Shots in the mail
Universal Trench story, August 2010 I read Vic Harker’s article on Universal Five Trap (UIT) and while I would not wish to take anything from those who ran the event in the early years in the UK, I would like to point out that the fi rst custom built fi ve trap layout was built and run at the Bridgend Gun Club, South Wales, from 1964. From the late 1950s a number of our club members would travel to shoot Olympic Trap at the Jones brothers’ ground in Sealand; Joe Wheater’s ground at Hull and Jack Wright’s ground at Wimborne, Dorset. We also went to Bisley until one army major decided to bulldoze the Trench layout. The Universal Five Trap came about when the then President
of the Welsh Clay Pigeon Shooting Association – the late Tommy Jones of Carmarthen – suggested to our club members that we should put in a Five Trap. As secretary of the club at the time, I contacted the UIT and we
were supplied with the drawings for the layout which was built by the late Tudor Thomas of L1antwit Major, who was not only a very successful builder, but also a dedicated Trench shooter. The fi ve traps we put in were the same as those used in the Trench layout at Jack Wright’s in Wimborne, made in Jack’s own factory. Unlike many of the Five Trap events which were run using
Olympic layout, the Bridgend Gun Club was specifi cally built for Five Trap only. On the fi rst Saturday in October 1965 we staged the fi rst Welsh Open Grand Prix. Joe Wheater opened the event and the Five Trap layout. On the practice day on the Friday, the top Trap shooters turned up from all over the UK and a dinner was held that evening at the Dunraven Hotel in Bridgend. Joe Wheater commented at the time that the Five Trap layout was as good as he had seen anywhere in Europe. He thought that a score of 92 should win the event. The next day he won the event himself with 92/100. The Grand Prix was held for the next 10 years on the fi rst Saturday
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in October each year. At the event held in 1969 we had the company of Peter Page (CPSA Secretary) with his friend Philip Brown (Editor of the Shooting Times). I enclose a photograph of the shield, on which you will note that the winners were:
1965 Joe Wheater, Hull (92/100 – total 24 guns) 1966 Glyn Jones, North Wales (93/100 – total 28 guns) 1967 Tudor Thomas, Glamorgan (91/100 – total 28 guns) 1968 Father D P Clancy, Gwent (95/100 – total 23 guns) 1969 Brian W Bailey, Shropshire (98/100 – total 27 guns) 1970 Alan G Jones, North Wales (95/100) 1971 Jack Wright, Dorset (96/100 – total 29 guns)
So, there’s a bit of history of the fi rst Universal Five Trap (UIT) shooting in Wales.
Basil George
Vic Harker responds Many thanks for adding another piece to the Universal Trench story. I was aware of a UT lay-out at Bridgend although I wasn’t clear as to whether it was installed before or after Neville Pryce- Jones’ at Haverfordwest. In my story Walter Benbow fi rst became acquainted with UT at Neville’s ground and in any case space did not permit a mention of Bridgend. What your letter does rightly emphasise is the great contribution the Welsh have made to the international forms of Trap shooting in the UK.
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www.zoliguns.co.uk 42 | PULL! September 2010
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