Some of you may remember that whilst on a recent visit to Lea Valley Shooting Association in Hertford I learn't that they had been giving Clay Shooting lessons to a blind person and intrigued by this I asked if the student would be willing to have a chat with me about it...
Sean Dilley is a political journalist and former Talksport correspondent and he has been blind for 15 years now, however he did various types of shooting before he lost his sight and was keen to have a go again.
He was introduced to the guys at Lea Valley and had 8-9 lessons with them to ensure safe handling of the gun etc and has shot there many times since with a qualified Instructor acting as his eyes.
Sean loves the sport so much that he succesfully applied for his shotgun licence and now shoots with a Browning 525 Over & Under. He loves the tactile feel of the gun and the challege it presents to shoot a moving target. He shoots trap targets and has achieved 65/70% hits before typically over 30 targets which is pretty impressive and testament to the instruction he has rec'd from Lea Valley.
Sean also commented that he is working with a Chief Engineer from Talksport to develop a clay that makes a noise in flight so we look forward to seeing what design ideas they come up with.
I asked Sean if he had any words of encouragement for others who might like to try the sport and he said: 'If anybody takes the time to see me shoot they will see that it is entirely possible to safely enjoy the sport'.
I'd like to thank Sean for taking the time to chat to me. It's very clear that he thoroughly enjoys his clay shooting and that the guys at Lea Valley are doing an excellent job!
Richard Worthington
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