The Newton County 4-H hosted their first-ever Multi-County Shooting Sports competition on Saturday at the Newton County Show Barn in Newton, drawing a strong turnout on a cool and blustery Spring morning from across the region and providing a full day of safe, family-friendly competition.
Jeff Pugh, with the Newton County 4-H, said that the event featured 136 participants, many of whom competed in multiple disciplines. Youth were allowed to enter up to three events, with offerings including archery, shotgun, air rifle, air pistol, .22 rifle, .22 pistol, and the newly added muzzle loader.
The competition brought together participants from eight counties, bringing an estimated 300-400 people to the area. Pugh added that volunteers from each county stepped up to assist in running the event. Most of the competition took place at the show barn except for the Shotgun events, which were held at the Coastal Plains Experiment Station, requiring some participants to travel between locations for their scheduled relays.
Pugh expressed appreciation for the hometown support and participating counties that made the inaugural event the success it was and they look to build on it for years to come.
The Newton County 4-H invites anyone interested in joining the 4-H Shooting Sports program to contact the Newton County Extension Office in Decatur at 601-635-7011 for more information or to sign up.
