MATTHEW PANTER has been crowned the British Open ABT (Automatic Ball Trap) Champion for 2016.
Panter and his principal rival Ed Ling, who competed at London 2012 and will again shoot for Team GB at the Rio Olympics, both hit 195 out of 200 targets over the two days.
The 27-year-old Panter then came out on top in a shoot-off, winning 24-23 at the Brook Bank Shooting Ground in Somerset.
“Ed is very talented and it was a very tense shoot-off," said Panter, who works as assistant manager at the award-winning Ian Coley gunshop in Andoversford.
"I had a mixture of emotions, knowing how good a shooter he is and that there was a tough task ahead.
"I just kept telling myself to shoot one target at a time to see how it plays out. He missed first, his 15th shot, I believe, which eased a bit of the pressure.”
After scoring this win, Matthew hopes to take part in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia.
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