Another adjustment in the SABU calendar saw the conclusion of the State President competition move to Friday this year. The State President’s competition is similar to the King’s Prize in the UK. Competitors qualify for the 3rd and final stage via the aggregation of the scores from the first 2 stages. The score from the 1st stage is dropped for the final with the score from the second stage (out of 150) being carried forwards. The final comprises 15 shots at each of 800 and then 900m, starting at 9am local time.

We usually shoot long range in the afternoon in South Africa. By then the ground and air is hot and the wind has normally swung round to behind and from the right. However, as regular readers will know by now the mornings often are cooler, with a stiff breeze from the left. That was the case this morning and so sights were tuned and adjusted and 158 competitors lined up hoping for bullseyes. The wind deflection varied across the shoot from very little (perhaps 6 inches deflection) to up to 4½ feet at times, enough to push the unwary and unlucky well into the 4.

Matthew Ensor, recent winner of the SA Grand Aggregate, set the early pace with an impressive 75.9, hotly followed by Parag Patel and Nick Tremlett. Back to 900m and as the temperature rose the wind swung round, the variability increased significantly. Those allocated firing points nearer to the flag lines down the range may have felt that they had an advantage, but the wind had other ideas! Trips into the 3 and even the 2 were not uncommon and average scores across the team were 69 or 70 out of 75. Top Brit at 900m was Parag Patel with a mighty 73.8, which, when added to his scores of 147 in the 2nd stage and 75 at 800m meant a finishing score of 295.32. What followed was a nervous wait for other scores to see if that would be enough to win the State Presidents. After a very long 15 minutes the top 3 was announced by General Mac. Brandon Green (USA) finished in 3rd with 294.32, with Jim Carter (NZ) in second place, 1 vee behind Parag Patel who won a ride in the Chair, carried by delighted team mates across the range.

The conclusion of the State President competition would normally signal the end of the SA Championships but in 2024 an additional SABU Cup competition was scheduled, to be shot by the top 20 competitors from the aggregated scores across the Championship competitions to date. Those firers lined up again at 900m for a final 15 shots during the hottest, and windiest part of the day. Matthew Ensor carried a 2-point lead going in, ahead of Messrs Green (USA) and Coetzee (SA), with David Luckman a further point behind. GBRT had 4 members in the final, with Chris Mitchell and Nick Healy also placing in the top twenty.

Early on it was clear that conditions were challenging with 4s being as common as vees across the range. Matthew Ensors 4th and 5th shots were swept into the 4 by the wind, pegging him back into a 3-way tie for 1st. Through the middle of the shoot further shots were lost by all parties during a particularly tricky patch, but Matthew finished strongly with 5 bulls for a 70.4. Mattthew and his target-mate Alexander Coetzee had finished faster than their rivals and all that was left now was to watch the others finish.

Alex had finished 4,4 for a score of 70.3 but Brandon Green continued strongly, leading by 2 points (but fewer vees) with 3 shots to go. Shot 13 was pushed right into the 4 meaning that any further dropped points would result in Matthew taking the title. Brandon’s 14th was an excellent vee bull and the whole range waited with bated breath for his last. It came up in the bull for a hugely impressive finish of 73.5 and with it the SA Open Championships.

Our congratulations to Brandon, and all the finalists, on an excellent week’s shooting! As is customary the winner was, like Parag earlier, chaired off the range by jubilant teammates to the applause of all. With shooting finished for the day we headed back to the hotel to refresh, swim and relax for a few hours (some had trips to the armourer and or physios!) before the SABU prize giving followed by a team dinner at one of our favourite steak restaurants.