JOSHUA, TX — (AGirlandAGun.org) — A Girl & A Gun welcomed 107 women from 12 states to the 6th Annual Women’s Clays Extravaganza, held July 17-19, 2026. The event also marked a milestone for Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch as the first registered National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) competition held at its new championship facility in Joshua, Texas.
Throughout the weekend, competitors engaged 26,094 registered targets. Most participants competed in the 200-bird Extravaganza, with scores from three events, the Main Event 100-Bird Cowtown Sporting Course, the 5-Stand, and the Lone Star Super Sporting, combined to determine the Extravaganza High Overall Winner.
“Every champion was once a first-time shooter,” said Robyn Sandoval, President and CEO of A Girl & A Gun. “The Women’s Clays Extravaganza gives more women the opportunity to experience the shotgun sports in a welcoming environment. Whether she’s breaking her first registered targets or competing for High Overall, every woman on the course helps grow the future of our sport.”
To help first-time competitors feel prepared, A Girl & A Gun offered optional half-day clinics before the competition began. Participants trained with professional sporting clays instructors on dedicated instructional courses, where they learned course protocols, refined their shooting skills, and gained confidence. Women, whose ages ranged from 10 to 78, included every skill level, from accomplished competitors to those shooting their first registered competition, a mix of experience that has become a hallmark of the Women’s Clays Extravaganza.
“Defender has hosted exceptional sporting clays events for years, and our new home represents an exciting new chapter,” said Travis Mears, President of Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch. “Choosing A Girl & A Gun as our first registered shoot, or as we liked to say, ‘Ladies First,’ was the perfect way to celebrate that milestone. The enthusiasm these women bring to the range is contagious, and we’re proud they helped launch the next chapter of Defender’s history.”
Master Class shooter Colette Owen earned High Overall honors with the highest combined score across all three championship events. She also captured victories in the Lone Star Super Sporting, the 5-Stand, and the bonus 100-Bird Ranch Course.
Victoria Feather finished as High Overall Runner-Up while claiming the highest score in the Main Event 100-Bird Cowtown Sporting Course.
Class winners included:
- AA Class: Sharon Belt
- A Class: Allison Fogerson
- B Class: Lynda Mears
- C Class: Michelle Yim
- D Class: Jane Andrus
GSM Outdoors was on site with Walker’s Team Ear and Muddy Outdoors, where the company introduced its new women’s hunting apparel line. Every competitor received a GPS shell pouch courtesy of GSM Outdoors. Additional support came from Magpul, Mossberg, Benelli, Akkar USA, OTIS Technology, and SSP Eyewear. Their support helped enhance the competitor experience while demonstrating the firearms industry’s continued investment in growing women’s participation in the shooting sports.
The event continues to build momentum. A Girl & A Gun plans to welcome 150 women to the Women’s Clays Extravaganza in 2027, creating a field larger than the NSCA Ladies Open during the National Sporting Clays Championship. By 2028, the organization aims to host 350 women, establishing the largest gathering of women ever assembled for a registered NSCA sporting clays event.
The 2027 A Girl & A Gun Women’s Clays Extravaganza will return to Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch on July 16-18, 2027. Registration information and event details are available at AGirlandAGun.org/clays.
About A Girl & A Gun
Founded in 2011, A Girl & A Gun is the nation’s largest women’s firearms training organization and membership community. The organization’s mission is to build confident, capable, and connected women through firearms education, competition, and community. Today, members train and compete in every major shooting discipline, from defensive pistol and concealed carry to sporting clays, rifle, precision rifle, and multigun competition. Whether a woman is learning firearm safety for the first time or competing at the highest levels of the shooting sports, A Girl & A Gun provides the training, coaching, and supportive community to help her succeed. Through hundreds of local chapters, national events, and partnerships across the firearms industry, A Girl & A Gun is introducing more women to the shooting sports while strengthening America’s firearms community.
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