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Day 24 – The Return Home
Day 23 – Recovery
Day 22 – Palma Match Day 2
Featured Team Members
Matthew Ensor
Matthew started shooting in 1992 at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford. This will be his 15th overseas tour, sixth World Championships and sixth shooting trip to South Africa, having previously visited with GB (2008, 2017, 2023), England (2009) and first with the GB U25s in 2000.
While Matthew has enjoyed a smattering of individual shooting successes, including winning the 2009 Scottish Sword and three consecutive top 10 finishes in the UK Grand Aggregate, he feels most at home wind coaching in team matches. Matthew particularly enjoys the intensity the World Championships and the fickle winds found on the General De Wet ranges in Bloemfontein. He is very much looking forward to combining the two for the first time.
When not on the range, Matthew works in Higher Education and lives in Chelmsford.
Hannah Cook
Hannah’s introduction to shooting sure isn’t the norm. At the tender age of 7, she could be found shooting tin cans in the garden, but was finally taken to a ‘real club’ at the age of 11. At the age of 14, she got the ‘bug’ for international shooting, and competed at the 2006 World Championships in both 50m prone (Junior Women’s), and 300m (Senior Women’s). While studying at Wellington College, she began her Target Rifle career, breaking her Tyro at the first attempt. With one cap under her belt, she is looking forward to achieving two personal goals in 2024; competing at a World Championships in all disciplines she has shot, and being a part of the winning Palma team!
Off the range, Hannah can be found donning her professional uniform as a Physiotherapist working on a respiratory ward.
Under 25s
George Bramwell
George started shooting at the age of 14 as a pupil of Shrewsbury School, under the expert coaching of Tom Rylands. He began shooting smallbore before making the transition to fullbore, shooting the Ashburton four times, and is a proud member of the Lancashire county team. His favourite moment during his shooting career was winning the Imperial 150 team match.
Living in the Lake District, George does a fair bit of climbing, cycling and generally enjoys being outside. He is currently studying Sports and Exercise Science at Oxford Brookes University. He also competes in other variations of shooting sports most notably competing in Winter Biathlon which incorporates cross-country skiing and shooting in both prone and standing positions.
George is very much looking forward to going to the World Championships in South Africa.
Under 21s
Rory Mace
Rory began shooting smallbore in 2017 before progressing to fullbore with Bradfield College a year later. He was lucky to be part of the winning Ashburton team in 2022 and shoots for Hampshire county. In 2021, Rory was selected to tour Jersey with the UK Cadets and also with the Athelings for their tour to York and Liverpool.
Individually, Rory’s achievements include reaching the St George’s Final in 2022 and 2023, and being the youngest finalist in the H.M. King’s Prize in 2023, finishing in 15th place. This tour will be his first opportunity to shoot outside the British Isles. He is very much looking forward to the challenge of shooting in Bloemfontein and meeting members of the global Target Rifle community.
Away from the range, Rory is studying Design at Loughborough University. He enjoys climbing, mountain biking, and building and flying drones.
Veterans
David Richards
GM SC
David is no stranger to the General De Wet ranges in South Africa, having toured there on three previous occasions, including in the Palma year of 1999. He is also familiar with the Veterans having been a member of the team to the last World Championships in New Zealand in 2019. David has toured many times with GB and England and has been lucky enough to have had some success over the years, including shooting and coaching in many GB teams at home, and abroad and winning the H.M. Queen’s Prize when he was MUCH younger…in 1984.
Apart from Target Rifle, David also shoots smallbore and stalks deer. He has run a charcuterie business for several years and is married to Karen who is back home looking after the dogs.
Charles Dickenson
Charles started shooting at Cambridge University, rapidly becoming hooked on both shooting and wind coaching. Early successes resulted in his first GB tour to Canada with the 1982 Palma team.
Shooting subsequently took a lower profile as a growing family and work (Royal Navy, then BAE Systems) took priority. Since his son and daughter left home in 2003, his shooting has been in resurgence, with a number of selections for NRA, England and GB teams both as a shooter and a coach, including further GB team tours to Canada in 2010 and 2016.
Charles also shoots smallbore and Match Rifle and enjoys giving back to the sport by coaching less experienced shooters. Any remaining time is spent looking after three grandchildren, walking, helping Sue keep the garden under control and doing endless DIY jobs around the house.
Tour Information
Captain’s Foreword
