Kanoy top shooter at 'Heat Is On'
Last Updated on 2/10/2012
Published on 7/8/2008
By Jason Lesley
jlesley@gtowntimes.com
Ricky Kanoy of Archdale, N.C., took first place in the "Heat Is On" sporting clays tournament during the Fourth of July weekend at Back Woods Quail Club.
More than 100 shooters from across the Southeast shared $12,000 in prizes after the two-day event, the first of three big shoots at Backwoods this year.
Some 400 shooters from six states are expected Sept. 12-14 for the Zone 4 Championship. The competitive shooting events including the preliminary sporting clays event, FITASC, sub-gauge, and the sporting clays main event. Each will pay out a purse from first place through fifth with the high overall providing for the largest purse. The event will include purses and prizes exceeding $15,000.
Zone 4 is comprised of six states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and the islands of Jamaica and Puerto Rico.
The Southern Side By Side Fall Classic will be held Oct. 17-19 at Back Woods Quail Club with the collaboration of spring host Deep River Sporting Clays. "We have had many requests for an additional shoot in the nine years of the April Southern Side by Side at Deep River, but could not accommodate a second large event on the grounds," said Deep River's Bill Kempffer. Back Woods was happy to host a fall event, said Henry Suggs.
This past weekend at the "Heat Is On" tournament, Kanoy won the Master 1 and Veteran 1 classes in sporting clays and Ralph Bleasdale won Master 1 in FITASC, a more regimented French form of shooting.
"This is my third year here," Kanoy said during the competition at Back Woods. "It's a pretty course, a tough course. What shooters want is something really challenging."
Sel Hemingway, Georgetown County administrator, competed in FITASC and won the Class B1.
"This is golf with a gun," Hemingway said after a round of sporting clays. "Anybody who enjoys golf would enjoy this, along with most people who shoot and hunt.
"People coming to this tournament usually try to incorporate it with a July 4 beach trip. There are 100 shooters from four states."
The 100 participants shot an average of 200 to 300 targets each over the weekend -- 20,000 to 30,000 loads in sporting clays and FITASC.
Mike Sherman of PMS Firearms, a vendor and competitor at Back Woods Quail Club this past weekend, said the French version is "sporting clays on steroids."
It's more regimented, he says, and competitors must start with their guns below a certain level, raising it to shoot.
"It's completely different, compared to skeet and trap" Sherman said.
Winners in the sporting clays main event included:
Master 1: Ricky Kanoy; Master 2, Charles Peebles; Master 3, T.J. Wright; AA1: Gary Blackwell; AA2: Kenneth Cole; AA3: Jim Tollison; A1: Bill Felkel; A2: Tom Cauley; A3: Robert Carwile; B1: Tommy Morris; B2: Austin Mogy; B3: Kenneth Hutcherson; C1: Caleb Weaver; C2: Jimmy O. Howell; C3: Danny Nichols; D1: Raymond Ivey; D2: Wendell Brannen; D3: Michael Yelton; E1: Perry Adkins; E2: Kenneth Ivey; E3: Lewis Warr.
Hunter 1: Tim McKinney; Hunter 2: Lonnie Jones; Hunter 3: Bradley Hogan; Ladies 1: Beverly Cole; Ladies 2: Sandra Moore; Ladies 3: Joyce Medlen; Sub-junior 1: Austin Mogy; Sub-junior 2: Richmond Wilhoit; Sub-junior 3: Kenneth Ivey; Junior 1: Caleb A. Weaver; Junior 2: Grant Rosser; Junior 3: John Felkel; Veteran 1: Ricky Kanoy; Veteran 2: Jeff Davis; Veteran 3: Gary Blackwell; Super Vet 1: Kenneth Hutcherson; Super Vet 2: Ronald Lucas; Super Vet 3: David Baroody.
Winners in the FITASC class included:
Mater 1: Ralph Bleasdale; Master 2: Scott Jones; Master 3: Charles Peebles; AA1: Mike Sherman; AA2: Jeff Sessoms; AA3: James Whitehurst; A1: Chris Caviness; A2: Bill Hemingway; A3: David Baroody; B1: Sel Hemingway; B2: Thomas Mathews; B3: John Howard; C1: Caleb Weaver, C2: Brad All; C3: John Clark; D1: William Lenz; D2: Raymond Ivey; D3: Adam Forcade;
Ladies 1: Joyce Medlen; Ladies 2: Sandra Moore; Junior 1: Caleb Weaver; Junior 2: Grant Rosser; Veteran 1: Ricky Kanoy; Veteran 2: Mike Sherman; Veteran 3: James Whitehurst; Super Vet 1: Thomas Mathews; Super Vet 2: Kenneth Hutcherson; Super Vet 3: Joyce Medelen.
To enter an upcoming tournament or to schedule a shoot contact Back Woods Quail Club, 647 Hemingway Lane, at 546-1466 or www.backwoodsquailclub.com.
