GSH 40th Annual Sporting Clays Event: Orbs, wet feet and lucky weather

As I was getting out of my truck at 7:45 am on Fri Aug 22, 2025, with rain clouds all around us, one of Team Orb’s members asked, ‘Hey John, think I should wear my rubber boots?’ Considering we were about to walk the Sporting Clays course at American Shooting Club, in the George Busch Reservoir, that sounded like a really good idea. Better than the running shoes I was wearing (which are never used for running). There were some wet feet out there for those of us that forgot our boots, but the weather cooperated and the day was very nice, especially for late August in Houston, Texas.

We had good attendance this year, relatively speaking, with 70 Shooters, plus 5 for BBQ Lunch. Very fun lunch with Hickory Hollow BBQ and plenty of Yuengling beer on hand. (We promise to have more Amber Lager next year.) It was good networking and fun to get caught up with old friends and new. Of course, lunch is after shooting and guns are put away. Next year please join us for lunch if you don’t shoot. They have a very nice Pavilion at ASC. Plenty of shade. Good networking opportunity.

Participation has been trending steadily upward from a low of 45 Shooters just a few years ago, to 60 last year, now up to 70 this past August. We are getting more women shooters as well. Thanks ladies, for coming out and participating in the GSH Sporting Clays Event. It really is an event, more so than a competition. Unless you are an “A” level Shooter and just can’t help but be competitive (you know who you are), the rest of us are pretty average shooters. The main thing is practicing safety and shooting a shotgun (ASC has plenty of rental shotguns), walking around the course or riding a golf cart, and having a good time. Great warm up for Dove Season.

Leader Board

I would like to thank our Sponsors, 16 this year! At the top of the list is Tri Star, followed closely by Silverthorne as a Platinum Sponsor! Gold Sponsors were Dawson, Oxy, DUG, SAE Exploration, TGS and Sequitur. Silver sponsors were GPI who seem to be there for us every year, and Z-Terra. Three other sponsors who could not make it but chipped in anyway were PSI, Vanguard, and Skyway Field Services. In kind Sponsors were American Shooting Centers and Yuengling Flight.

Special thanks to all those who put Teams together. Especially Tri Star with three Teams and Z-Terra with two Teams. Without Shooters we don’t get Sponsors. Of course, this event does not happen without Kathy Sanvido with GSH, Kenneth Mohn with Z-Terra, John Fortier with Silverthorne, Paul Vincent with Chevron and Madam President, Rene Mott.

Thanks to everybody for participating and having a safe and fun time. Hope to see you all next year. Plan to bring a friend, or have them join us for lunch. We will have plenty of Hickory Hollow BBQ, beer, soft drinks and comradery.