Sport
7 August, 2024
Top 10 finish for Dobbins
COBDEN’S Fiona Dobbins has finished in the top 10 at the down the line clay target shooting World Titles held in the United Kingdom last month.
Dobbins said she was pleased with the result and had enjoyed the experience of travelling to UK for competition.
She was originally selected as the first emergency for the Australian Ladies Team for the World Titles.
“The team was selected in March for the Australian Nationals in Wagga,” Dobbins said.
“I got a call to say there was a spot to shoot as an individual, so I jumped at the chance.”
Arriving in the UK, the tight knit group looked forward to the competition.
“I competed in an event in the lead up to the Worlds – the Bywell Challenge which is all the international competitors competing against each other.
“I came third in the ladies, I shot a 279 out of 300. I was happy with the result.”
The solid results continued in the World Title event, with Dobbins finishing 10th out of the 50 in the women’s competition.
“My total was 689 out of 750,” she said.
“The competition was held at the Bywell Shooting Grounds in Morphet Felton, England.
“It was an exciting experience to have the opportunity to go.
“It’s a different ball game shooting internationally than in local competitions.”
All four Australian women competing at the World Titles finished in the top 10.
Dobbins began her interest in the sport as a student at Monivae College in Hamilton.
She said the sport was also a large part of her family history with both her great-grandfather and grandfather involved with it in their respective heydays.
Dobbins said her son, Lenny, has also recently taken up the sport.
“He will be competing with the Cobden Technical School team at the South West Zone School students clayshooting competition at the Noorat Gun Club on August 22,” she said.
Dobbins said she hopes more international and national competitions were in her future.