S.I.H.F.T

The Sussex Interclub Series, or sihft for short, covers the five HFT Clubs which are based in the county of Sussex. Events are held approximately twice monthly, and are designed to give people the opportunity to compete at higher than club level without having to travel too far.

The events are informal and friendly, so it's a great way to expand your HFT horizons. The top five scores from each team are counted towards a Team Score for each round. Targets are set out to UKAHFT rules.

The clubs taking part in the Sussex Interclub HFT Series are:

              Meon Valley not hosting (2009)

The county of Sussex has probably the most active Hunter Field Target scene anywhere in the UK (which probably means the world!). There are now no less than 5 HFT clubs within the county: Ford near Yapton, Buxted near Uckfield, Horsham and the two clubs near Brighton, Mile Oak and the oldest of them all – Swallows. 

The series started initially as a series of visits by the club members to each other’s shoots and in 2007 an informal series of competitions was run. The idea was, and still is, to provide grass roots shooters with the opportunity to shoot at different venues and to share the experience of the still relatively young sport of HFT between club members within the county. We are also delighted to have had visitors from clubs outside Sussex. The primary objective is to have fun, safely whilst promoting the growth of the sport of HFT. It is also intended to give the clubs experience in hosting events – who knows what the future may bring!

The first year was a great success and in 2008 the series was developed into 10 shoots throughout the summer, two at each club’s venue plus a grand finale. A system of badges was developed plus a handicap system for recoiling, 0.22 and junior shooters.

The success of the series staggered everyone involved – with an average of (60?) competitors at each event. In addition the standard of shooting within the county has simply rocketed within the two years of the series operation. A success we are particularly proud of is the number, skill and phenomenal enthusiasm of the juniors who turn up to every event, rain or shine. A voluntary coaching scheme was introduced to assist (and learn from!) them and this is available to any young shooter willing to learn.

During 2009 we look forward to the inclusion of a 6^th Club - Meon Valley.

Big thanks goes to Ivan and the staff at C & H Westons in Brighton for kindly donating a stack of prizes for this year’s competiton. If you are in Brighton they are well worth a visit.