News
Day 24 – The Return Home
Day 23 – Recovery
Day 22 – Palma Match Day 2
Featured Team Members
Bill Richards
SM SB
This will be Bill’s fifth Palma Match, as well as being his fifth tour to South Africa, but will be his first as the Main Coach. Although coaching has been at the centre of each of these Palma matches, Bill has picked up a few individual shooting medals along the way and has desires to add to these in 2024.
One of the knock-ons from Covid was the rescheduling of the Palma from April into March. As a teacher, this placed both the 2023 and 2024 tours in term-time and Bill is extremely grateful for the understanding shown by Bede’s School in allowing him the time away from school to compete.
One of the things that Bill tells his students, (in jest!), when they have to miss a lesson due to a sports fixture is “don’t bother coming back unless you win!”. What’s good enough for them…
Glyn Barnett
GM3 GC3 SC3
Glyn is an Emergency Medicine Consultant, currently working in Abu Dhabi.
His first Bisley Imperial was in 1985 at the age of 14 and earned his Great Britain cap in 1990. He’s been fortunate enough to have toured many times, but mostly in the 20th Century. His last Palma appearance was at Bisley in 2003 and so, after a hiatus of 20 years, he decided to set his goals appropriately. His three overseas tours in the 21st Century have all been to the General De Wet range. Glyn holds 4 Palma team medals, 4 Commonwealth Games medals (including Pairs Gold with Parag in 2006) and is one of only five people to have won the H.M. Queen’s Prize three times.
His family of girls (and The Dog) keep him on his toes and in his rightful place in the family pecking order.
Under 25s
Toby Little
Toby started shooting at Gresham’s School at the age of 14 after breaking his nose playing rugby. Under the watchful eye of Freddie Grounds he became Captain of the school team in his final year and was selected for the 2017 Athelings (with Harriet as his Captain) and in 2019 the GB U19 team to South Africa. Toby is also very proud to represent Wales, having shot every National Match since 2018, and Norfolk county, for whom he first represented while at school.
This will be his third trip to South Africa having also travelled with GB U25 in 2023 and his second World Championships, after going to New Zealand with the GB U21s. He is really looking forward to meeting international friends on the range once again, and competing at the highest level against the best in the world.
Under 21s
Hayden Thomson
Hayden first began shooting in 2017 at Dollar Academy under the watchful eye of Craig Stewart and was appointed Captain in his final year. He is currently a member of the Exeter University Rifle Club and is in his second year of studying International Relations with the intention of going to Sandhurst after graduating and embarking on a career in the Army.
Having toured to Jersey and Guernsey, with the Athelings and GB U19 teams respectively, he is looking forward to touring further afield with the opportunities for varying shooting conditions and cultures that are to be experienced. A true Scot, he shot for Scotland in this year’s National Match, and West of Scotland in the Inter Counties and is pleased to be representing those north of the border. Following the tour, he hopes to continue shooting for Exeter University and help continue the team’s recent successes.
Veterans
David Calvert
GM3 SB3 SC2 SM
Bloemfontein is arguably David’s second ‘shooting home’, having competed in all 25 SA Open Championships held there. His first shooting visit to South Africa was to Kimberley in 1996, when his RAF Club team won the Protea Match and he won his first of eight SA Open Championships.
David has represented GB on more than 50 occasions and has toured with GB, Ireland and RAF Club teams to 35 shooting venues in 20 countries across six continents. Individual Target Rifle achievements include four Gold Medals for Northern Ireland over 11 consecutive Commonwealth Games, and three Gold Medals in the H.M. Queen’s Prize. David has also represented GB in Match Rifle, Smallbore Rifle and Service Rifle.
Away from shooting, his interests and activities include family, golf, occasional skiing and scuba diving, and flying as a part-time instructor pilot in the RAF Reserve.
Chris Fitzpatrick
GM SM
This is Chris’s third GB Veterans tour to the World Championships and his inclusion no longer lowers the average age of the team.
He has worked his passage to the Veterans through many teams, the first being the Athelings to Canada in 1967. The same year, he represented Ireland in the National Match and is pleased to say he still makes that team. Full GB representation started in Canada in 1975, he was back there for the Palma in 1982 and again in 2013, that time as Captain. Chris is a H.M. Queen’s Final winner, taking the prize in 1991.
Flying has been Chris’s career, with the majority in the Royal Air Force. The RAF TR team was extremely successful at home, regularly winning in the Inter-Services but also around the world which it toured regularly, including South Africa in 1996 when the RAF team beat the SA Protea team by one point.
Tour Information
Captain’s Foreword
