Pre-squadding for the 122nd Grand American World Trapshooting Championships will open on Tuesday, Jun. 15 at 5:00 p.m. CST. Scheduled for Aug. 4–14, this year's trapshooting tournament will return to its home at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Ill., after switching venues to neighboring Missouri last year due to the pandemic. View the 2021 Grand American Program here.
Every year, the ATA (Amateur Trapshooting Association) conducts more than 20 events at the Grand American World Trapshooting Championships, with thousands of shooters and their families attending. More than 400 trophies and a $1 million prize purse will be distributed to winners at the 2021 Grand American.
A historic match, the first Grand American was held in 1893 at Dexter Park in Long Island, N.Y. Twenty-four competitors shot at live birds. In 1900, the first Grand American using clay targets was contested at Interstate Park in Queens, N.Y., as a four-day tournament with 74 entrants.
Later on, the Grand American traveled to such cities as Chicago, Columbus and St. Louis before finding a home in Vandalia, Ohio, in 1924. The Amateur Trapshooting Association Homegrounds remained in Vandalia until 2005.
As mentioned, the Grand American currently takes place in Sparta, Ill., at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex. A spectacular competitive shooting facility, it boasts 120 trap fields which stretch more than three-and-a-half miles. In addition, there are 1,000 campsites, 4,001 parking spots and three lakes spanning the grounds of the facility.
Pre-squadding will close on Sunday, Jul. 25. If you are interested in attending one of the world's largest shooting events, visit shootata.com to pre-squad and register for the 122nd Grand American.
Read more: The Legendary Grand American Trapshooting Championships
