Three years ago, when Dave Lee from BCSA suggested to Greg Shirhall a regional league to foster travelling between venues, the idea was rolled and kicked around for some time until the three founders (Ray Apelles, Greg Shirhall and myself) settled on a format.

Way back then, we started with 6 Clubs and the rules stated that you needed 4 scores in different venues to make up your League Score.

Quickly, more Clubs added themselves and this season we closed with 11 ACTIVE Clubs, that is considering the 2 completely new Clubs that were born, as well as the Club that went dormant.

More and more people started appearing at the shoots, attendance is up everywhere and so is the number of new shooters.

In a sense, it is very satisfying to see the sport grow, and for purely selfish reasons, to see it grow in the spring and limited power classes.

However, that has had a cost. After the first, VERY active year, one of our pillars declared that he had lost the fun along the way of the whole exercise. The other declared himself a little "burnt".
And to top it all, registration in the League started to drop.
Registration, mind you, NOT attendance to the shoots.

Add to that that the kickoff of this FT year (Dec-Nov for us) was very "rocky" indeed and it was a tough year for me as well. The main reflection of that was how poorly I performed in Lithuania, and my poor judgement of clothing at the Nationals.

Upon reflection of the past, I see that perhaps the three founders got carried away with the concept of a League of Champions. And I own upon myself that responsibility.
Having only Champion prizes was probably not the best idea I've ever had.
Persistence paid for some shooters. The winners, though some have repeated, were not always the same; showing that Patience and Perseverance are good virtues.
BUT, as in Massad Ayoob's book on self defense, there was "No second place winner".
With reduced registration and increased classes/trophies, it has become clear that the League is not sustainable in the long run as it is.

And so, the League will disappear for the time being from the scores/trophies scene.
It will still be available to MD's for the coordination of dates of matches and the promotion and internal discussion we have always had. But the scores and the statuettes, will be gone for the moment.
They may reappear in the future, perhaps we should go to less expensive trophies and award 1st through 3rd, maybe we just need to issue certificates of the yearly scores, maybe we should do other stuff.
​I REALLY do not know. If anyone does, please let me know in the comments area at the end of this blog's entry.

But as bittersweet as life is, there is no bitter without the sweet and I have to say that I have enjoyed immensely these three years as Secretary to the League, I have met people from all over the place that I can now call "friend". And to see new shooters bloom into powerful competitors that can clearly answer: "there is nothing wrong with the gun, it's me that needs practice" makes me regain the faith in the human race.

And so, without further ado, I have the pleasure and the privilege to present to you the League's Champions for this season we are now closing, starting with the Match Directors that make FT possible:

Our greatest appreciation to all MD's.

We missed Bill Day that won the Hunter PCP class, we'll give him his mantlepiece statuette when we see him. Hopefully at the Mid Winter shoot (EFTCC), or at BlueBalls (MRFT), or at the Winter Safari (HHRGC). We'll see.

Again, thanks to all that participated along these years and thanks to the Clubs that made this possible by hosting the matches.
​
Final and endless thanks go to the Match Directors.

See you all sometime soon!







Héctor Medina

Thanks to my wife, Veronika, for the pictures!

A short while after we returned from Lithuania, Tom Holland expressed the desire to replicate, inasmuch as possible the "whole course of fire".
Hard to do in a one day Match but, with the two day Match that had been planned since late July coming closer in the calendar, it COULD be a possibility. So I sent the "take-off" from the 2015 World's Matches to Tom Wade, sorted out in such a way that he could pull the targets and lanes in the order he wanted from the spreadsheet and design a course.

After some internal dicussions (I am sure), the two Toms agreed on a course of action and from that point on, they ran with the ball in a most magnificent manner!

At first it sounded somewhat implausible. Those of us that went to the 2014 WFTC's in New Zealand, knew how hard it is to shoot 75 or more shots per day to make 150 shots in the two days that most mortals have available as a weekend. But Tom Wade managed to set 13 lanes with 3 targets each lane for a total of 78 targets for each day; two true, consecutive, "Monster Matches".
Connecticut Custom Airguns (CCA) had offered to put forward the 6 prizes for the WFTF Division; after all, we WERE replicating a World's Match Course, but Tom W dissuaded us from the idea and, instead, it was decided that CCA would gift the First Place Prizes for all 7 Classes that would be shot.

Tom W sent us a proposal for the image and the engraving and after having it checked by the manufacturer, we were off and running.

Leo G and I arrived into Long Island on Friday, but Tom W had already finished the setup and we just stayed for a while at the range for lunch. We decided to do some shooting, but the sighting-in range proved to be too windy and gave all sorts of crazy feedback (more on this later).

After a few pellets downrange, we packed it up and checked into the Rodeway Inn at MacArthur Airport.

​Next morning found us again at the range, when all the formalities were taken care of, the range was declared hot.

For the first day I was squadded with Larry Bowne, who is always an extremely nice partner to shoot with.

Larry is a master with his FWB300, and although he is well aware of the challenge of such a low powered gun in the wind (especially Long Island wind), he always has fun and is always in a good mood.

As usual, the lanes were diverse and imaginantive, most targets were REALLY long, but that added to the challenge.

There are three targets in this lane:

Found them?

This is the left target

This is the center target:

And this is the right target ( a 3/4" at 25 yards):

A fine rain woke up us at dawn, and as the day advanced it came on and off.

When we arrived at the sighting-in range there SEEMED to be no wind, and I adjusted my sight settings accordingly. Some things did not QUITE make a LOT of sense, but I decided to believe in the feedback provided by the sighting in range because for the first time in my life, there was no appreciable wind!
​BAD mistake! LOL! I should know better by now.
​
By the time all the formalities had been disposed of, and as we started the day's Match, we had some more rain.

But as the shoot progressed, rain abated and then stopped altogether.

The shoot went on with a few hiccups, but out of 78 target/placement sets, I think Tom W did real good.

Atmosphere was friendly and relaxed, as usual:

It was John Eroh's first WFTF Division shoot, and he did quite well.

By the time we were all done, the targets had been pulled, the lane markers removed, and the strings re-wound, the scores were all tallied and Tom Holland arranged all the awards-giving.

Brian V.L places second in Hunter PCP

Bill Day places First in Hunter PCP

And we catch Doreen Day taking pictures of "hubby".

Jim Wilcox places First in Hunter Piston:

Larry Bowne places First in Open Piston

Hans Apelles places First in Unlimited Class

Hector Medina places Second in WFTF Piston

Ray Apelles places First in WFTF Piston

Nathan Thomas places third in WFTF PCP

Leo Gonzalez places second in WFTF PCP

and Paul Cray places First in WFTF PCP

Considering it was almost the same course as the 2015 WFTC's, just in different order and with the "double tap" that characterizes American shoots, I feel happy about the scores.
I also have to point out to the readers that the points spread between classes was not that big and pretty much in line with what we expect from the vast differences between the Divisions and Classes, pointing out to a well laid out and thoughtful course. Nobody came even close to cleaning it; though the Troyer factor COULD point to a not so difficult course, the length of the days, the darkness of the second day, and the very peculiar wind conditions of Long Island played their usual tricks with the shooters.

A VERY enjoyable weekend; surrounded by good friends, Mother Nature and good food. We sorely missed a few good friends that were unable to make it for serious reasons, like Rich Bassett, Art Deuel, Walt Gregory and the two Matts (Brackett and Sawyer), but I am sure we will see them before the season is over. 
​
I hope to finally learn to not pay any attention to the feedback of the sighting-in range, LOL!

A BIG ¡Thank You! to Tom W and Tom H for a great shoot and to Doreen and Fernanda, that came to the rescue of some very hungry airgunners. :-)

We all left the Fireman's Park and Brookhaven Rifle Range thinking about what the 2016 Long Island FT Championships will bring!

If you have the least chance of making it next year, DO!

Keep well and shoot straight.










Héctor Medina