154th Imperial Meeting – July 2023

154th Imperial Meeting, July 14th to 22nd 2023

Early season shooting at WPRC had been favoured with good weather, but nothing like we were to experience in this year’s Imperial Meeting, where on some days constant rain and strong winds gusting up to 50mph were experienced. On the first Saturday two competitions (Conan Doyle and Daily Telegraph) had to be cancelled due to the gusting high winds posing a threat to the health and safety of the markers because of possible targets snapping.

Only six WPRC members represented the club this year. Colin Skellett only attended for the first Friday and scored well with his new ‘post cataract’ magic eye, and Bob Jackson was out of action after foot surgery.

TARGET RIFLE

The WPRC TR squad of Nick Verduyn, Tom Stevenson, Ashley Coleman-Cooke, Alistair Bullen, and Henry Reynolds joined in the fray on First Friday with up to nine days of competition to follow.

Team shooting

As in previous years, the club entered a team in the Steward competition.

Summary results were:

Steward 27th ex 34 with a score of 362.22 (Telegraph was cancelled)
Team of: Verduyn, Bullen, Coleman-Cooke, Stevenson

Individual shooting

Prize list placings were harder to find for our squad as the wind conditions were extremely challenging. Tom featured twice both with HPS, and both Colin and Ashley featured once. Nick made an HPS (but counted out as an X) in the Times list, and came a superb 3rd in the Donaldson Memorial Final. Alistair’s 7th position in the Chairman’s Prize and subsequent winning of the Barlow tie shoot was the top of this year’s collection.

Both Ashley and Henry had decided to leave camp before St Georges I and Queens I .

In the first stages of these two prestigious competitions, Alistair was eliminated from Kings 1, with both Nick and Tom making the cut into Kings 2, but Tom opted not to shoot. Alistair and Nick carried the club challenge into the second stage of the St George’s. Unfortunately, glory did not favour the brave and they did not make the cut at 147.14

The Grand Aggregate prize list (top 150) did give Nick Verduyn (99th), and Tom Stevenson (127th), some satisfaction from a total entry of 684 competitors.

So that was our Imperial, enjoyable as ever despite the unusual wet and gusty conditions. Roll on the 155th Imperial Meeting in 2024.

Click here for results <<Bisley23 Scoreboard Stats >>