Columnist Barb Henderson: Sporting clays offer challenge to good friend

Barb Henderson

Friday, May 23, 2003 | 9:58 a.m.

Barb Henderson is an outdoors enthusiast, freelance writer and producer/host of outdoors radio television programming. Her column appears Friday in the Sun.

"When are we going again, Barb?"

I've known this young man his entire life and it warmed my heart to be asked that question.

Twenty year-old Craig Burford, has returned home for the summer from University of Nevada, Reno, where he's attending his third year of mechanical engineer. He was extremely excited when he and his dad, joined up with my husband and I at a mile-long, 20-station sporting clays shooting course in Boulder City.

You'd think after being back home for only two days, a college student would not have a desire to open his eyes before noon. Contrary to that belief, when it was time to begin shooting at 8 a.m., he was eager in giving this new experience a try.

"I know I'm not going to hit any clay targets, but I am sure going to have fun," Craig said.

Shooting sports are nothing new for him. As a Boy Scout, he had achieved a sharp shooter ranking. Although he had shot clay targets before this, it would be his first time to shoot sporting clays.

Sporting clay courses are set up to offer a variety of patterns that simulate actual behavior of game in the field.

The Desert Lake Country Club is a members-only country club and has been designed specifically for shooting sports. It is part of PMC Ammunition, which is the fourth-largest ammunition company in the United States.

As our golf cart climbed the hill to the first station, range manager Dick Mandeville, an NSCA Level 111 Instructor, was there to greet us. After an overview of the gun range and safety rules, we were ready to begin yelling, "Pull!"

"Pull!" is called out by the shooter to release the clay targets.

"Breaking the clays was difficult," Craig. "They went really fast. They moved quickly, but before I knew it I had knocked down two, then three, then four clays. It was fun."

From station-to-station he continued to gain confidence each time he would break one of the clay targets, and kept a sense of humor whenever he'd miss -- a true sportsman.

Will there still be an interest from this college student to shoot sporting clays in the future? "Absolutely I would do it again. Sporting clays are far more challenging than any of the shooting sports that I've ever participated in. I look forward to passing my previous marks in this shooting sport," he said.

Not only does he remain on target by challenging himself to sharpen his marksmanship skills, Craig Burford aims to obtain a Master of the Sciences in Engineering.

Something tells me he will succeed.

His father, Roger, was watched proudly as his son broke clays with his 12-gauge shotgun. Interestingly, Craig says his interest in shooting sports, hunting and fishing came from spending time with dad outdoors. This father-son relationship has Craig focused toward the future when he can carry-on the outdoors experience to the next generation.

"When are we going again, Barb?"

Anytime, Craig. Anytime.