FOR the first time in the Orange and District Pistol Club’s history four members were selected in the New South Wales team to contest the 2010 Pistol Australia 53rd National Championships.

Dean Brus, Dave Oates, Max Wicks and Lara Cowling travelled to Brisbane earlier this month for the event to take on the best pistol shooters from right around the country.

Traditionally a strong team in all of the classifications, NSW didn’t disappoint dominating the competition.

Brus was crowned national champion in the service pistol unrestricted as well as taking out silver in the WA1500 revolver and the 25 yard service pistol and was very pleased to be representing the ODPC at the championships.

“It was the first time we had four shooters selected in the side which is great,” Brus said.

“Everyone was selected based on their performances throughout the year so to have a record number qualify is good for the club.”

While Brus was the only Orange shooter to come away from the event with a national title he wasn’t alone in earning national selection.

Brus will be joined by Dave Oates after the pair qualified for places in the Australian WA1500 team to compete at the International Open in Philippsburg, Germany, in August.

“It is great to be heading to Germany but all four of us are going to be training really hard over the next 12 months so we can qualify again and go to Sweden,” Brus said.

“We have a lot of events coming up including the South Australian champs, the Victorian champs and obviously the NSW champs.

“Hopefully, if everything goes well we’ll be heading over to Sweden in 2011.”

With their representation at the 2010 championships the ODPC’s strongest to date, Brus is confident this strong showing could have been even better had two of the club’s best judges been available for selection.

“Helen Johnson was invited down to be the judge for the classification category of the World Cup at the Olympic venue at Sydney,” he said.

“To have someone from our club invited to be a part of the world stage is a great achievement.”

Both Brus and Oates will fly out for the International Open in August.