Well, the shooting is now over and there is just one major function - the final Team Dinner this evening - before the "Captains and the Kings" start to leave tomorrow.
Yesterday was a long and busy day and evening! It was a fine, mild sunny day with a variable and tricky breeze. This made all the competitions challenging and "interesting". I must apologise for not writing a report late in the evening, but I doubt if it would have been decipherable.
The Donaldson Memorial Final was fired late on Friday afternoon. Richard Jeens was the winner at 75.17. Canadians: 23 Jim Paton 73.9; 45 Serge Bissonnette 71.7.
First thing yesterday morning was the Final of the St. George's. The winner after a tie-shoot was David Calvert on 149.21. Canadians: 28 Jim Paton 147.18; 53 Scott Murray 145.17.
Thence to the Mackinnon, long range teams of 12 shooters. This stretched us to the limit and we were very grateful for the assistance of Canadian Cadets with register keeping and the scoreboard. The team score at 900 yards was not too bad, but in the very tricky conditions at 1000 yards most of the wheels came off and I regret have to to say that we again finished in the cellar. Scores: England 1142.100; Ireland 1132.96; Wales 1114.90; Scotland 1111.88; Jersey 1105.90; Australia 1081.69; Guernsey 1068.58; Canada 1065.66. Top scorer for Canada was Cheryl Hearn with 94.7.
In the afternoon, the Queen's 100 fired the Final Stage in windy conditions. Our good friend David Calvert, of the RAF TRC, emerged as the narrow winner with 294.29, from John Warburton 293.35 and Glynn Barnett 293.30. Canadians, a little weary perhaps after the hectic week: 43 Jim Paton 285.27; 72 Serge Bissonnette 280.25; 89 Renee Paquette 277.29.
The Queen's also completed the British Open TR Championship - the "Aggregate of Nearly Everything". Winner was Glynn Barnett with a score of 993.132. Canadians: 14 Jim Paton 977.130 and 39 Serge Bissonnette 966.104.
I had the honour of pinning the gold badge on the winner's sleeve, after which he was enthusiastically carried off the range by the very large RAF contingent. Would that we had at least some TR shooters in Canada from the Canadian Forces to be able to do such a thing at Connaught.
The Prize Giving started at 6:00pm. at which I had the honour of presenting the awards. The array of silverware is tremendously impressive - with many of the trophies quite heavy and often not too secure on their bases. I shook a lot of hands and all in all it was a very warm but moving and exciting experience for me. The DCRA should share in this since my new Vice-Presidency of the NRA recognised the long and close links between our two Associations. I made reference to that in my brief remarks at the ceremony.
And into the evening .. the chair, contents and bearers arrived at the Canadian Pavilion around 10pm. Dave Calvert was raised and took the Stetson and cigarette proffered by the buffalo head; his health was drunk by the assembled throng and all went outside for him to fire the first shot from the cannon. The firings were under the control of Alan Bell for the large piece and Alan Fitch for the Sussex Home Guard (1944) RA, with Iain Robertson as "CRO". In addition to Dave Calvert, those granted a firing were: the Commandant with the Adjutant; Jim Paton, three times, for the St George's I and II and the Vee-bull aggregate, in company with members of the Peden family; Cdt Remy Rousseau for the Young Riflemans's Aggregate and Serge Bissonnette for the Police Rifle. The small SHGRA piece, made from .303 Canadian brass dating from 1994, was fired by Colin Brown who was actually in Sussex with the Canadian and then British Armies just prior to D-Day, and by Renee Paquette, the top Under-25 member of our team. It was a jolly evening. Some hardy folk then went on to other clubs to continue the festivities. I didn't - that was all quite enough!
Yesterday was a long and busy day and evening! It was a fine, mild sunny day with a variable and tricky breeze. This made all the competitions challenging and "interesting". I must apologise for not writing a report late in the evening, but I doubt if it would have been decipherable.
The Donaldson Memorial Final was fired late on Friday afternoon. Richard Jeens was the winner at 75.17. Canadians: 23 Jim Paton 73.9; 45 Serge Bissonnette 71.7.
First thing yesterday morning was the Final of the St. George's. The winner after a tie-shoot was David Calvert on 149.21. Canadians: 28 Jim Paton 147.18; 53 Scott Murray 145.17.
Thence to the Mackinnon, long range teams of 12 shooters. This stretched us to the limit and we were very grateful for the assistance of Canadian Cadets with register keeping and the scoreboard. The team score at 900 yards was not too bad, but in the very tricky conditions at 1000 yards most of the wheels came off and I regret have to to say that we again finished in the cellar. Scores: England 1142.100; Ireland 1132.96; Wales 1114.90; Scotland 1111.88; Jersey 1105.90; Australia 1081.69; Guernsey 1068.58; Canada 1065.66. Top scorer for Canada was Cheryl Hearn with 94.7.
In the afternoon, the Queen's 100 fired the Final Stage in windy conditions. Our good friend David Calvert, of the RAF TRC, emerged as the narrow winner with 294.29, from John Warburton 293.35 and Glynn Barnett 293.30. Canadians, a little weary perhaps after the hectic week: 43 Jim Paton 285.27; 72 Serge Bissonnette 280.25; 89 Renee Paquette 277.29.
The Queen's also completed the British Open TR Championship - the "Aggregate of Nearly Everything". Winner was Glynn Barnett with a score of 993.132. Canadians: 14 Jim Paton 977.130 and 39 Serge Bissonnette 966.104.
I had the honour of pinning the gold badge on the winner's sleeve, after which he was enthusiastically carried off the range by the very large RAF contingent. Would that we had at least some TR shooters in Canada from the Canadian Forces to be able to do such a thing at Connaught.
The Prize Giving started at 6:00pm. at which I had the honour of presenting the awards. The array of silverware is tremendously impressive - with many of the trophies quite heavy and often not too secure on their bases. I shook a lot of hands and all in all it was a very warm but moving and exciting experience for me. The DCRA should share in this since my new Vice-Presidency of the NRA recognised the long and close links between our two Associations. I made reference to that in my brief remarks at the ceremony.
And into the evening .. the chair, contents and bearers arrived at the Canadian Pavilion around 10pm. Dave Calvert was raised and took the Stetson and cigarette proffered by the buffalo head; his health was drunk by the assembled throng and all went outside for him to fire the first shot from the cannon. The firings were under the control of Alan Bell for the large piece and Alan Fitch for the Sussex Home Guard (1944) RA, with Iain Robertson as "CRO". In addition to Dave Calvert, those granted a firing were: the Commandant with the Adjutant; Jim Paton, three times, for the St George's I and II and the Vee-bull aggregate, in company with members of the Peden family; Cdt Remy Rousseau for the Young Riflemans's Aggregate and Serge Bissonnette for the Police Rifle. The small SHGRA piece, made from .303 Canadian brass dating from 1994, was fired by Colin Brown who was actually in Sussex with the Canadian and then British Armies just prior to D-Day, and by Renee Paquette, the top Under-25 member of our team. It was a jolly evening. Some hardy folk then went on to other clubs to continue the festivities. I didn't - that was all quite enough!
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