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
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
Daisy Armstrong
Daisy began shooting at Sedbergh School aged 14 and had a good first Imperial Meeting, winning the Alexandra. She then went on to be Captain in her final year of school.
Daisy quickly fell in love with team shooting and had her first taste of this while touring Jersey with the UKCRT in 2018, followed by Canada with the Athelings. She was looking forward to going to South Africa with the GB U19s but sadly the COVID-19 pandemic prevented that so instead toured to Blair Atholl in Scotland the following year.
Daisy is currently studying Food Business Management and Marketing at Newcastle University. After her studies, she hopes to travel New Zealand and Australia. Away from shooting, Daisy enjoys spending time on the farm and beaches in Northumberland and seeing friends in Newcastle. She is very much looking forward to travelling to South Africa with the GB U21 team.
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.
Reg Roberts
Reg is a semi-retired Fellow Chartered Accountant who develops land and property projects in the UK and Canada. He’s an Aussie by birth, arrived in the UK in February 1983 and the country has suffered ever since!
He started shooting in 1971 with The Kings School, Parramatta. Reg has toured overseas with 11 GB teams including seven to Canada, one to Australia in 2005 as Captain, and was a target coach for the GB Palma winning teams in 2007 and 2015. His personal worldwide achievements include 19 H.M. Queen’s Final badges and six Bisley Grand Aggregate crosses. Reg was inducted into the “The Big 5” after captaining the GB Kolapore team in 2016 to an ICFRA target, record score of 1196 ex 1200.
He is married to Jennifer and has four children, two of which, Nick and Tim, are already avid fullbore shots.
Tour Information
Captain’s Foreword
