THE region has a new world champion after Knebsworth farmer, Ron Rhook, returned from the United States with some extra luggage recently.

Rhook has had a busy year so far, culminating in the world cup win in Hudson, Wisconsin, topping the World FITASC Sporting Clays Championship standings in the Veteran class.

“I didn’t know until the team manager told me ‘you’ve won the world cup’,” he said.

“A lot of personal satisfaction when I found out, you don’t get called up at the worlds to receive an award without performing well.

“It is a bloody good effort, it was tough and if I could have finished in the top 10 over there, it would have been better, but I still managed to win the world cup.”

The 68-year-old, who is a member at Mount Gambier, but also shoots at the Portland-Heywood club, had few expectations in terms of getting on the podium.

“I certainly wasn’t confident, I have been to seven or eight world championships, and you just go there and hope to do your best and shoot well.

“Where it gets you to, in 2012 I got on a roll and it just got so easy, I was shooting world class scores.

“I shot off for the silver medal in Senior, and got done, so won bronze, which is pretty good.”

The path to the world championships took about four months, across two separate events.

Rhook, who uses a Krieghoff gun, said there was a lot of travel involved.

“We had to shoot in Brisbane to qualify for the Australian team for the Oceania Championship in Mudgee,” he said.

The Brisbane event was in March, where he topped the Veterans scores with 170 to collect 90 points, before also topping the standings at the Oceania Championships in Mudgee, hitting 149 targets to earn 200 points and won the Beretta Cup.

“As I understand it, I had maximum points from the events in Australia, and that combined with my performance at worlds,” Rhook said.

“Apart from America, the next biggest number of shooters was from Australia, I was shooter number 983.

“I went over with two other farmers, one from Tarpeena (South Australia) and Leigh Dunn from Macarthur.

“You have got to have a good gun fit and a good technique, you have to keep it under a line on the jacket.

“The first time I went to the world championships was in 1983, and if you can get off to a good start, it gives you a lot of confidence.”

Rhook has been involved in the sport for over 40 years, and said it always provided a challenge.

“It is a good sport, pretty costly, but I can honestly say I have been to shoots where I have been behind the Prime Minister,” he said.

“Malcolm Fraser would go to Coleraine Field and Game at times.

“It is not a mob of rednecks, I think saying something positive about the sport is a good thing.”