| The sport of Skeet Shooting began in Andover, | | | | name for this new sport. Mrs. Gerturde Hurlbutt |
| Massachusetts in the year 1920. A small group of | | | | of Dayton, Montana was the winner. She entered |
| hunters gathered together at the Glen Rock | | | | "Skeet" which was an old Scandinavian word for |
| Kennels to shoot clay targets as a way of | | | | 'shoot'. |
| practicing wing-shooting. After a short time their | | | | Now the game had a name and over the next |
| practice became a bit of a competition and they | | | | decade the sport grew in popularity. In 1935 the |
| decided to create a uniform procedure, to keep | | | | First National Championship Skeet Shooting |
| things even. | | | | Competition took place in Cleveland, Ohio. The |
| Charles Davies, a grouse hunter, is sometimes | | | | event moved from city to city and continued to |
| credited with creating the sport. The competitors | | | | grow in popularity. |
| began to shoot in a 25 yard radius, with the circle | | | | Skeet shooting pretty much stopped as a civilian |
| marked like the face of a clock. Each shooter | | | | sport during World War II. There was a shortage |
| took two shots from each of the twelve stations | | | | of ammunition and equipment, and most of the |
| with the trap set at the 12 O'Clock station The | | | | best shooters were now in the armed forces. |
| game changed a bit when a neighbor began raising | | | | The military, however, discovered that skeet |
| chickens next door and complained about the | | | | shooting could teach and improve skills during |
| shells. The problem was solved by setting a | | | | gunnery training. Many of the great skeet |
| second trap at the 6 O'clock station. | | | | shooters became instructors. |
| William H. Foster, one of the gentlemen who | | | | After the war the National Skeet Shooting |
| started the game, thought this might develop into | | | | Association was officially incorporated in 1946. The |
| a national sport. Just six years after the first | | | | organization has moved around, but has continued |
| 'shooting games' Foster ran ads in two national | | | | to grow. Skeet shooting was included in the |
| hunting magazines. He offered $100 for the best | | | | International Olympics in 1968. |