Ben Husthwaite hits back at critics who say he cheats at clay shoots. The multi world champion winner talks about sportsmanship and gamesmanship.
Ben Husthwaite is not one to shy away from controversy, writes Alex Howell. In films on Fieldsports Channel, he hits back at critics who say he cheats at clay shoots and speaks in depth about sportsmanship and gamesmanship.
And when Ben is not smashing clays and coaching across the globe he is smashing into tackles. He plays rugby at semi-pro level and this is something which he thinks gives him the mental edge to deal with all the politics of clay shooting, he said:
“I play rugby at a good level, I go to war with my opposite number. When that final whistle goes, we have a hug and we have a beer.
“In shooting you shoot 100 birds and then you go to war for a week on social media about the 100 birds you’ve shot.”
Despite being named world champion on multiple occasions, he still carries the tag of the sports bad-boy. “Have I done bad things, of course I have,” he says. “Whether I deserve it or not it doesn’t bother me I probably have more manners etiquette and experience than most of the people who call me those names.
“I’m a rugby player, I spend more time naked than I do with my clothes on. But bad boy of shooting, it’s a title I can live with.”
He admits that he has been caught up in the social media backbiting and made mistakes in the sport and that has led to him being pulled up by his sponsors. But does he learn from his mistakes? In his own words, “not always”.
“I’m never going to change who I am. I’m a rugby player, my mum and dad’s son and I’m a shooter second.”
The headline grabbing antics that have made him a name within the clay world, but Ben would still like to have a different impact.
“I would like to change my stamp on the sport over the next 10 years.”
To want to compete in a sport for such a long time there must be a reason he keeps competing, and when asked what the greatest part of the sport is, Ben said:
“One of the great things about shooting is obviously me, that can’t be argued I’m probably the best thing in the sport.”
Maybe he isn’t done grabbing the headlines just yet.
This item is sponsored by Gamebore www.gamebore.com
For more from the clayground, visit www.ejchurchill.com
Ben’s website is www.benhusthwaite.com
This item appears on YouTube in Fieldsports Britain, episode 402 bit.ly/fieldsportsbritain402
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