Two Maltese target shooters in Germany championships

The 11th Muzzle Loaders Associations International Committee (MLAIC) European Championships were held in Pforzheim, Germany, between August 1 and 6.

Sixteen nations took part including France, Spain and Germany. Competitors from these three shooting federations proved to be the strongest. They had the highest number of medals and records broken during the World Championship in Batesville, US, last year.

This year, the Malta Shooting Federation, through one of its affiliated members, the AACTS, was represented by two target shooters - Frederick Bowman and John Cassar.

They contested the 'Mariette' discipline - the replica revolver. In muzzle loading circles, this is considered the hardest discipline both to master and to compete in.

Bowman scored a very respectable 91 while John Cassar was very close with 90. Overall results ranged from 97, obtained by gold medallist Ralph Dammann, of Germany, to 73 recorded by a Norwegian. In all, 118 competitors entered the 'Mariette' shoot.

The Maltese obtained a higher placing than competitors from the Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia, Belgium, Hungary, Great Britain and Italy among others. The German federation alone has some 4,000 registered shooters from which it can select its very best.

For the first time in the history of Muzzle Loading, competitions were held using electronic targets. However, Maltese shooters have always practised exclusively on traditional regulation paper targets.

Earlier this year, in a bi-lateral postal competition against British MLAGB counterparts, Bowman succeeded in winning the silver medal and Cassar the bronze.

The next major MLAIC event, the World Championships, will be held in Bordeaux, France, in 2006.