Over two weeks in the summer, the Oundle Shooting Club had outstanding success in two national competitions at the National Shooting Centre, Bisley.
Fourteen Cadets competed at the Schools Meeting against over 500 competitors from over thirty CCF schools. The cadets shot well, winning the Bermuda Trophy as a group, while six pupils won eleven engraved silver spoons between them for their individual success in three different shooting range competitions.
Five of the pupils placed in the top one hundred competitors and remained in Bisley for the Imperial Meeting, an adult international event with entrants from all over the world, including Australasia, USA, Japan and many European countries.
Adrian (Sch) achieved outstanding results in the King’s Prize, a fullbore target rifle competition that is the showcase of the Imperial Meeting, and is regarded as the most prestigious prize in the sport. In stage one, Adrian placed in the top 250 in a field of 700. In stage two, he dropped only two points over three distances, and qualified for the stage three final with 100 best competitors shooting at distances of 900 and 1000 yards. He was the first Oundle pupil to qualify for the final since 1985, and was one of less than ten Cadets to do so this year. He placed 60th overall, and was awarded the prize for top Cadet.
The shooting competitions are only part of the experience at Bisley. The days begin at 6:30am with meals and shooting, and end with leisure activities, including sociable meals hosted by the clubs, including the OO Club and the RAF Smallbore Association Club, where they are able to meet other cadets, university club and county team members.
