It is my honour to have been proposed and accepted as the UK Gallery Rifle Captain this year. Many of you will know me as I have been shooting for about twenty years, in various disciplines, including shotgun, pistol and gallery rifle and can usually be found in the bar after the event has ended. I am lucky enough to be supported this year, by Alec James, my adjutant, and a man with experience in this role as he has been the team adjutant for the last few years.

I currently shoot at, and for Cheshunt Rifle and Pistol Club in Hertfordshire, although I live in Kent, as it has excellent facilities a good competitive background and very competitive members. Until the beginning of 2008 I was the gallery rifle section captain for the club and each week organised a 'competition'. No one would have any idea what they would be asked to do until they were expected to do it, all courses of fire based loosely around standard basic competitions with changes to timings, targets and positions, making the original competition easier when you come to participate, and keeping the fun in the shooting. I retired from this to keep the interest, a new course of fire every week for five years takes its toll on your imagination.

The organisation of the 'Cheshunt Challenge' an invitation three gun event at Cheshunt, initially between Cheshunt and Pinewood, which grew to be a very successful annual event with numbers having to be limited due to time constraints as it was always an end of year 'fun shoot', led to the organisation of the Cheshunt Open 1500 which was run whilst I was the section captain with sell out success. An event for pistols resurrected during the Open events led to the instigation of the Timed and Precision 3 at Bisley.

I have travelled to Jersey, Germany and Ireland for various events including previous International shoots as my partner Norman Brown has been in the team for three years. We are both members of SLG Bisley, a club based at Bisley and part of the prestigious German BDMP, conceived for shooters that wish to travel and compete.

 

The UK Gallery Rifle Captain 2009                    Irish GR

This year for the first time, I believe, the team has been fortunate enough to be sponsored by Peter Watts', Company, GBA Flare Systems Ltd. The team thanks you Peter for your assistance. I don't believe that many people understand the commitment, time and financial constraints being a member of the team takes, and I would like everyone to know that I for one, appreciate all of the hard work and dedication it takes to meet the standard of shooting and enthusiasm required. For the team this is not just a pastime but a passion, and I hope that I can be there for them to make the shooting the only worry that they have during this season of events.

My aim this year to be able to attend all of the International Shoots, to support and assist the UK team. As Captain I feel it is an important to be able to attend, as support of the team is a priority to me.

I work full time as the 'Senior Sales Administrator' for a Company that manufactures road sweepers, so when last year the team made a 'clean sweep' of all the competitions I knew I was the person to keep that going.

All of the above makes me sound a bit studious and a bit of a 'shooting nerd', I think if you knew me you would know that that is not be true, I'm generally the one making the noise as it could be said (and often is) that I am quite loud, but it is also said that if I set out to achieve something it will happen. I have reigned back my enthusiasm about making all the members of the 2009 squad wear pirates outfits, have plastic parrots on their shoulders, eye patches and tri-corn hats, although this is what I was promised by my proposer, there are just some things that a 'Capn' shouldn't do……. Arghhhhhh!!!