Strathmore local crowned Canadian Champion

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Strathmore’s own Connor Bish has returned home a champion from the Canadian Trapshooting Championships, having swept gold in four categories across the Junior Division. 

The championship was hosted in Brandon, Man. from June 28 to July 2 by the Canadian Trapshooting Association. Competitors from across the country were in attendance. 

“I am pretty excited about it. I was very happy when I found out how I did. Becoming a four-time Canadian champion as a 16-year-old is something that is pretty big to me,” said Bish. “I started in 2019 when my stepdad introduced it to me, and then ever since, it has been a thing that I enjoy. He is the one who really started me out and helped me get to where I am today.”

Bish added he began competing roughly a year after first getting into the sport. Over the past three years, he has largely swept gold throughout competitions he has attended. 

The motivation, he explained, is less about the potential for accolades, and more so about the opportunity to meet the other competitors.

“The people make it really fun. It is a good crowd of people to shoot with and it really motivates you … I was a little skeptical about going to Manitoba, but it was the experience that I was looking for and I came out a four-time champion,” said Bish. “The motivation for the competitions is mainly just a mindset thing. It is not even just the award … being able to shoot in a competition against other people, that is what keeps me motivated.”

Practicing a minimum of two nights per week, Bish is out on the range as much as he can be throughout the remainder of a given week. The rest is a competition wherever he can find one. 

Stepping into any given competition, he explained he maintains a humble mindset, going in not expecting to win, but rather to have a good time.

“I go in knowing there are definitely some better shooters than me and I know I have some competition, so I just keep calm and just shoot my targets,” he said. “I do not even really think about it, that is when you start to get nervous and that is when you know your confidence starts to get a little too high and it turns into cockiness. I just keep calm and enjoy the tournament.”

Bish described trapshooting as a humbling sport, and is simply concerned with continuing to enjoy the activity.