Her Element: Ronda Carman

There is something powerful about watching a woman step into an unfamiliar world, fully commit to the challenge, and then hold the door open for others. Ronda Carman is a writer, published author, sporting clays competitor, and Private Client Dealer for Perazzi USA. She is also the voice behind Ronda Carman Confidential, an editorial platform covering travel, design, food, books, culture, and sporting life. Her book, Entertaining at Home, was published by Rizzoli and reflects the same thoughtful approach to hospitality that now shapes her work within the sporting community.

When Ronda’s husband first suggested sporting clays, she thought he was crazy. She had never picked up a shotgun, but what began as a completely unfamiliar pursuit quickly became a passion, she committed herself to. Today, she shoots four or five days a week, trains with some of the best women in the sport and has begun competing herself.

That passion has grown into something much larger. Ronda now creates private clay experiences for women, hosts Ladies Clay Lunch & Learns, and organizes multiday sporting retreats that pair professional instruction with beautiful food and gracious hospitality. She is creating a more welcoming and visible path into sporting clays while still honoring the discipline and challenge the sport requires. Her story is a reminder of what can happen when we allow ourselves to become beginners, take something seriously, and keep showing up.

Read our full conversation with Ronda below.

 

1. WHAT DREW YOU TO SPORTING CLAYS? AND WHAT CONTINUES TO CHALLENGE AND FUFILL YOU?

My husband’s suggestion. I had never picked up a shotgun, and at first, I thought he was crazy. My life had always centered on writing, travel, design, food, hospitality, and storytelling. If you had told me five years ago that I would spend several days a week on a sporting clays course, travel for competitions, or become passionate about introducing other women to the sport, I would have laughed.

The appeal is partly the challenge. Clay shooting requires concentration, discipline, physical awareness, and the ability to make an immediate correction without dwelling on the previous target. You cannot simply force your way through it. The smallest details—your eyes, stance, movement, timing, and state of mind—can affect the result.

What continues to hold my interest is that there is always another target to understand and another part of the game to improve. I am competitive, and I like the fact that progress must be earned. Sporting clays has given me the rare opportunity to become a true beginner again and discover how much can happen when you are willing to take something seriously.

2. WHAT HAS THIS SPORT TAUGHT YOU, BOTH WITHIN IT AND FAR BEYOND IT?

Sporting clays has taught me to be comfortable with being new at something. That becomes increasingly important as we get older. It is easy to remain in the areas where we already feel capable and accomplished.

The sport has also taught me that improvement is rarely linear. You can work hard, become considerably better, and still be disappointed by a score. As your ability improves, your expectations often rise even faster. That is not failure; it is part of becoming more discerning about your own performance.

It has reinforced the importance of preparation, repetition, humility, and staying present. Once a target is gone, there is no benefit in carrying it to the next station. You assess what happened, make the adjustment, and continue.

3. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU SHARE WITH OTHER WOMEN FINDING THEIR PLACE IN THIS SPORT?

Begin before you feel completely ready. You do not need to know the terminology, own a shotgun, or arrive with experience. You need good instruction, proper safety guidance, and an environment where you are treated seriously as a beginner.

I would also tell women to be selective about whom they learn from. A skilled instructor should be able to explain the sport clearly without making it unnecessarily complicated or intimidating. The right coach and the right equipment can make an enormous difference.

Do not compare your beginning with someone else’s tenth year. Ask questions. Try different guns before purchasing one, and pay close attention to fit, weight, and comfort. Many people in the sport shoot shotguns weighing eight to ten pounds, with 30- or 32-inch barrels. I shoot a Perazzi MX8 that weighs just over seven pounds and has 28-inch barrels with fixed chokes.

Invest in proper hearing and eye protection. Choose your shells carefully as well. I shoot Gamebore Rose Gold, a competition cartridge that delivers smooth recoil, consistent performance, and excellent patterns.

Most importantly, do not confuse one difficult day with an inability to succeed in the sport. Everyone misses targets. Everyone has days when the pieces do not come together. Progress comes from returning, making small corrections, and continuing to learn.

4. WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE TO MAKE ON THIS COMMUNITY?

I want to make the path into sporting clays more visible and accessible for women, particularly those who may never have imagined themselves in the sport.

Many professional and social events offered to women still follow the same familiar formula: lunches, panels, cocktail receptions, and traditional networking. Clay shooting creates a different kind of connection. Women are outside, learning something unfamiliar, encouraging one another, and discovering abilities they did not know they had.

My goal is not simply to introduce more women to shooting. It is to create experiences where they receive excellent instruction, feel welcomed, are appropriately challenged, and leave saying, “I never thought I could do that.”

I also hope my experience makes a larger point about beginning later in life. I was not raised in the sport, and I did not have decades of experience behind me. I began, committed to learning, and continued.

JUST FOR FUN: WHAT DOES YOUR PERFECT DAY IN YOUR ELEMENT LOOK LIKE?

My perfect day begins early at a beautiful property, preferably in cool weather, although that is asking a great deal in Houston. It includes a small, engaged group of people who enjoy being challenged but do not take themselves too seriously.

After several hours on the course, there would be a long lunch with good food, wine, and conversation. Time around the table has always been important to me. I was fortunate to explore that subject in my book, Entertaining at Home, published by Rizzoli.

The best shooting days are not only about the score. They are about the setting, the company, the equipment, and the experience as a whole.

MY MUST-HAVES

My Perazzi MX8, Gamebore Rose Gold shells, Pilla shooting glasses, custom SoundGuard hearing protection, Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen, a rubber band, a packet of electrolytes, Dior Addict Hydrating Lip Balm, and more shooting accessories than I probably need.

I always shoot in Veronica Beard Riviera sneakers and my Castellani shooting vest. I am now adding the Sawyer Bane Her Element Performance Mock Neck and Performance Skort to that list. I am already obsessed and look forward to seeing what comes next.