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August another great Hollywood tradition is
observed. The fans flock in from around the
country. The celebrities turn out in style sporting
their finest shooting vests and shotguns, all to
attend the Hollywood Celebrity Shooting Tournament.
Produced by John Laughlin and Sanford Abrams, this
event has evolved into one of the premier celebrity
sporting events in the nation.
Last
August, more than 800 people attended, raising money
for St. Jude Children's Hospital. St. Jude's is one
of the country's top institutions for adolescent
cancer patients and research.
I ran
into several attending celebs like Robert Davi, Jeff
Fahey, Robert Fuller, Lee Horsley,Joe Penny, Louise
and lrlene Mandrell, Anne Lockhart, Charles Napier,
Priscilla Barnes, John Ratzenberger, Roy Rogers Jr.,
Frank Stallone and many others. I found that there's
a large and active contingent of sportsmen and women
in the Hollywood community.
The
event was staged at the Triple B club in El Monte,
Calif. This is a quality venue that features a
dozen trap and skeet ranges, a sporting clays course
and an archery range. It's perhaps the most complete
sportsman's club in Southern California.
Each
team had three shooting events over two days to
complete: Sporting Clays, Trap and Cluster flush.
Our
first event on day one was Sporting Clays. Of all
the shotgun sports, this is my favorite. The typical
sporting clays course has 10 different stations,
each with a unique look and a new set of challenging
shots. I relate this game to golf with a shotgun.
In
fact, the course is laid out similar to a golf
course, taking advantage of the natural landscape
and terrain to customize each station. With colorful
names like Overhead Dove, Flushing Quail, Woodcock
Ridge, and Springing Teal, each station simulates a
"real life" hunting application. That is what
attracts me to the game. Developing proficiency here
ensures increased performance and accuracy in real
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The comradeship at one of these
events is remarkable. Everyone is happy to be
there. We inquire of each other's scores, families
and ask what stations are tricky, etc. I see young
people participating side by side with grizzled
veterans and celebrities from all walks of life.
This is truly a great family atmosphere. I've found
that people of all ages, when properly trained and
introduced to any shooting activity, enjoy
firearms-related events throughout their lives.
There are virtually no accidents at these events
because safety training and respect is a key
element.
Thirty-seven kids in the 7-12 age
group participated in the mini-division. Medals
were awarded to all of these young participants.
Teaching kids to shoot is a key focus for this
event. These kids were all given training prior to
the event by certified instructors.
On our fifth station of the course
we caught up to a team that included actor Robert
Davi. I've seen his face in a ton of films and TV
shows over the years. He often plays "wily bad guys"
or "tough-as-nails detectives." I found him
soft-spoken and very affable. He likes a good cigar
and has recently developed a love for shotgun
sports. While still a novice shooter, I saw him
steadily improve with practice. He'll be very good.
Another actor I met was John
Ratzenberger. He played Cliff Clavin, the lovable
postman from the series "Cheers." John has enjoyed
fishing and shooting for many years. Within moments
of meeting him, he had me laughing and swapping
jokes. Some people have that innate ability to make
those around them smile. John is one.
Our second event was the Cluster
Flush. This is a typical five-stand setup. Five
shooters are stationed overlooking a skeet range.
Ten target launchers are arrayed around the field,
each throwing a target in a unique pattern. In the
"Cluster" all 10 targets are launched together. Each
shooter picks out two clay birds and shoots at them.
If each team member hits his assigned two targets,
the team scores a perfect 10. Our team did much
better on this event than on the Sporting Clays
course.
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A banquet was held that evening at
the Sportsman's Lodge on Ventura Boulevard in Studio
City. A fine meal was served before the auction was
held.
Items up for auction included
shotguns from several manufacturers, a Kawasaki ATV,
jewelry, art, trips and a variety of first-class
items. Proceeds went to St. Jude Children's Hospital
in Memphis, Tenn.
The second day of the tournament our
team shot our final event, Trap. We were in a groove
now and shot well. It was a competitive event. Our
team didn't win any trophies, but we had a very good
time. We met some very nice people and filmed an
episode of my syndicated TV show, "THE OUTDOORSMAN."
(WWW .OUTDOORSMANINT .COM)
This is an ongoing event with great
plans for the future. All are welcome to join in the
fun. For more information visit
www.hollywoodcelebrityshoot.com or call their office
at 818-995-7456.
Buck McNeely is the founder of
Outdoorsman International and producer/host of the
nation's largest syndicated outdoor adventure TV
series, THE OUTDOORSMAN WITH BUCK McNEELY. (WWW.OUTDOORSMANINT.COM)
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