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GEORGE NEWS - The fifth International Hunting Rifle Shooting Association (IHRSA) World Hunting Rifle Shooting Championship concluded on Saturday 18 July with a formal awards dinner celebrating the event's top performers after a week of demanding competition and unexpected challenges.
The larger calibre .222/.223 competition got under way on Wednesday 15 July across six challenging ranges constructed against the southern mountain slopes of Louvain Farm.
The event took an unexpected turn that afternoon when a road collapsed due to the recent heavy rains, leaving about 20 vehicles and competitors stranded behind the damaged section.
Farm owners, volunteers and organisers stepped in to transport the competitors and their rifles to the main farm, where they were provided a warm meal before the competition resumed the following morning.
A competitor takes aim during the championship on Louvain Farm. Photo: Chené Adam
Thursday's opening ceremony for the open category featured the national anthems of the participating countries before another weather-related challenge emerged. Dense fog reduced visibility to less than 20m, delaying shooting until 10:45, when the competitors could finally see the targets positioned at distances of 250m and beyond. The day's programme included five paper target stages and one gong range, and the shooting continued until 17:00.
Friday's course of fire tested the competitors across six steel gong ranges at distances ranging from 175 to 400m. The shooters navigated obstacles such as farm gates, tractor tyres and cattle passages while working under strict time limits. Some 160 competitors completed six ranges before the final shooter finished at 17:30.
A competitor takes aim from inside a tractor tyre, one of several unconventional shooting positions competitors had to negotiate during the championship. Photo: Chené Adam
The championship concluded on Saturday with four paper target stages and two gong ranges. The competitors also had the rare opportunity to shoot at specially designed crocodile and hyena paper targets supplied by Namibia, and the crocodile target proved particularly challenging.
Despite the difficult weather conditions and logistical obstacles, the organisers described the championship as a successful event that showcased the skill and resilience of the international field.
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