45/50 in the handicap. He scored 336/350 to place about 10th overall. He was also among the three-member South West Zone men’s squad, which hit 72/75 and finished runner-up.
afawkes@fairfaxmedia.com.au