PICK OF THE WEEKEND Clay Pigeon Shooting 1996 Express World Sporting Championship Shropshire

SATURDAY & SUNDAY/Clay Pigeon Shooting

1996 Express World Sporting Championship

Shropshire

England's top marksmen will be determined to maintain their supremacy in clay pigeon shooting this weekend against a field of 550 rivals from 16 nations. England won all three World medals and the men's team event at last year's Championship in Texas and the world champion, Gary Phillips, will be returning home to the West Midlands to defend his title. The main threat will once again come from the Americans, who are fielding the largest international contingent of more than 100 shooters.

The Olympic finalist, Richard Faulds, will also be competing. After his performance in Atlanta (where he finished fifith) he will be looking to maintain his good form in such esteemed company.

Competitors in the two-day Express World Sporting Championship will shoot 100 targets on Saturday and 100 targets on Sunday in two groups beginning at 9.00am and 1.30pm. Competitors will shoot the west course and the east course on alternate days. The top six competitors will go into a final shoot-off of a further 25 targets for the World Championship title and medal positions.

How to get there: West Midlands Shooting Ground, Hodnet, Shropshire. From the south: Leave M6 at junction 14, west on A5013 to Eccleshall, B5026/A53 to Market Drayton, then Hodnet. From the north: Leave M6 at junction 15, west on A53 to Market Drayton, then Hodnet.

Admission is free for all spectators, with the event commencing at 9am on both Saturday and Sunday.