Canada 2023

When asked to join the management team for this tour i didn’t know the world was about to be knocked sideways by a pandemic that would postpone us a couple of years and put us on course for “plan G”!

I am delighted to be returning to Borden after a very long time and very much looking forward to a first visit to Montreal.

Our team has a wide range of experiences and it has been enormous fun working with them all including my son Jack who will put a keen edge on my own competitive nature.

Off the range I enjoy scuba diving in beautiful places around the world with Zoe and getting out in the countryside with a shotgun in the crook of the arm with Fergus our springer spaniel.

Having accepted he will always be in the ‘Senior’ section of any team he tours with Tom is delighted that he is still shooting well enough to be selected!! He is also pleased to be continuing his recent run of DCRA meeting attendances with what will be a return to Borden 35 years after his last visit – he is hoping little will have changed apart from the trees being taller!!

Tom’s first Bisley was in 1978 and he hasn’t missed one since – his first visit to Canada was in 1988, on his first GB Tour, and he has represented GB in 5 Palma Teams and 6 Australia Matches as well as returning to Canada in 1998, 2017, 2018 (as Commandant of the Athelings), 2019 as England Team Captain and 2022. This year has already been busy with trips to USA, Kenya and South Africa.

After an initial career in the agricultural industry, Tom is now a gunsmith and shooting coach, is heavily involved with Cadet Shooting as National Chief Coach, Army Cadets and coaches 2 schools in the Bisley Schools meeting.

Along with 3 well known international shooters, he recently set up a new barrel making company in the UK; Phoenix Barrels, and is finding their products to be much in demand! Tom looks forward to catching up with his many Canadian friends again and will try not to go overboard on technical detail!

Jon’s passion for target shooting started at the tender age of 11 at Aldro School on a 20 yard range in a converted greenhouse. Jon continued to enjoy the sport, learnt about fullbore shooting and ‘Bisley’ when he moved to the Royal Grammar School at Guildford. With the sport becoming more than just a hobby, he continued his shooting career at London University, subsequently making regular appearances for Surrey County.

Jon has achieved a number of notable successes over the years including winning the Grand Aggregate in 2005 and 2009, the Queens Prize in 2006, and most recently the Governor General’s Prize in 2019. He has also been a member of many successful teams representing England and Great Britain. Back home, Jon looks after his family business interests in Surrey (handy for Bisley), including a tool hire business and property management and rental business and in ‘spare time’ has returned to Guildford Grammar School to help with the coaching. Jon also has the responsibility of looking after Ted – ‘The Underdog’!