>> PULL!
(gun shots)
GET A PAIR!
>> DENNIS ANNABELLI HAS JUST
SHOT A FEW PIGEONS.
NOT REAL PIGEONS, CLAY PIGEONS.
ACTUALLY, THEY'RE LITTLE ORANGE
SAUCERS.
LITTLE ORANGE SAUCERS THAT
FLOAT, SAIL, AND HOP.
(gun shots)
>> IT'S TOTALLY CAPTIVATED ME.
IT'S MY MAIN AND PROBABLY ONLY
HOBBY RIGHT NOW.
IT'S A GAS.
>> PULL!
(gun shots)
>> DEAD PAIR!
(music)
>> TODAY'S CLAY TARGET SPORTS
HAVE THEIR ROOTS IN
18TH CENTURY ENGLAND.
THE SPORT OF ENGLISH GENTLEMEN
WAS SHOOTING AT FLYING PIGEONS
WITH MUZZLE-LOADED GUNS.
BECAUSE THE PIGEONS WERE
TRAPPED UNDER HATS BEFORE
THEY WERE RELEASED,
THE SPORT BECAME KNOWN AS
"TRAP SHOOTING".
(gun shots and applause)
IN 1880, GEORGE LIGOWSKY
OF CINCINNATI, OHIO
CREATED THE FIRST FLAT DISK
TARGET.
THIS CLAY PIGEON,
MADE OF RIVER SILT AND TAR
WAS INSTANTLY SUCCESSFUL.
AROUND 1925, THE ENGLISH
BEGAN SHOOTING A GAME
CALLED SPORTING.
DEVELOPED AS A WAY FOR
SPORTSMEN TO PRACTICE THEIR
WING-SHOOTING SKILLS,
SPORTING COURSES WERE SHOT
IN THE WOODS.
TARGETS WERE THROWN AT
ODD ANGLES TO SIMULATE
LANDING DUCKS, FLYING DOVES,
AND EVEN RUNNING RABBITS.
(gun loading, shots)
IT WASN'T UNTIL THE 1960s
THAT SPORTING CLAYS,
AS IT'S NOW KNOWN,
CAME TO AMERICA.
(sound of launching clay)
(gun shots)
TODAY, THE GROWTH OF
SHOOTING SPORTS HAS EXPLODED.
EACH YEAR, OVER A
THOUSAND SHOOTERS
FROM AROUND THE WORLD
SET THEIR SIGHTS ON
THE NATIONAL SPORTING
CLAYS CHAMPIONSHIP.
IN 4 DAYS OF COMPETITION,
THEY'LL SHOOT AT OVER HALF
A MILLION TARGETS.
>> GET A PAIR!
>> TEXAS IS KIND OF THE MECCA
OF THE CLAY TARGET SPORTS,
AND THIS HOME GROUND FACILITIES
NATIONAL SHOOTING COMPLEX
IN SAN ANTONIO IS THE LARGEST,
ALL AROUND, SHOOTING
FACILITIES IN THE WORLD.
(phone ringing)
>> GOOD MORNING,
NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS.
>> SAN ANTONIO IS HOME TO
BOTH THE NATIONAL SPORTING
CLAYS ASSOCIATION,
AND THE NATIONAL SKEET SHOOTING
ASSOCIATION.
THIS 600 ACRE FACILITY IS
A PLACE WHERE SHOOTERS CAN
LEARN BOTH SKILLS AND SAFETY.
>> STATISTICALLY SPORTING
CLAYS ARE VERY SAFE.
IN FACT WE USE THE SHOOTING
SPORTS TO TEACH SAFETY,
ESPECIALLY TO YOUNGSTERS.
WE HAVE MANY PROGRAMS THAT
COMBINE THE SHOOTING SPORTS
WITH FIREARM SAFETY
AND SAFE FIREARM HANDLING.
>> NEVER EVER MIX AMMUNITION
TOGETHER IN YOUR POCKETS.
>> CHARLIE WILSON IS IN CHARGE
OF TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE'S
MOBILE SPORTING CLAYS RANGE.
CHARLIE TRAVELS THE STATE,
TEACHING PROPER SHOTGUN
TECHNIQUES,
WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SAFETY.
>> FOLLOW IT IN, FOLLOW IT IN,
TAKE IT!
NOTHING TO THIS, IS IT?
THEY GET OUT INTO THE OUTDOORS.
IT'S GOOD, IT'S CLEAN,
IT'S HEALTHY, AND IT'S FUN.
>> PULL HER HAND BACK A LITTLE.
>> YOU READY?
>> I THOUGHT IT
LOOKED PRETTY NEAT,
AND I WAS GONNA ENJOY
DOING IT I THOUGHT,
BUT I WAS SCARED BECAUSE
I KNEW THAT I WOULD PROBABLY
MISS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
>> PULL IT!
>>I ENDED UP HITTING ALMOST
ALL OF THEM.
>> TAKE IT OUT.
>> WHOO, RIGHT IN THE CENTER
WITHOUT YOUR HELP!
>> YOU AIN'T GONNA GET MUCH
MORE IN THE CENTER THAN THAT.
>> TAKE YOUR RIGHT HAND AND
POINT IT RIGHT HERE AT MY NOSE.
>> A LOT OF THE SHOOTERS THAT
CHARLIE TEACHES HAVE NEVER
EVEN HANDLED A GUN BEFORE.
>> GOOD YOU CAN BE RIGHT HANDED.
>> I WAS NERVOUS BECAUSE I
DIDN'T WANT TO EMBARRASS MYSELF
IN FRONT OF MY STUDENTS.
I'M OPENING BOTH EYES.
>> THAT'S GOOD. READY?
PULL IT WAYNE.
FOLLOW IT IN, FOLLOW IT IN,
TAKE IT OUT.
>> OH MY GOSH, I REALLY HIT IT!
>> DID YOU HAVE ANY DOUBT?
>> YOU BET I DID.
IT GAVE ME A SENSE
OF ACCOMPLISHMENT, I THINK
THAT'S THE MOST POWERFUL THING
ABOUT DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
I KNOW IF IT DID THAT FOR ME,
THAT THE KIDS WERE
FEELING THAT, TOO.
OH, MY GOD.
I DID IT, 5 TIMES, IT WAS COOL.
>> PULL!
>> UH, OH. AH, IT DOESN'T COUNT.
THAT'S A GOOD THING.
(audience laughs)
>> KIM RHODE IS A REGULAR
VISITOR TO THE TEXAS WILDLIFE
EXPO IN AUSTIN.
>> THAT'S THE REAL MCCOY.
>> SHE'S WON MEDALS IN TWO
DIFFERENT OLYMPICS,
PICKING UP THE GOLD
IN DOUBLE TRAP IN ATLANTA
WHEN SHE WAS JUST 16.
>> SHOOTING HAS TAUGHT ME A LOT.
A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY,
A LOT OF RESPECT.
HOW TO BE A GRACIOUS WINNER
AND A GRACIOUS LOSER
SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW.
I TRAVEL WITH 27 GUYS,
AND, UH...
(audience laughs)
>> THE SHOOTING SPORTS HAVE
TAKEN KIM AROUND THE WORLD
SEVERAL TIMES.
>> PULL!
(gun shots)
>> I THINK I'VE BEEN TO ITALY
LIKE 12 TIMES NOW.
>> BUT SHE STILL FINDS TIME
TO HELP KIDS DISCOVER
BOTH THE OUTDOORS AND SHOOTING.
(imitated duck calls)
>> TAKE THEM RIGHT THERE.
GET THEM. GET THEM.
(gun shots)
>> ALRIGHT, NICE SHOT.
I ACTUALLY STARTED DOVE
HUNTING IN YUMA, ARIZONA
WHEN I WAS ABOUT 5 OR 6,
SITTING IN THE LAWN CHAIR
IN MY DAD'S LAP.
I HAD TO PUT THE GUN UNDER MY
ARM SO HE WOULD TAKE THE RECOIL,
AND HE WOULD HAVE TO HELP ME
HOLD IT.
SO THAT'S HOW I GOT STARTED.
FROM THERE IT JUST
MUSHROOMED INTO SOMETHING I
NEVER DREAMED OF.
>> THIS IS THE MIND GAME.
WHAT CHOKE, WHAT BULLET.
6, 8, 9, 7 ½,
EVERYBODY GUESSES.
AND THE GUY THAT BREAKS ALL
THE BIRDS, HE GOT IT RIGHT.
>> FOR LONGTIME FRIENDS
DENNIS ANNABELLI,
DAVID LaVELLE,
AND DON ENGLEHARDT,
WINNING A SPORTING CLAYS
COMPETITION ISN'T ALL THAT
IMPORTANT,
AT LEAST, NOT TODAY.
THEY'VE BEEN SHOOTING
TOGETHER FOR A FEW YEARS,
BUT THIS IS THEIR FIRST TIME AT
THE SPORTING CLAYS NATIONALS.
>> MY GOAL IS TO COME OUT HERE
AND GO UP TO A STATION,
AND BREAK EVERY BIRD
I CAN BREAK.
IF THAT WINS OR COMES IN
2ND OR 15TH IT DOESN'T MATTER,
BUT THAT'S MY GOAL,
TO BREAK BIRDS.
>> TRAPPER READY?
>> TRAPPER IS READY.
>> PULL IT!
(gun shots)
>> GET A PAIR!
>> GOES BACK TO THOSE
LITTLE ORANGE THINGS.
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT
SEEING ONE OF THEM
TURN TO BLACK SMOKE IN
THE SKY WHEN YOU BREAK IT.
YOU COME TO AN EVENT LIKE THIS,
AND IF YOU HAVE THE MENTAL
CAPACITY YOU CAN DO IT
A HUNDRED TIMES.
PULL IT!
(gun shots)
>> GET A PAIR!
>> WOW, THAT IS REALLY GREAT!
I WISH IT WAS MINE!
>> BECAUSE EVERY LAYOUT
IS DIFFERENT,
SPORTING CLAYS HAS BEEN
DESCRIBED AS GOLF
WITH A SHOTGUN.
>> I GOT TO PLAYING GOLF,
AND I DECIDED THAT ACTUALLY
THIS IS A LITTLE
MORE FUN THAN GOLF.
>> YOU CAN EVEN USE SOME OF
THE SAME GEAR.
>> I GOT SOME ROD HOLDERS,
AND SOME GUN HOLDERS,
AND A GOLF CART.
$49 FOR THE GOLF CART,
AND I GOT ABOUT $90 IN THE
WHOLE THING.
>> THESE GUYS,
LIKE MOST SHOOTING ENTHUSIASTS,
ARE MORE RECREATIONAL SHOOTERS
THAN SERIOUS COMPETITORS.
AFTER ALL,
IT'S HARD TO COMPETE WITH
A GUY WHOSE CUSTOM GUN
MATCHES HIS SHOES.
>> DEAD PAIR!
>> FOR THIS GROUP
OF TEXAS SHOOTERS,
IT'S NOT ABOUT SHOW AND
IT'S SURE NOT ABOUT WINNING.
>> LOST PAIR!
>> IT'S MORE ABOUT HANGING OUT
WITH YOUR FRIENDS.
>> DEAD LOST!
>> YOU WANNA WIN EVERY ONCE
IN AWHILE;
YOU DON'T HAVE TO WIN
ALL THE TIME, BUT YOU DO
LIKE TO WIN OCCASIONALLY.
EVEN IF IT'S JUST
BETWEEN THE THREE OF US.
(gun shots)
>> DEAD PAIR!