Southland clay target shooter Jack Heslip learnt a lot from his first taste of international competition, including the fact he’s not a fan of chicken gizzards.

The Te Anau-based Northern Southland College student made his New Zealand debut as part of a seven-strong team at the ISSF junior world championships in Lima, the capital of Peru.

The SBS Bank Academy Southland foundation year athlete finished middle of the pack in the Olympic trap event, shooting 105 of the 125 targets he attempted over two days.

Experiences were racked up thick and fast during the trip in Lima’s muggy weather. Negotiating the busy and noisy traffic of the nation’s capital was a far cry from Lake Front Drive in Te Anau, and ordering off a foreign menu was also an eye opener.

“We went out for an evening meal which looked good on the menu. I got Google translate out and it said steak and chips. It looked like steak so I had a bite and it was very chewy.

“In the end it turned out to be chicken gizzards - if you do not know, it is the muscle which moves the stomach to digest the food. Turns out I don’t like chicken gizzards.”

Jack did enjoy two days of practice in the competition arena, which provided him with his first experience of shooting in an enclosed range, with green false walls on each side.

He hit the first target of his international career on day one, but was a little disappointed to shoot 20 from 25, however he also managed to come back from consecutive misses to shoot 10 targets in a row. His next two rounds returned identical scores of 20 from 25.

After a good nights’ sleep he missed his first target on day two, but then shot 24 in a row for his best round of the competition. His final round returned 21 from 25.

“I was a little disappointed as this is below what I normally shoot, I was a few targets off my usual numbers,” he said.

“I got to talk to different competitors from different nations, which is really eye-opening, and to understand how they go about their study, work and shooting. They have invited me to go and shoot in their country one day. I would like to thank (everyone) for your support and help with sponsorship and support of my fundraising efforts. It was such an amazing experience.”

Jack’s next big competition is at the Australian nationals in Sydney in January.