Putnam County 4-H Shooting Sports celebrates 22nd year with record participation

The Putnam County 4-H Shooting Sports Program celebrated its 22nd year in 2026 with its largest enrollment to date, providing local youth with a safe, educational, and cost-free opportunity to develop firearm safety knowledge and marksmanship skills.

Hosted annually by the Cloverdale Conservation Club, the program offered four weeks of instruction and practice across three evenings each week. Participants had the opportunity to compete in trap shooting, speed pistol shooting, and benchrest rifle while learning the importance of firearm safety, responsibility, and sportsmanship.

The program remains free for all participants thanks to the generous support of community partners. Ammunition and rifles are donated annually through the NRA Foundation, while Quail Forever and the MidwayUSA Foundation provide additional financial assistance to help ensure every Putnam County 4-H youth have the opportunity to participate regardless of financial circumstances.

The success of the program is also made possible by the dedication of its volunteer instructors, including Kerry Williams, Daniel Williams, Mason Latrip, Jon Handy, Parke Lucas, Brian K. Ramey, Michael Hutcheson, and Gayle Whitmer. The club is organized by Director Stephanie Summit-Campbell.

Project Coordinator Jerrod Baugh reflected on the program's continued success.

"It has been a pleasure each year for these 22 years to work with the best kids in Putnam County, teaching firearm safety and helping them develop skills while also enjoying the shooting sports we all love," Baugh said.

The season concludes each year with the annual Top Gun competition, held on the Saturday before the Putnam County Fair. Youth who qualify for the event compete in all three disciplines for the prestigious Top Gun championship belt buckle.

As has often been the case in previous years, consistency across all events proved to be the winning formula. Although he did not place first in any single discipline, Logan Custis delivered strong performances in each event to earn the title of 2026 Putnam County 4-H Shooting Sports Top Gun.

The Putnam County 4-H Shooting Sports Program continues to provide a positive environment where young people build confidence, develop safe firearm handling skills, and learn the values of responsibility, discipline, and good sportsmanship through the support of dedicated volunteers and community partners.