Eastern Cape Open - Clay Target Shooting - Graaf Reinett

Friday and it is practice day.

Graaff-Reinet Gun Club

When you get to the Graaff-Reinet Gun Club you can see their love for the sport and they love to let you in on the history of their club.

The club was founded in 1963 and Everitt Murray who served on the committee way in the days when clay target shooting started to shoot nationally, is still at the helm of the club.

Everitt at that time was the secretary of this committee and handled the handicap program and at that time the shooter just entered by name. It was decided to bring in a number system as the amount of shooters were incleasing rapidly, so as the committee was seated round the table, each was allocated a number in sequence and there after the

Practise Round

shooters were allocated theirs.

This system is still in use today. Once your number has been allocated to you it belongs only to you and may never, even should you no longer be here, be used by onyone else.
This sparked an interest in me which I will follow up and see what the latest number is but Everitt is the proud owner of No 4.

To still be involved and organizing competitions after 51 years,

Everitt - we applaud you.

After three rounds of practice it was off for some sight seeing.

At The Toposcope

The Valley of Desolation is only about 15 km from Graaff-Reinet town.

The scenery is breathtaking and the landscape is true South African. Rugged and harsh.

Sheer cliffs and precariously balanced columns of Dolerite rise 120 metres from the valley floor, against the timeless backdrop of the vast plains of the Camdeboo. This is the product of volcanic and erosive forces of nature over many years.

There are over 220 recorded species of

Valley of Desolation

bird life, 336 plants and 43 mammals.

Just before the entrance to the Camdeboo Nature reserve is a memorial to honour Gideon Scheepers.

During the Anglo-Boer War Gideon Scheepers formed his own commando, which operated in the Cape Midlands. He was captured by the British troops and charges of alleged war crimes were laid against him. 

At the court hearings in Graaff-Reinet he was found guilty and sentenced to death and was executed by firing squad.

Gideon Scheepers Memorial

The memorial comprises of three rocks from the vicinity supporting a stainless steel needle , symbolising the spirit of hope and faith in God. The largest rock represents the steadfastness of the then young Afrikaner nation. The two tilted boulders it supports symbolise this nation - suppressed but not fallen. A fourth boulder alongside bears the inscription.