Tag: Home Countries

Bisley National Meeting Roundup

by Web Teamin Competition News

This article is a work in progress as results and photographs are collected.

Congratulations to all the Welsh competitors shooting at Bisley this year. Full results are available on the NSRA website.

Eley Postal Final

In the Eley Final, Adam Gabrys of Torfaen Rifle Club won the D-Class Final with a score of 378. A very steady shoot of 189 at each distance put him two points ahead of runner-up F. Grantham.

Aggregates

In the Grand aggregate, David George of Tondu won B-Class, earning promotion to A for next year. In the Weekend Aggregate, Chloe John-Driscoll of Penrhiwpal placed fourth in C-Class on her first appearance at the National Meeting, just one point from the medals.

Home Countries Match

The Men’s Team of 5 and the Mixed Team of 10 finished third behind England and Wales. The Women’s Team of 5 was second behind England. Sian Corish of Tondu had the highest individual score and won the Target Dragon and became the first recipient of the Mark Parry Memorial Badge for highest individual score in the Welsh Team.

A smiling group of people pose for a team photograph on an outdoor shooting range. They are dressed in red and white team colours and hold a Welsh flag bearing a red dragon on a field of white and green.
photo: Eleanor Shorey – theshorey.com
A smiling group of people pose for a team photograph on an outdoor shooting range. They are dressed in red and white team colours and hold a Welsh flag bearing a red dragon on a field of white and green.
photo: Eleanor Shorey – theshorey.com
A smiling group of people pose for a team photograph on an outdoor shooting range. They are dressed in red and white team colours and hold a Welsh flag bearing a red dragon on a field of white and green.
photo: Eleanor Shorey – theshorey.com

Roberts Final

Two Welsh competitors made it to the Roberts Final this year – Sian Corish and David George. David qualified from B-Class and shot the Roberts and “Bobs” Finals concurrently (the Bobs being a final for B-, C- and D-Class competitors), finishing 18th in the Roberts Final, and third in the Bobs. Sian was part of a three-way tie in the Roberts Final, the first in over thirty years. Level with Richard Wilson and James Paterson, this tie saw England, Scotland and Wales equally represented.

Tying on a score of 780 over four cards, they took to the range to shoot a third card at 100yards, Richard Wilson of the Isle of Wight prevailed with 192, becoming British Prone Champion for the second time (his first Roberts win was in 2016). James Paterson came second on 189 and Sian finished third with a 188.

A smiling woman stands in front of a score board. She wears a specialist red and green shooting jacket and is holding a silver target rifle bearing the name of Grunig + Elmiger. A grassy outdoor range is visible behind her beyond the covered firing point.

Expressions of Interest open for Summer Representative Matches

by Web Teamin Competition News

The WSRA invites members to express their interest in nominating themselves to represent Wales at the following team matches:

  • British 50M ISSF Championships
  • NSRA Inter-Regional Match 
  • NSRA Home Countries International Match

The more attendees Wales can field at the Bisley National Meeting, the better we can achieve collectively. 

The tent at Bisley has been organised for the sole benefit of WSRA members, we should have the same pitch location which has worked well for us the past few years.

I look forward to hearing back from lots of you soon, and catching up at competitions and training over the summer.

Dave Phelps

WSRA Home Countries Selection Criteria 2026
WSRA Members EOI – 2026 Representative Matches

2025 National Meeting

by Web Teamin Competition News

Wales was present again at the NSRA National Meeting at Bisley this year with a tent and teams contesting the Home Countries matches.

The Weekend Aggregate saw Richard Hemingway place 19th in X-Class, whilst RM Davies took 12th in A-Class. Chris Nunan placed 4th in C. In the Grand Aggregate, Fred Brown won the WH Watkins Challenge Cup for Leading Welsh Competitor.

A group of smiling people pose for a group photograph on a shooting range. The three at the front are seated. They wear tops bearing the emblem of the Welsh Target Shooting Federation.

Wales contested the Home Countries International Mixed Team of 10 and Men’s Team of 5, placing third in both matches. Congratulations to Chris Nunan, Colin Pearce and Dave Parfitt who all received their first cap for Wales in the process.

Competitor50M100Ydaggregatemen’s team of 5
R Hemingway193189382Y
F Brown190187377Y
C Nunan189186375Y
J Holmes190183373
L Webster188183371Y
E Jones189180369
C Pearce181185366Y
R Beard183183366
D Parfitt186180366
S Day181180361
Team Totals37061871

In the British Long-Range Prone Championship (the Earl Roberts), four Welsh shooters qualified to the second stage – Richard Hemingway, Fred Brown, Chris Nunan and Judith Holmes. In the second stage, Richard qualified for the Final where he placed 10th and earned the Western Mail & Echo Cup as leading Welsh competitor.

Two smiling men stand in a tent, one is holding a medal they have been awarded. It bears a red welsh dragon and the words "Welsh Shooting".
David receives his first Welsh cap
Two smiling men stand in a tent, one is holding a medal they have been awarded. It bears a red welsh dragon and the words "Welsh Shooting".
Chris receives his first Welsh cap
Two smiling men stand in a tent, one is holding a medal they have been awarded. It bears a red welsh dragon and the words "Welsh Shooting".
Colin receives his first Welsh cap
A group of smiling men pose for a group photograph on a shooting range. The three at the front are seated. They wear tops bearing the emblem of the Welsh Target Shooting Federation.
A man kneels next to a plotting board on a shooting range. He is holding an unloaded target rifle and wearing a red and green shooting jacket. The board is titled "Earl Roberts Final" and the shots on the target have been marked by a spotter along with estimated scores for the benefit of spectators.
Richard with plotting board after the Roberts Championship
Two smiling men stand holding silver trophies. One is in a casual white shirt and black jacket. The other is suited with a red and green tie and a black blazer bearing a red and green badge. The badge reads "Welsh Target Shooting Federation" and is embroidered with the Prince of Wales Feathers. They stand in front of a table covered in a blue cloth, on which stands a huge silver trophy. Behind the table the Union flag and other flags are hung.
Fred & Richard – leading Welsh competitors in the Aggregate and Roberts

Gold for Team Wales at British 50Metre Championships

by Web Teamin Competition News

The WSRA team won the Home Countries 3-Position Rifle Match at the NSRA British 50Metre Championships this weekend, pipping England by just three points – 1655 to 1652. Congratulations to team members Richie Bray, Alun Evans and Aidan Healy.

The team honours were matched with individual success – Alun won Silver and Richie took Bronze in the NSRA British Mixed 3P Championship.

An athlete in a wheelchair receives a medal from a match official in front of a podium and white backdrop.
Richie receives individual 3P Bronze
Three people are on a shooting range holding medals. All wear red and white shirts bearing the logo of the Welsh Target Shooting Federation. The young man in the middle is flanked by two men in wheelchairs.
Richie, Aidan and Alun win Team 3P Gold
An athlete in a wheelchair receives a medal from a match official in front of a podium and white backdrop.
Alun receives individual 3P Silver
Athletes on the firing point at the 2024 British 50Metre Championships. A row of shooters are firing from the kneeling position on a covered firing point looking onto an outdoor range. Photo: Eleanor Shorey, https://www.nsratheshorey.com

2023 National Meeting Report

by Web Teamin Competition News

Wales had a great turnout at Bisley this year with a strong performance in the Home Nations. A number of first time shooters braved it onto Century Range and promotions were earned. Dave Phelps won the W H Watkins Trophy (top Welsh competitor in the Aggregate), whilst Sian Corish won the unsquadded Women’s Bisley Championship and placed third in X Class.

For the Home Countries matches, the Tartan Dragon trophy came south. The trophy is a Scottish Quaich which has traditionally been awarded to the highest scoring Welsh competitor in the Aggregate at the NSRA Scottish Meeting. As the Scottish meeting continues to be in abeyance, it has been decided to award the Quaich to the highest scoring athlete in the Welsh team for the Home Countries match. Congratulations to the 2023 top scorer Sian Corish, and to first-time caps David George and Asia Hoile.

Five Welsh athletes qualified for the final of the Earl Roberts Championship (British Prone Championship). Being the Centenary edition of the Roberts Championship, 1923 rules were used, with 40 finalists qualifying rather than the usual 20. Congratulations to all five, who fought through some extremely challenging conditions in what turned out to be a tight final, with a great deal of counting back and just a couple of points separating 6th from 26th.

Wales’ Roberts Finallists were:

  • Dave Phelps – 15th, top Welsh competitor in the Championship
  • Rich Hemingway – 20th
  • Sian Corish – 22nd
  • Liam Webster – 34th
  • Mark Parry – 36th
A target shooter aims from the prone position on an outdoor range. They wear a red and white shooting jacket to help support the rifle. They lie on a red mat on a hard firing point, shooting out over a grassy range.
A smiling man stands on the firing point of a rifle range. He wears a red jacket bearing the logo of Team Wales and the words "Glasgow 2014", referring to the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
A tarmac strip runs into the distance under cover of a green awning. Competitors hold targets as they go forward to change targets between details at the NSRA NAtional Smallbore Rifle Championship. On the floor, rifles stand on shooting mats.
Change Targets.
Photo: Richard Hemingway
A group of people pose for a group photo on a shooting range. They are arranged in two rows, with the front row seated and the back row standing. The front row hold a Welsh flag. They all wear red and white team colours.
Welsh Team at Bisley 2023
A group of people pose for a group photo on a shooting range. They are arranged in two rows, with the front row seated and the back row standing. The front row hold a Welsh flag. They all wear red and white team colours.
Welsh Ladies Team at Bisley 2023

All photos credit Eleanor Shorey except where otherwise indicated.