Bryce Purdy a shotgun champ

Twelve-year old Bryce Purdy is a “hot shot,” a member of the Landt Farm “Hot Shot” shotgun youth team. The Reardan Junior High school student has won several impressive titles since he started shooting competitively.

In July he participated in the Oregon State Sporting Clays Championship and was the champion in .410, 28- and 20-auge in subjunior class (16 and under).

And again in August he walked away with championship titles in all seven events in his class he participated in at the Western Open in Mount Vernon, Wash.

In the three years since he joined the Landts’ Farm youth team, Bryce has maintained a busy competition schedule. Just this fall alone he will be going to U.S. Nationals in San Antonio and U.S. Winter Nationals in Reno, Nev., and no doubt will be taking home more trophies.

Bryce currently is 70th in the nation in the subjunior class. He has his eyes on the gold.

He wants to win a gold medal for the U.S. in the Olympics in the future. And to get there, he maintains a strict practice schedule at home with his father, Allan Purdy, an avid bird hunter who sparked the boy’s interest in shooting by taking him hunting when he was about 7.

Besides shotgun competition, Bryce is also active in Boy Scouts. He has been a top fundraiser for the past six years for the district, selling thousands of dollars of popcorn for the organization.

Bryce is an entrepreneur. This summer, besides helping his grandfather haying on the ranch, he made up his own business cards and went around the neighborhood soliciting odd jobs for pocket money.

And when does he find time for schoolwork?

His parents make sure: Homework must be done before going on a competition trip. School comes first, no matter what.

“We try to provide the opportunity for him to pursue whatever he wants to do. And it’s up to him how far he wants to take it.” Says Bryce’s mother, Angela.

And it looks like the young man is going to take it a long way.