TARGETRIFLEby Karen RobertsonThursday 4 JulyThe space between the Match <strong>Rifle</strong> events and the GrandAggregate has been partly occupied for several yearsby an open Club team competition. Sponsors nameshave come and gone, but the Opening Shot is now afixture for the early arrivals and the growing group whochoose to treat the MR competitions as valuable TRpractice as well as the exalted few who take bothdisciplines seriously. A moderate breeze and partialcloud cover made for difficult conditions, as both thelight and the wind changed almost shot by shot. Notthat it made any difference to the result; a team from theBritish Commonwealth RC (where one qualifies formembership by having been a member of a Great Britainor NRA team) won for the fourth time in five years.The day also sees a rush of short-term participants forthe Public Schools Veterans Match for teams of five at500 yards. Four teams made 248 in the A teams match;OGRE were the winners with 248.39. Second placedBelfast Royal Academy, on 248.36, surprised everyoneespecially as the last-minute fifth member of their teamhad been prised away from butt marking and had toshoot with borrowed kit. Old Oakhamians won the BTeams match with 245.25 and OGRE won the C Teamsmatch with 241.26 although, oddly, it was OldEpsomians who took the Schools Veterans Aggregateas another rather successful team, who shall remainnameless, had forgotten to hand in their claim card!Friday 5 JulyFriday was another day of changing winds, butinterspersed with showers that turned to drizzle as theovercast thickened in the evening. In the Astor, one teammade six 35s at each distance; OGRE at 300 yards,Windsor RC at 500 yards and Manydown RC at 600yards. But it was OGRE who continued in style,averaging 104 ex 105 to finish on 624.81, pushingDungannon RC (making their first appearance in themedals) into second place. Further down the range,Northern Ireland won the Cadet <strong>National</strong> for the firsttime - top scorer was Matthew McCullough with 104.12giving a hint of things to come, while fellow AthelingsMatthew Cloughley and Paul Boyle showed their formwith 103.9 and 102.13 respectively.David Luckman won the Century after a tie shoot withDick Horrocks and Ireland’s Ross McQuillan all on100.18; forty-six others attained the highest possible scoreof 100. The Admiral Hutton saw the prize list expandagain with 93 making 50 ex 50, and a five-way tie on50.9. David Rowland of Old Guildfordians took theCandlesticks with 25.5. The special prize of a NRA goldmedal for top cadet went to sixth placed Jonathan Kentof Epsom with the best of the 50.8s, whilst in ninth placeAnna Calvert (shooting in her first full Meeting) beatfather David by a V bull.Eleven competitors had started in style with 150 in theFriday Aggregate. Twenty-four V bulls won a place in40the tie-shoot where Jim Paton from Canada took thehonours from Toby Raincock and Tom Rylands.Saturday 6 JulyBroken cloud and near flat calm gave zero-checkingconditions for the Donegall. Amongst a record 206possibles, six Bo Dereks* meant a tie shoot; Peter Chanceof Club 25 taking the honours with 25.3.The wind rose a little as the day progressed, and somecare was needed for the Telegraph. Nonetheless, 85 werecaring enough to make an HPS, with a three way tie on75.14 between Mark Davidson, Canadian Pat Vamplewand Toby Raincock; Mark winning the cup with a 25.4.A steady trickle from the left continued well into theevening, giving even the late details of the Lovell at 1000yards something to watch for. The result was “only”nine possibles with two scores of 50.8. Peter Barry’s fine25.4 in the tie shoot reserved the trophy.Magnificent consistency throughout the day gave DavidCalvert the Saturday Aggregate with 175.21, while TomRylands had lost only one point in two days to take theTucker Aggregate.* Bo Derek - a perfect (50) 10Sunday 7 JulyThe early details had the best of it, as a near-calm overcastgave way to broken cloud and rising winds in theafternoon. David Luckman shot the only 25.5 in the 11-way tie shoot for scores of 50.9 in the Alexandra. Onehundred and sixty-nine HPSs combined with 12 Tyrosmaking 49.5 or better to run the NRA out of bars. Thechange in conditions for the afternoon showed clearlyin the scores; only 40 possibles in the Daily Mail with75.14s from Nick Brasier and Gabrielle O’Leary. A closetie shoot ended without extra time, Nick’s 25.4 winningby a V bull. The extra quarter-minute diameter of the900 yards bull encompassed 85 10-shot groups in theDuke of Cambridge. Eight of these made 50.9 and laterChris Belk of OCRA took the tie-shoot.Gabrielle O’Leary slipped just once over the entireweekend. A 49 in the Lovell and HPSs in the other fiveevents took the Weekend Aggregate, the SundayAggregate and top of the Sunday Leader Board with250.35. Hot on her heels were George Cann, Nick Brasier,Tom Rylands and Alwyn McLean all on 249. Gabriellewas one of nine with a full house in the Clementi Smith,but the trophy went to Toby Raincock of Old Epsomians– even Parag Patel couldn’t match 50.9/75.14/50.8 for175.31. The others were Burger, Shaw, Rylands, Rowley,O’Leary, Warburton and Kent. Nothing unusual there?– wrong. The Kent was Jonathan Kent, 17-year oldnephew of Paul with 50.10 in the Donegall, the only ‘Bo’in 27 HPSs.Monday 8 JulySummer remained absent. Another overcast day withdrizzly showers. The Times - 149 possibles at 300 yards.
Competitors during the Schools Meeting.(Photo: James Postle)The ever successful Epsom Team with the Ashburton Shield andother trophies. (Photo: James Postle)Jonathan Kent of Epsom shooting in the Spencer Mellish tie withGP. (Photo: James Postle)Jonathan then went on to have an excellent TR Meetingculminating in his second Queen’s Final. (Photo: James Postle)George Barnard and David Calvert fight it out for the Hopton inthe Albert at 1200 yards. (Photo: Karen Robertson)David Friend scored a magnificent 223.29 in the Elcho - elevenpoints more than the next highest on the range! (Photo: John Knight)Joanna Campbell-Smith (pictured left) gets ready to fire in theAlbert at 1200 yards. (Photo: David Pollard)It all got a bit damp at times!(Photo: Karen Robertson)
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