EL FRESNILLO SHOOTING RANGE: THE PERFECT SETTING FOR A HIGH-LEVEL COMPETITION

Since El Fresnillo shooting range was inaugurated in 1977, it has gone through a fire, a closure and a complete refurbishment in 2021, which has made it the venue for the 41st world championship of Universal Trench last August.

The guilty?

Jorge Darío, shooting range manager since 2021, expert in shooting range management and owner of the La Isla shooting range.

We were honoured that our Green Dream ecological clay target was chosen to ensure a sustainable competition at all levels.

Now we want him to tell us more about the remodelling of the shooting range, the sustainability, and the preparation of the championship, as we asked him to do in his previous interview.

EL FRESNILLO SHOOTING RANGE: AN EMBLEMATIC PLACE FOR SPORTS SHOOTING IN ÁVILA

Located in the NATURAVILA sports centre and only 3 kilometres from the walled city of Ávila, el Fresnillo shooting range was created in 1977 to provide shooting services in the province of Ávila and in the region of Castilla y León, a pioneer in the practice of hunting and sport shooting.

In the year 2000 it hosted the European Universal Trench Championships, but shortly afterwards it was the victim of a fire and mismanagement that led to the closure of its facilities.

Jorge Darío decided to give it a second life from 2021. He founded the Ávila Trap shooting club, and together they started the rehabilitation of the shooting range.

In July 2021, thanks to a good planning, machinery arrangement and computerization of the 4 shooting ranges that the field consisted of at that time, it hosted its first competition.

At the end of 2022, Jorge received the great news that he had been chosen to host the 2023 Universal Trench Championships and, from then on, all the preparations began.

Have you incorporated any unique or innovative features at El Fresnillo that make it different from other clay pigeon shooting ranges?

The fifth shooting range and the artificial turf on all the shooting ranges, as well as the closing of some of the ranges so that the athlete can be more comfortable, are the improvements that have been incorporated. They are not innovative and do not make it different from other courses, but they do place it among the 5 best courses in Spain.

I can also tell you that in 2024 it is expected to become a biodegradable and non-polluting field with a unique recycling system in Spain.

How did you come to consider the adventure of setting up a FU world championship? What was your motivation, and how did you get so far in such a short time?

Once the shooting range was open, I received the proposal to hold the 2023 World Championships of Universal Trench. Incredible to go from being closed to hosting this great international competition! I couldn’t be happier to be rewarded with this great competition and that all athletes can enjoy these facilities.

What have been the specific challenges you have faced in preparing for this type of event?

I have had great challenges throughout its development. Since I started the first day until today I have had many and diverse obstacles. But with the help of the people of the city of Ávila and the Diputación de Ávila, we have been able to achieve this project and bring the course internationally to the desired level.

COMPETITION EQUIPMENT

Let’s talk a bit about shooting range equipment… We know that for the FU championship you had the best facilities: Mattarelli machines and Green Dream shooting clay targets from Corsivia. A guarantee of success?

Yes, that’s right. We have had the best on the market to realize this World Championship:

• Matarelli machines, together with the technical service of the company Tiro-Sport.
• The Green Dream clay target by Corsivia.
• My experience in the world of high competition.
• To have a large shooting range.
• The help, advice, and professionalism of the company Solo Tiro and the ADTP.

All this is what has helped us to achieve the great Championship that we have been able to experience last August. And, what makes us most proud of all, is to have achieved the enjoyment of all the sportsmen and women who participated in such an important competition.

COMMERCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP

We know that for this championship you have had the commercial support of renowned brands, both in the world of shooting and in other sectors. This support has made the world championship stand out from other championships. What can you tell us about this?

The truth is that it has been a different World Championship in which many prestigious brands in the shooting world have been present. In addition, we have had great novelties for the companions that, without a doubt, have given a magical touch to this competition.

We wanted to achieve a totally sustainable international event and, together with Coca-Cola, CORSIVIA with its 100% ecological clay target, companies from the shooting range and companies from the sector, we have achieved it, and we have made this championship a pioneer in caring for the natural environment. A complete success!

PREPARATIONS FOR THE 41ST INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSAL TRENCH CHAMPIONSHIP IN EL FRESNILLO

Tell us more about the championship: number of shooters, services provided, etc.

The number of people expected to attend the competition was expected to be around these figures.

• Number of athletes: 450.
• Number of accompanying persons: 600.
• Number of visitors to watch the competition: 300
• Number of employees and staff of companies in the competition, as well as staff at the product exhibition: 80.

And we have far exceeded that!

In terms of extra services, a competition and security plan was designed to ensure the good service of the facilities, which has included such things as these:

• Three food and beverage outlets scattered around the range.
• New terrace areas and rest areas provided by Coca-Cola as main partners of the event.
• New toilet and sanitary areas, as well as the continuous cleaning of the pitch.
• Civil Protection and Red Cross assistance to provide better security coverage for the event.

Anything else you would like to add?

I would like to add that I think we have lived up to this great championship. Everything went as expected to ensure that the athletes could enjoy this great competition. It only remains for me to thank the commercial brands in the sector such as Corsivia, Mundiarmas, Solo Tiro, Tiro Sport and the ADTP for their unconditional support and trust in me to be able to carry out this championship.

A pleasure to have been part of this great event! Thanks to you, Jorge.

If you want to know a little more about the Universal Trench, we invite you to read our blog article “Universal Trench, the modality for the most daring in clay pigeon shooting“.