By Laura Allen

4-H agent

Recently, 21 Rowan County 4-H members competed in the Central Region 4-H Shooting Sports competition at DeWitt’s Sporting Clays in Ellerbe. A total of 214 N.C. 4-H’ers participated.

Rowan County has two 4-H clubs that focus on shooting sports: Hot Shots 4-H Club and Lead Drivers 4-H Club. Youths must be 8 to 18 years old as of Jan. 1 to participate

Eight members of the Hot Shots 4-H Club participated in the regional competition. This was the 10th year the club has participated. Participating members of the Hot Shots 4-H Club included: Junior division, rifle team, Mason Gabosch, Levi Lynch, Georgia Veleke and one additional 4-H member.

In the senior division, Sam Oster won first place, .22 small bore pistol individual; second place, .22 small bore pistol overall; fourth, individual rifle T class; fourth place, air pistol. Tyler Horne won second place, shotgun, individual; fifth place. overall shotgun. Christian Stebe participated in air pistol and muzzleloader; Gracie Veleke, rifle T class.

Gabosch, Horne, Oster and Stebe qualified for the State 4-H Shooting Sports competition, which will be held Sept. 21 at DeWitt’s Sporting Clays.

Thirteen members of the Lead Drivers 4-H club participated in the competition. This was their first year participating, as this club began in May.

In the junior division, Joshua Wilson earned fourth place, individual shotgun, and fourth place, individual muzzleloader. Others participating were Lucas Parker, Jacob Parker, James Lee and Grayson Cromer, shotgun and rifle O class; Kurtis Walters and Cody Moore, shotgun; Callie Yates and Zein Murray, rifle O class.

Those competing in the Senior Division were Karlie Walters, shotgun, rifle O class; John Lee, shotgun; and Holly Wallace and Emily Barlow, rifle O class. James Lee and Wilson qualified for the state competition in September.

The 4-H club leaders and certified 4-H instructors who helped to prepare these 4-H’ers include, for Hot Shots 4-H Club, Beth and Glenn Stebe, Jeremy Lynch, Brian Rider; for Lead Drivers 4-H Club, Robert and Heather Parker, Tom Barlow, Nick Barlow, Carol Nettles.

The 4-H Shooting Sports program is a youth development program that teaches youth proper safety, skill and discipline in shooting various types of firearms. The 4-H’ers involved in this program, as well as their adult leaders, spend many hours in training and practice to develop their knowledge and skills in shooting. 

Additionally, thanks to the parents and 4-H volunteers for all of their assistance. We also appreciate those who allow 4-H to use their ranges for 4-H club meetings and practices.

If you are interested in learning more about 4-H opportunities for youths, contact Laura Allen, Rowan County 4-H Agent, at 704-216-8970 or laura_allen@ncsu.edu.