Tradition, Technique, and Sporting Excellence

 Tradition, Technique, and Sporting Excellence

Hidden among the quiet landscapes of Normandy, just outside the village of Saint-Denis-le-Ferment, lies one of France’s most respected clay-shooting venues — Ball Trap de la Rapée Christophe Auvret.

More than a shooting ground, La Rapée is a living example of how a family-run club can become a technical reference point for sporting clays (parcours de chasse) and compak sporting (compak sporting) at both national and international levels.

At the center of this project stands its owner: world-class champion Christophe Auvret, a name deeply connected to the evolution of modern French ball-trap. His influence can be felt in the design of every shooting lane, every trajectory, and every training philosophy embraced by the club.

A Family-Driven Sporting Legacy

The story of La Rapée begins with passion, but it is Christophe Auvret who transformed that passion into a high-performance shooting environment. A multi-time World Champion in sporting clays (parcours de chasse) and compak sporting (compak sporting), and a respected figure across Europe, Auvret applied his competitive expertise directly into the layout and training culture of the club.

Today, the next generation is already shining:

his daughter Lya Auvret — world champion in team events and a rising competitor in both sporting and compak — continues the legacy and brings new visibility to the La Rapée name.

Together, they built a club where champions train beside beginners and where tradition meets innovation on a daily basis.

The Grounds: Natural Terrain With Technical Intent

The shooting range of La Rapée is not a flat field. It is a carefully structured natural domain, shaped to produce real-world target behavior. The landscape provides:

• forest corridors that tighten flight lines (lignes de vol)
• open fields for long-range crossing birds (crosser)
• uneven ground ideal for unpredictable rabbit targets (cible lapin)
• gentle elevation changes influencing angles and timing
• shaded zones that make visibility part of the challenge

This diversity allows the club to offer layouts that feel authentic — closer to hunting simulation than to a conventional clay range.

Sporting Clays (Parcours de Chasse):

A Full Technical Palette

In the sporting clays (parcours de chasse) sector, La Rapée provides a wide mix of presentations designed to test every skill category:

✔ Crossing Birds (crosser)

Targets moving sharply from left to right or vice versa across open ground — ideal for learning lead control.

✔ Quartering Targets (sortant / rentrant)

Trajectories that narrow or widen as they move away, forcing shooters to adjust footwork and gun movement.

✔ Battue Targets (battue)

These thin, fast-spinning targets create high-speed optical illusions, rising flat and dropping abruptly.

✔ Rabbit Targets (lapin)

Ground-level discs jumping unpredictably due to terrain irregularities.

✔ Teal Vertical Birds (verticale)

Fast upward bursts requiring clean vertical tracking.

Behind this variety lies the engineering backbone:

modern trap machines (lanceurs automatiques) capable of consistent, repeatable throws — essential for both training and competition.

Compak Sporting (Compak Sporting):

Precision Under Pressure

La Rapée is equally recognized for its compak sporting (compak sporting) facilities — a discipline that demands rapid decision-making inside a confined shooting box.

Compak layouts here typically include:

• fixed shooting cages (cages de tir)
• multiple traps firing in coordinated sequences
• simultaneous pairs (doublés simultanés) and
• report pairs (doublés décalés)
• strict target visibility rules
• lane limits that require exact muzzle control

These grids challenge shooters to maintain rhythm, prioritize transitions, and make consistent micro-adjustments — exactly the traits necessary to compete at an international level.

The Club House:

Comfort, Community, and Coaching

The club house (club house) of La Rapée stands at the heart of the venue:

a warm, spacious gathering point where shooters share experiences, analyze series, and prepare for the next round.

It hosts:

• technical briefings
• newcomer welcome sessions
• video-based corrections
• workshops led by Christophe Auvret
• social gatherings and event days

For first-time shooters, the club offers initiation sessions (initiation) — safe, guided introductions that allow newcomers to understand the fundamentals of clay shooting.

Training With a Champion:

The Auvret Method

Training at La Rapée means exposure to the mindset of a world champion.

Christophe Auvret’s coaching approach blends:

• discipline in movement
• observation of details
• reading of flight lines (lignes de vol)
• timing relative to target break points
• consistency in mount and swing technique
• error analysis through repetition

Whether you are preparing for national competitions or simply want to improve recreational accuracy, the Auvret training style emphasizes improvement through awareness — not guesswork.

Events, Community, and Clay Culture

Beyond the technical aspects, La Rapée is known for its vibrant shooting culture. The club regularly organizes:

• friendly sporting tournaments
• compak matches
• special formats such as clay snooker
• team challenges
• seasonal club events

These activities strengthen the sense of community and keep the club atmosphere dynamic and welcoming.

Why La Rapée Stands Out

Among French regional clubs, the Ball Trap de la Rapée Christophe Auvret distinguishes itself for several reasons:

✔ A venue designed by a world champion

✔ High-quality trap machines and technical layouts

✔ Equal focus on sporting clays and compak sporting

✔ A natural environment that influences target behavior

✔ A professional yet family-oriented atmosphere

✔ Training grounded in elite-level methodology

It is rare to find a club where grassroots shooters, national competitors, and world champions share the same ground and elevate each other.

Final Thoughts

Ball Trap de la Rapée Christophe Auvret is more than a shooting range —

it is a living training environment, a technical playground, and a place where clay-shooting tradition meets high-performance sport.

For anyone passionate about sporting clays (parcours de chasse) or compak sporting (compak sporting), La Rapée represents a powerful combination of expertise, atmosphere, and authenticity.

It is not just a destination.

It is a standard.