Local skeet shooter Ewan Holtzhausen won several gold medals at the Skeet (Clay Target) Championships for juniors and seniors in the USA last month (October).
The talented marksman’s achievements in San Antonio, Texas, places him in the top tier of skeet shooters in South africa.
“I do not know if it has sunk in yet; I obviously feel ecstatic about it, but I also know many others could have won the first prize. There were so many shoot-offs that I was very fortunate. I believe luck played a role on the day,” a humble Holtzhausen related.
The Stellenbosch resident won one gold medal in the junior category and three gold medals in the seniors in the 12, 20, and 28 gauges.
Practicing twice a week, Holtzhausen prepared for the championship by regularly going to Valley Gun Club, between Wellington and Paarl. “I practiced at least two to three times a week and, leading up to our departure to the USA, I continuously practiced for the month with my coach Rick Rodrigues, who flew down to assist me. My dad also helped a lot,” he pointed out.
The competition was extremely tough and the conditions were warm and windy at times, and the level of shooting was “out of this world”. “To win the medals, I had to compete in six shoot-offs, there were 16 to 17 people with exactly the same score and we moved onto a sudden death shoot-off. My first shoot-off was at night, under floodlights. You shoot doubles from the left and the right, simultaneously when the clays are released and if you miss one, you fall out until the last man is standing, so I was very fortunate to win all the shoot-offs,” Holtzhausen said.
“Everyone at the Valley Clay Target Club, Western Province and NSSA has helped me over many years. I started the sport when I was 12 years old and over the last four and half years, I have been privileged to be surrounded by shooters who have guided me and people who have to assisted me.
“Skeet shooting is a sport that I will recommend to others, especially to a father and son, as my dad always shoots with me or is present when I shoot; it allows a lot of time to interact with one another.”
