Ian Irvine (18) was named the winner of the Newton McConochie Award at the New Zealand Deerstalkers' Association's (NZDA) recent national conference in Rotorua.
The award is the second major accolade for the Mountainview High School pupil, who earlier this year was named in the New Zealand junior development squad for target shooting.
NZDA South Canterbury branch president Tim McCarthy said the award was open to NZDA members aged under 21. Candidates were judged on every facet of their involvement with their branch, including participating in organised shoots, helping other juniors, as well as their trophy hunting and target-shooting achievements.
Members of the NZDA national committee had told Mr McCarthy South Canterbury had an ‘‘exceptionally gifted shooter in its midst''.
‘‘He has a gift - his standing shooting is unbelievable,'' Mr McCarthy said.
‘‘I think he can go all the way with his target shooting. He's very dedicated; he practises every day.''
Ian said he was drawn to shooting by its need for perfection - a constant striving for accuracy - which he felt suited his personality. He spent 10 to 15 hours a week practising at a shooting range at his home in Hadlow.
His father was a keen hunter and had encouraged him into the sport, but he had become interested in target shooting only three years ago after joining the NZDA, he said.
Specialising in the smallbore three-position discipline, which involves taking 40 shots each from prone, kneeling and standing positions, he aimed to compete at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Mr McCarthy said it was exceptional for junior members of the South Canterbury branch to win the Newton McConochie Award twice in three years. His daughter Jaimee won in 2006 when only 16 years old.
He believed the success of the club's juniors was due to the branch treating its senior and junior sections as equally important and to making its activities family-orientated.
It also reflected an excellent year for club members in general, who achieved top-three placings in the NZDA's national competition in every trophy they entered, he said.
Andrew Brosnahan, of Timaru, placed third in the Best Head of All Deer Species category for a fallow deer shot in the Albury Range.
Another junior, James Pearse (17), of Waitohi, also excelled by winning the Mel Larritt trophy for a red deer shot in the Kaikoura area, as well as placings in four other categories.
