A champion of the field

By Chloe Kent

IT WOULD be amiss to describe Robert Passarin of Wonthaggi as anything short of a champion of the sport with his Beretta 687 EL Gold Pigeon.

A veteran AA grade shooter in sporting clays, Robert’s major events list for 2022 includes taking out the Beretta World Cup, 1st at the Australian Grand Prix in Geelong, 1st at the Oceania

Championships in Shepparton, 2nd at the Italian Grand Prix, 1st at the South Australian State Championships and 1st at the Australian National Championships in Geraldton amongst many other local and interstate wins, not to mention Robert has also qualified for the 2023 Oceania Championships in Hamilton, New Zealand.

“It’s in the family,” Robert smiled.

“I was out with my grandfather when mum and dad went back to Italy one year; I was seven and I got hooked on hunting and it just grew from there.

“My father was a hunter, and once I got to about 10, I was at his side nearly everywhere.

“Because dad never had a car, it was always rabbits or foxes or whatever was in season.”

A friend first introduced Robert to clay target shooting and he has never looked back.

“One day a friend of mine said to me, ‘I’m going over to Westernport Field and Game’. 

“I asked what for – ‘I’m going have a crack at some clays, do you want to come?’

“Once I got over there, it was pretty easy, straightforward.

“The late Tom Gannon spotted me and said, ‘you’re a natural’. He tried to entice me to try the ACTA disciplines, however the challenge was always with sporting.”

Working around Victoria and a family saw Robert step back from the sport until his son Troy was eight.

“The kids used to follow us around everywhere. 

“One day at a club in Melbourne someone suggested I try sporting clays.

“I went, enjoyed it, and it’s been it’s been one of those things that stuck with me ever since.”

Afforded time from his wife, Fiona, Robert has always enjoyed the competitive nature of sporting clays and has in recent years been fortunate enough to travel overseas to world events.

“Time and work commitments plus costs all play a part.

“The past few years having scaled back large works I’ve afforded myself the time to do more hence the success that I’ve been able to achieve.”

A chance encounter in 2010, having just come back from New Zealand, Robert met Australian Olympian Russell Mark. 

“He was there with his major sponsors for PR, describing what we were doing, I said to him to come along and have a try one day, and he said, ‘no, it’s too competitive for me – that’s like the formula one of clay target shooting.’. I remember it to this day.”

Australian and international sporting clay competitions are 200 target events usually broken down to eight rounds of 25 targets. Each round of 25 consisting of at least five differing sizes ranging from 60mm super mini to 110 mm battues.

“The courses are designed with the targets at varying degree of speeds, distances and trajectories, from low ground rolling targets to normal crossings from high tower positions off cliffs.

“At the worlds in Italy they had a 90-metre cliff – they tested you out, let me tell you 90 metres is a fair haul. But where you actually want to shoot them, they’re usually around the 60-metre mark, so you have to wait, be patient and pick your mark, so to speak.”

Securing the Beretta World Cup came as a shock during presentations.

“I was blown away in Italy when they called me up in veterans for the Beretta World Cup. That was surprising and I was not prepared for it. It was hot and we’d been down in the quarry, 43-44 degrees, so when I got back to where all the competitors had gathered at the end of the day, we just sat down and talked; I didn’t get a chance to go back to my motel and have a shower.

“I didn’t expect anything because I was about half a dozen targets away from winning it outright.”

The Beretta World Cup was an accumulation of points from select events, and though not taking out the World Championships in Italy, Robert ranked high enough to clinch the remaining points.

“The pinnacle of the year is the final event, the Australian Championships, which ran from September 9 – 11 in Geraldton, WA; and I won that by a clear margin.

“I’ve got to thank all the people who have assisted me, my family, my wife, Outdoor Trading Company, Lee Berger and his crew – knowing the product will be there (at events) makes a real difference.”

For those interested in trying their hands at clay target shooting, Westernport Field and Game run competitions every third Sunday of the month, which is partaken by young and old of all abilities and gender.

“I love it,” he added.

“Anyone interested in having a go, feel free to drop in and talk to us – 1 McFees Road, Rhyll.”