GSSF INAUGURAL COSTUME STEEL CHALLENGE MATCH A SUCCESS WITH B.M. SOAT AUTO SALES SPONSORSHIP

Halloween in Guyana has been changing over the past few years….. but after last Saturday 31^st October, 2015, handgun shooters in Guyana will never be the same. History was created as the Guyana Sport Shooting Foundation hosted its Inaugural Costume Steel Challenge Shooting Match which was exclusively sponsored by B.M Soat Auto Sales. This first themed competition at the GDF Range at Yarrowkabra saw participants taking part donning costumes of their liking and included a Joker, Pocahontas, Superman, a Cowboy and a Male Stripper.

Shooters and spectators in attendance deemed it a fun and successful event and the competitors who were apprehensive about dressing in costume vowed to make it a memorable one come next year.

The local pistol shooters competed in two Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA) Divisions: Wildcat and Limited. Up for grabs were Halloween themed trophies for the top three shooters in each division. Wildcat Division consisted of competitors using .32ACP and lower calibre firearms whereas those in the Limited Division shot 9mm or higher calibre firearms. The match consisted of three sanctioned S.C.S.A. stages (Smoke & Hope, Speed Option and Five to Go) with the action being monitored by the Range Officers.

In his opening remarks, Match Director, Mr. David Dharry welcomed the members who came out to take part in this Inaugural Costume Steel Challenge Tier 1 Match and encouraged shooters to have fun and to keep safety as their number one priority while vying for the incentive of leaving with one of the aptly themed trophies all sponsored by B.M. Soat Auto Sales. Mr. David Dharry then introduced Range Master for the event Mr. Michael Blake who reviewed the safety requirements and introduced Range Officers Ms. Vidushi Persaud and Mr. Ray Beharry.

After Mr. Dharry declared the Match open, shooters began the afternoon’s rivalry with the first of the three stages being the famous Smoke & Hope stage which as with all SCSA stages consisted of five steel targets and comprised the largest targets at the shortest distances, affording shooters an attempt at maximizing their speed and minimizing their times. This was followed by Speed Option which tested the shooters’ ability to quickly transition from near and far off targets. The final stage of the day was Five To Go which challenged shooters to engage the smaller 10” plates at varying distances in short transitional distances.

Shooters were scored using an audible timing device, penalties of added time applied for any misses and the total time resultant used as the score. Competitors are ranked in ascending order of overall time.

Leading overall with 66.72 seconds was “the Joker” to show that shooting steel is certainly not a joke. Taking home the 1^st Place trophy was un-defeated local Steel Challenge Shooter, Mr. Ryan McKinnon (dressed as the Joker). Second place was secured by Mr. Ray Beharry, who came out as a “Stripper” who was 10.74 seconds faster than third placed Ms. Vidushi Persaud who came dressed as Pocahontas. In the Wildcat Division, Mr. Peter Hugh emerged the 1^st place victor over Mr. Marcel Mungal. Trophies were handed over by the sponsor’s representative, Mr. Roberto Tewari.

In closing, Match Director Mr. David Dharry expressed sincere thanks to B.M. Soat Auto Sales of Lot 9 Croal Street, Georgetown for the kind sponsorship of the themed competition, Queensway for making Armscor ammunition available for the match and Mr. Lennox Cush of Star Party Rental.

The Guyana Sport Shooting Foundation wishes to thank the Chief of Staff of the GDF, Brigadier Phillips, GPF Commissioner Persaud, GPF Asst. Commissioner Ramnarine, GPF Commander Hicken, GPF OC TSU Superintendent Dehnert, Senior Superintendent Mr. Bacchus, GPF Corporal Dunn and the ranks of the GPF Armoury and TSU, Ms. Priya Mohamed, Messrs. Bashair and Rameez Mohamed and the Management of B.M. Soat Auto Sales.

As an affiliate of the Steel Challenge Shooting Association, a sister body of the United States Practical Shooting Association, the GSSF has been organising matches following their strict safety policies. This simple, yet action-packed shooting sport attracts Guyanese pistol shooters from all around the country on a regular basis.

In photos below:

1. Group picture of the Inaugural Costume Steel Challenge Tier 1 Match. In centre, Match Director David Dharry (in red) and BM Soat Auto Sales representative, Mr. Roberto Tewari (kneeling second from right in blue) flanked by other shooters.
2. Trophy Winners surround Mr. Roberto Tewari, representative of sponsor B.M. Soat Auto Sales.