HEREFORDSHIRE hot-shot Janine Preece has been picked to represent Great Britain at a major European competition in France next month.

The 21-year-old will be making her debut for the British International Clay Target Shooting Federation (BICTSF).

She had a letter on Saturday confirming her selection for the Great Britain team at the FITASC Sporting European Championships.

The package also contained badges and a tie which Janine will be wearing to represent Great Britain at the four-day competition at Amiens in July.

“I am very excited about my selection but I am also a bit nervous,” said Janine from Kerry’s Gate, near Abbeydore.

Janine has had much success since she started clay target shooting at the age of 15. She is the equal-top ranked female competitor in the BICTSF ladies’ listings.

The former Kingstone High School pupil has represented Wales at a World Championships in Texas, USA, where she finished 12th in the ladies’ section.

Janine has also shot for Wales in Home Internationals and represented Hereford & Worcester at Inter-County Championships. She was the Welsh Sporting team captain last year.

Janine’s dad, Jerry Preece, has shot for Wales about 12 times since 1994 and introduced her to the sport.

“Janine wanted to have a go so I took her for lessons and she has never looked back,” he said.

“She took to clay shooting straight away and, within 12 months of shooting, she was selected for Wales and in the Hereford & Worcester team.”

Jerry said his daughter had worked very hard at the sport. Jerry said the former Madley Primary School pupil had won Welsh Junior titles, the Welsh Open ladies’ Sporting Championship five times and was the 2008 Welsh Ladies’ Home International Champion.

She has had coaching in Herefordshire with top England shooter Stephen Nutbeam and in Monmouth with Wales marksman Nigel Hart.

Janine is a student in Swansea and starts the final year of her Surface Pattern Design course in September. She returns home at weekends to shoot because there is not a club at the university.

“I don’t think many people at university know about my shooting,” said Janine, who is grateful for continued support from Eley Hawk Ltd and Mid-Wales Shooting Centre.