For keen observers of the scoreboard, Nick wasn’t on the radar when shooting started on the final day at Bairnsdale even though he shot 93/100 in the blustery conditions on Saturday to sit just three off the incredible 96 posted by eventual runner-up Blake Nankervis over the first four rounds.
“The score wasn’t there because I forgot to put our scorecard in last night, that’s why you didn’t see me up there,” he said after claiming the title.
Nick, who is a member at Cobram and lives in Nathalia, said the conditions on Saturday, with a westerly blowing a steady 40 km/h and gusting up to 65 km/h, were challenging for every competitor.
“Everyone had the same — wind affected targets and the dust — but it was still a good day,” he said.
“I felt a bit sorry for the organisers because after all the effort they went to, to have such an ordinary day, but overall I was pleased with 93; I shot two and six, two of the harder courses in the wind.
“Nearly every target was different, you couldn’t try to repeat what you had just done, you had to be really watchful of individual targets, that’s for sure.”
A near flawless 49 from the last 50 targets set up a shoot off with Blake Nankervis.
“The 96/100 Blake shot on Saturday was just exceptional,” Nick said.
“I’ve been trying to get to these sorts of heights ever since I started shooting and to do it in a shoot off with Blake, who is one of my best mates, that is even better. I would have loved to have seen Blake win as well.”
Nick said the scale of the Carnival was a credit to Field & Game.
