Shooting star hungry for more glory

The sport's most prolific all-time winner of its greatest prize, who resides in Northiam, notched his sixth English Sporting crown to nestle proudly alongside the seven Fitasc honours accumulated from a mind-blowingly successful career.

Although a global event, this latest triumph had a genuine local flavour with victory coming in his home county while the competition boasted a St Leonards-based sponsor.

The Southdown Sporting Gun Club in Findon was the setting for his three clay victory over J. Kruger for which he earned a hand made gun worth 4,900 courtesy of event backers Renato Gamba and their importers Top Gun Clothing Ltd.

"My reign is probably coming to an end but I would like to think I've got one or two more yet," said an ever-voracious Digweed, 40. "I certainly want to win one more. Just to get off 13 would be fantastic. I still go into them, the majority of the time, as favourite but it's only favourite in certain people's eyes. I never get bored of winning and I don't like being beaten."

And it would take a brave man to bet against the seven times European champion and nine teams World Cup winner accomplishing his latest aim. Particularly so in light of his form throughout 2004 which has been nothing short of outstanding.

The World Championship represented his fifth major triumph of the season following identical results in the European Championships, Belgian Grand Prix not to mention the Pan African and Russian Opens. He has now amassed well over 100 international wins.

"I've had probably one of my best years ever," he continued. "The training I've been putting in has paid off. I've been doing some warm weather training, I've been shooting really well and I felt confident. It was just a case of doing the business at the time."

And do it he most certainly did, with tremendous consistency to boot. Spurred on by the backing of Mr B Hairdressers in Robertson Street, Hastings, Digweed racked up scores of 90 out of 100 on both Saturday and Sunday which put him three clear at the end of the regular competition. He preserved that cushion with a score of 19 from 25 in the shoot-off between the top three.

He added: "It was nice to do the job, I'm very, very pleased. It was a big international field (comprising 800 competitors) and it was hard work in the heat."

Digweed, who uses a Perazzi gun and Gamebore White Gold Cartridges, will go for more glory at the European Sporting Championships in Italy at the end of the month.