Service to the Sport Awards

Johan was born in Pretoria, South Africa on 18th March 1943 and has lived there ever since.  His shooting experience started before school with air rifle shooting/plinking.  Johan’s formal target shooting history is as follows:

• High school .22 target shooting from age 15.

• Won first bisley target rifle shooting trophies during basic military training in Walvis Bay, Namibia in 1962 (with a borrowed .303 Lee Enfield rifle).

• Started bisley target rifle shooting as a sport in 1972.  Obtained provincial colours in 1973.  Was selected for the Springbok shooting team the first time in 1976 for the World Long Distance Championships (Palma Matches) at Camp Perry, Ohio.  South Africa won silver that year.

• Started Field Target shooting in 2007:

  • Served as Chairperson of SAFTAA for five years (2007-2012).  During this period he also received Protea colours as team manager.  South Africa won silver at each WFTF World Championship between 2008 and 2012.

  • Served as President of WFTF for four years (2008-2012).  During this period the following changes/improvements were made:

    • Rotational system was introduced whereby each member country is afforded the opportunity to host a World Championship event, or pass it on to the next country on the list.

    • A three year term for WFTF Presidents was introduced, with the President/Chairperson of the next WFTF World Championship host country serving as WFTF Vice President.

    • The first set of WFTF Rules, effective from 2013, was developed in co-operation with Presidents/Chairpersons of all WFTF member countries.

  • During 2015 Johan left field target shooting because of knee problems and turned to WRABF air rifle benchrest shooting, where he has qualified for each Protea team to World Championship/Cup events since 2017.  He also served as SAPSSF President in 2021 and 2022.

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At the gala prize giving event of the 2023 WFTF World Championships in South Africa Johan was honoured with the WFTF Sport Award for his services to field target shooting.​

The BFTA was formed in the mid 1980’s, initially to standardise the rules of Field Target throughout Great Britain. Northern Ireland was not included as the firearms regulations were different from the mainland.

The founding members of the BFTA were six English Regions and the National bodies of Scotland and Wales. Later a seventh English Region was added, (Central Southern), formed by taking parts of the South West and South East as both of these Regions were geographically large causing long travelling distances.

The BFTA was, with the United States and Norway, one of the founding Members of the World Field Target Federation in the early 1990’s.

From its early beginnings as a ‘rule maker’, the BFTA gradually took over National Shoots, started and run by airgun magazines, when they found it increasingly time consuming and expensive to run themselves. These shoots were The Grand Prix Series, The Showdown and the British Masters. Since then the BFTA has added other National events such as the European Open, BFTA Championships and Regional Team Shoot to name but three.

Kaidu Jalakas was the main leader and developer of Target Field in Estonia. He’s responsible for creating all the FT basis in his home country from finding a budget for targets, defining rules, arranging regular trainings, preparing regular national and international championships. All these efforts led Estonia winning international competitions in the last years specially in the springer competition. In addition,  Kaidu Jalakas has been participating regularly in WFTF Competitions sharing his dedication to our sport.

Kaidu Jalakas is also responsible for making Estonia a WFTF member and in 2012 his ambition and vision made him draw up a timetable for each "International Open" that take place in Europe, both to avoid coincidences of dates for their better distribution throughout the season. This action led efforts in founding the European Field Target Federation of which this year will host the third official edition of the Championship under the flag of this Federation in Marienberg, Germany.

All shooters who have participated in previous editions and will participate in future editions of this Euro Championship they will do it thanks to the efforts of Kaidu Jalakas.

Andrew Idris Kays is a real FT pioneer. In the 90s he started international relations for FT with "postal matches" to bring this sport out in Europe.

 
Andrew Kays organized three successful World Championships in Norway (1999, 2002 and 2012), participated in at least 16 worldwide, and is in the top ten springer at least 8 times. 

Andrew Kays was twice one-year WFTF president and afterwards for five years and Germany FT would not be present in the current form if he would not permanently have encouraged the founders to fight for it and give helpful hints. 

We believe that his work and efforts to promote and to develop FT worldwide were highly successful. The FT community owes him many thanks for his consequent enthusiasm and valuable work. 

The former web site was managed by him is a reference to the history of the field target world.

Dario Gusmeroli has been promoting Field Target actively through the world, participating and organizing several FT competitions in particular in Italy. 

As a curiosity Dario Gusmeroli already participated in 12 world championships from springer to PCP since the 1st time he had an international experience (2006) we he got the 6th place in the Springer discipline.

In total Dario Gusmeroli participated in more than 300 Field Target competitions and still willing to continue.

Dario Gusmeroli as a very active person in the development of the sports has been for several years the point of contact and the face from Italy (Fidasc) and inside the World Field Target federation as RGB.

In short, Dario Gusmeroli is one of the great Field Target ambassadors in the world.

Volker Bluem Over the past 16 years has had a mountain to climb in order to establish FT in an extremely controlled firearm environment.

Volker Bluem has through many hours of hard work, established Field Target in Germany successfully and impressed the National Rifle Association of Germany (BDS) so much with our sport that they adopted FT and with it us too! 

Volker Bluem was also very active in the development process World Wide by accepting several important roles inside our Federation and also by organizing several international competitions.

The most recent examples are the World Field Target Championship in 2013 and the European Field Target Championship in 2017.

Ron Carlson became a member of AAFTA in 1990 and has served on the AAFTA Board of Directors for six years, he functioned as Match Director for the National Championships in 1993 and 2000 and won the National Championships, PCP Division in 1997 and 2000.

Ron Carlson attended his first World’s at Detroit, MI in 1991 and has attended 15 World’s to date. In 2000 he served as the Match Director for the USA Worlds. 

In 1997 Ron Carlson tied for the World Championship with Kevin Jackman and lost in the shoot off and then in 2000 won the Worlds PCP Division.

Shortly thereafter he was appointed to function as the RGB Representative for the USA and he served in that position for 10 years. 

In 2007 & 2008 he served as President of the WFTF, in 2007 as the host Country for the World Championship. Ron Carlson initiated the timing rule, one minute for set-up and one minute per shot on a lane.

In 2015 Ron Carlson was honored with the “Award for Meritorious Achievement” by the “American Airgun Field Target Association”.