GOULBURN Clay Target Club member Cooper Mooney has been selected as part of a three member team to represent Australia at the 2016 Down The Line Oceania Championships from 20-23 April 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand.
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Mooney, 18, is a junior member of the club and who has been shooting competitively for six years.
He is no stranger to high level competition, last year earning selection to the Australian World Championships team, however this was symbolic as the Worlds are only held every two years.
Mooney was introduced to the sport by his father Joe - also a competitive shooter.
While they live in the district’s rural area and have use for firearms for vermin control, the sport of clay target shooting is a regular family activity with Cooper, his dad and younger brother William often competing together and against each other.
To offset the cost of shooting the Coopers load their own cartridges, however limitation to the number of boxes of ammunition into New Zealand means that Cooper and the other members of the Australian team will have to buy their cartridges once they arrive in New Zealand.
“We have to get special permits to transport our guns for the competition,”Mooney said.
“Their serial numbers will be checked by customs before we leave and we expect similar procedures when we arrive in New Zealand.
“The team event we are competing in is rated higher than the Commonwealth Games, but below the Olympics and World Championships.
“While we are in New Zealand we also have the opportunity to compete as individuals in another competition.
“This is the first time I have competed overseas so it is a new experience for me.
I hope to get the opportunity to repeat this in the future,” Mooney said.
While Mooney was being photographed on Wednesday his mother arrived with his Australian passport which had arrived that day.
It was clear from her expression that Cooper’s parents are sharing his excitement at being selected to wear the Australian Green and Gold.
Before Cooper heads to New Zealand for his representative duties, he, his dad and younger brother along with other members of the club, will compete in the national championships in Wagga Wagga next week.
From this competition, the Australian team to compete later this year at the World Championships in Ireland will be selected.
Cooper said that the Goulburn Clay Target Club has been very supportive of his progress to national representative level and have provided $500 toward his expenses for the Championships.
