FELIX Pinney is seeking to join the ever-increasing list of top guns from Dorset.

Having come third in his first junior international competition in Holland, the 15-year-old has now been selected to join the British Shooting Talent Pathway programme.

The Sherborne teenager, who is studying for his GCSEs at Kings School Bruton, started clay shooting in January this year.

He is coached by Graham Brown at Purbeck Shooting School near Wareham. Brown established the Young Guns programme and has helped Pinney win several local and young farmers' shooting events.

In August, Brown took the Young Guns team to Holland to shoot in the two-day international Grand Prix. As part of this event they also entered the Junior Master of Clays.

This was a real nail-biter in front of some of the world’s leading shots, but Pinney held his nerve and only dropped two clays in the shoot-off to earn his third place.

In the Grand Prix, the juniors shoot the same layouts as the adults, with each day consisting of 100 clays.

It was thanks to the generosity of fellow Purbeck Shooting School member Mark Noble, who shared his gun with the youngster after his it developed a fault, that Pinney completed the competition in a very creditable joint 11th in his section.

The competition took place at Dourhaut Mees and attracted 246 shots from 16 countries.

One of the aims of Purbeck Shooting School is to promote shooting for young people in the South West.

Brown is an accomplished shot himself and dedicates much of his talent and time to the Young Guns – and he has high hopes for the group’s members.

He hopes one day that Purbeck Shooting School will become the South of England centre of excellence for shooting with an academy to help and promote the sport.

Felix said: “I owe a lot to Graham and Purbeck Shooting School. The shooting opportunities there are outstanding and the dedication of his team is amazing.”