Jacob Kay wins H&N Cup with record £10,000 prize pot

Jacob Kay takes inaugural H&N Cup title

Jacob Kay, from England, took top honours at the inaugural H&N Cup, a three-day field target competition held over the weekend of 22–24 May at East Tree Field Target Club, Whittlesey, Peterborough.

Organised by Dave O’Hara and his wife Zita, and sponsored by German pellet manufacturer H&N Sport, the event drew competitors from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Denmark across six categories, with each shooter tackling two 50-shot courses set to World Field Target Federation rules.

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Shoot-off decides Main Class winner

Kay claimed the Main Class title and £3,000 in prize money after a shoot-off against Richard Green, with the pair having finished level on 94 out of 100 possible points at the end of the two days. Shooting simultaneously at targets from the sitting position failed to separate them, and it was only when they moved to the kneeling position that Kay edged ahead to take the win. Green collected £1,500 for second place, with Jack Harris of Wales £750 for third.

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Winners across six competition categories

The remaining categories – A Grade, B Grade, Ladies, Springer and Open – each paid £550 to the winner, £275 for second and £125 for third. Jamie Squires won A Grade ahead of Shaun Peacock and Alex Squires; Phil Hollis took B Grade from Iain Burns and Jason Skears; Emma Chadbourne topped the Ladies class ahead of Natalie Shead and Charlene Summerfield; Gareth Clarke won the Springer category from Vic Rotaru and Ben Ridgway; and Dave Purcell claimed Open ahead of David Olieczock and Paul Shreeve.

Chadbourne, who finished on 82 points, described the courses as “challenging, fair, and made even better by the sunshine and the occasional cheeky wind pixie”.

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Competitors praise atmosphere and organisation

The total prize fund of £10,000 is believed to be the largest ever offered at a field target shoot anywhere in the world. Green, who collected the runner-up cheque in the Main Class, was full of praise for the occasion. “It was a great event: the best group of people to compete against, whether you get the win or not. I’d like to take my hat off to the guys and girls that put this event on. The time and effort is much appreciated by all of us who got to shoot the weekend.” Several others echoed that sentiment on social media, with first-time competitors noting they had been made to feel welcome and given plenty of guidance throughout the weekend.

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Event set to return in 2027

O’Hara, who serves as president of the World Field Target Federation, told Airgun World: “I would like to thank H&N for putting their faith in me to host and organise the inaugural H&N Cup. It was an honour to organise the biggest prize purse in field target history. I would like to thank my wife Zita for her help with organising, and Scott and all the guys at East Tree Field Target Club. To give back to field target and our community is as rewarding to me as winning any championship.”

He confirmed the event will return to the same venue in 2027.