The future after Dubai

[Hamster]

I think the jury will be out for a long time after the shoot has ended as to whether making the shoot itself quite so demanding was the right thing to do. Yes of course we need to sort the men out from the boys but that gets done regardless if you're honest but having hard, edge on targets stand after stand can mean that it gets to favour a few specialists with excellent eye sight or worse, end up going one way or the other through the odd lucky strike as even GD seems to have alluded to. 

You can sit back and study the names against the figures and make fairly safe estimations as to where you yourself may have ended up (within reason) and if that safely places you outside the top 30-50 or whatever, then it may just lead to it becoming a reason not to spend time and huge money attending such future events. Personally I think the formula needs to have a realistic aspect to the targets that allows the majority to compete, not just the tiny few who will have the time and space to practice on such awkward presentations.

 

[** Pending Removal **]

They got it spot on.
You have an Olympic discipline expert and his brother the crown prince in charge giving away $735,000 ....no way is it going to be a walk in the park.
I love the way he has got everything right for a test of this kind.
1. Good alert refs.....no chance of cheating will spoil his competition.
2. Great hospitality....everyone from all the countries that I have been talking to have said how they have enjoyed this tough shoot.
3. A test of skill of the best of the best. Tough targets and extreme targets.
4. A test of the mental game of the best of the best.....you don't think the choice of just one cartridge (and one that people were not aware of) was by chance do you :laugh: or was to do with costs do you :laugh: that was a brilliant mind game :laugh: and worked on the practice day....and then people thought about it and just got on and shot them. (I had several messages about 'whose are those cartridges'....my answer was....'head game, they are Italian so will be spot on, just get on and shoot them.) :laugh: brilliant brilliant move.
5. $1,000,000. Next year means that this shoot is here to stay. This is all to do with Ahmad's aspirational plans for the shooters of UAE to want to excel in shooting sports. So he brings out to Dubai the best of the best. Videos them and their techniques for future classroom discussion etc etc. it is a wonderful idea that Ahmad and the Crown Prince have such great plans to improve their shooters.
6. No way will it be softened off. That is not their way. This is one big expensive classroom. They have plenty of resources to throw at it.

Just my opinion of course. (And remember to was Ahmed who had Pete shooting 1500 a day...extreme dedication and commitment = lots of winning).

 

[Guerini Guy]

I understand the point of view that people may not go in the future now that they know how hard the targets are likely to be.

But whilst I understand it, I don't necessarily agree with it. I mean there must have been quite a large number of shooters even this year from all countries that gladly booked up for this event whilst knowing they did not, realistically, have any chance of getting in the top 50, or what the figure was for the women, so why wouldn't they do so again?

Pam and I travel overseas two or three times a year to shoot Practical Pistol, and considering we can't even practice in UK anymore we have little or absolutely no chance of winning anything, and yet we still go and have done now for many years.

Why?  Quite simple really . . . . . we enjoy it so much, the actual shooting, meeting up with old friends, the test of skill, the experience of the event, etc etc.  It certainly isn't based upon what we may win !

Oh I think this event in Dubai will continue to fly, and improve, and be even better supported. Again just my opinion.

Time will tell.

 

[** Pending Removal **]

It will be full with a waiting list next year.....watch this space :wink:

 

[Macc Ladd]

It will be full with a waiting list next year.....watch this space :wink:

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