Andy takes aim at top shooting title
It is a sport not many people have heard of but one Shropshire man has just been crowned the country's top shooter.
Andy Lloyd from Snailbeach, the Stiperstones has taken Great Britian's number one title in Helice Shooting.
Like clay shooting, the 51-year-old takes aim at targets fired from traps. But the difference is the Helice targets are fitted with small propellors which simulate the flight of a wild bird - making hitting them that much harder.
When the shooter calls for a target it will be released from one of five traps at random. Most events consist of 25 targets with shooters attempting two targets per go on a five-trap layout.
Andy, who also runs Shropshire Guns at Snailbeach, started shooting as a child on his father's farm and was introduced to Helice shooting by a friend.
Realising he enjoyed the sport he set out to make his name - and he has done just that.
"Like clay shooting it is an individual sport," said Andy who works by day as a carpenter and joiner. "It is the hardest shotgun discipline and the target travels at around 50mph.
"I was introduced by a friend and it went from there really. I was then was chosen to shoot for Shropshire, then Wales and then Great Britain and I have been representing the team for seven years.
"There is nowhere to train here in Shropshire so I travel to Rugby and also to the A1 Shooting Ground in Barnet, London. I am away almost every weekend either training or taking part in a competition.
"In the GB team, which is based in Tunbridge Wells, there are three veterans, three super veterans, three juniors, three ladies and three seniors - which is the class I am in.
"When we compete there can be dozens in our individual classes mainly from all over Europe although the sport is very popular in Egypt."
Andy is off to Dallas, Texas next month to take part in the World Championships. "The European season is coming to an end," he said, "but I am looking forward to taking part in the event in America. The sport is very big there so it will be great to compete."
