The Mattingly Target Shooting Range in east Daviess County will host the 2024 Kentucky State Sporting Clays Championship.
The event be held August 23-25, 2024. Daviess County hasn’t hosted the state competition since 2011.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had the event,” said Ross Leigh, Director of the Daviess County Parks and Recreation. “We’re very excited to be able to welcome these people in from multiple states. Even though it’s the Kentucky state championship, everybody in the country is able to come out and participate.”
Daviess County Fiscal Court has been operating this shooting range since March 2020. Ross said as soon as they took over operations, the County made it a goal to bring the event back.
“Those that (the facility) had been leased to had opted not to participate (in the event). We saw that opportunity and wanted to take it immediately,” Ross said.
This year’s state championship is being held in Owenton. Ross said it’s supposed to draw 200-plus shooters over the 3 days.
Daviess County Commissioner Larry Conder said the event will have a positive impact on the local economy.
“You’re looking at at least 200 participants with their family and friends. I’m assuming they’ll probably come in beforehand just to practice and make sure they get a lay of the land. So that means they’re going to be staying in our hotels, visiting our restaurants, seeing what Owensboro has to offer for at least 4 days. It really means a lot to our community,” Conder said.
Visit Owensboro’s Dave Kirck said a “super conservative” estimate is that the event will have a $370,000 economic impact “based on hotels, multiple nights, restaurants, everything from gas to buying (ammunition).”
At this time, the shooting range is a shotgun-only facility with skeet, trap, and two courses for sporting clays. One highlight is the 80-foot tower, the tallest in western Kentucky, that launches sporting clay targets with two mounted machines.
The facility is typically open Friday-Sunday from March through mid-December. A round of sporting clays costs $35, and they also offer skeet and trap for $6 per round.
The shooting range is located at 7740 KY 2830 in Maceo, about 7 miles east of Owensboro.
