News
Day 21 – Palma Match Day 1
Featured Team Members
Jackie Davies
Having quite firmly stated that she had retired from team touring in 2019, Jackie has revealed that she has the breaking strain of a hot KitKat and is delighted to accept Jeremy’s invitation to work once again with the GBRT as a team Physiotherapist for the 2024 World Championships and Palma Match in South Africa. This will be Jackie’s fifth GB tour and fourth Palma tour and she is looking forward to seeing many friends from all over the world again.
Jackie still lives and works as a Physiotherapist in Alberta, having moved there in 2010. With ongoing professional development courses, she has some new skills to “inflict” on the team as well as relying on the trusted favourites! In her spare time, she enjoys an eclectic mix of clay shooting, tai chi, skiing and kayaking.
Parag Patel
GM GC5 SM SB2 SC2
Parag first started shooting at Epsom College and his prodigious talent was in early evidence when he took gold in the Canadian Grand Aggregate as an Atheling, aged 18, in 1994. Following that, it took him years of learning about mental readiness prior to winning the Bisley Grand Aggregate in 2001. Since then, he has become a regular international shot with this being his 15th GB overseas tour. Despite winning the H.M. Queen’s Prize as well as eight Commonwealth Games medals (4 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 Bronze) his proudest accolade is having won the Bisley Grand Aggregate a record of five times 2001, ‘03, ‘20, ‘21 and ‘22.
While his time on the ranges is limited due to NHS commitments, he and his ever-supportive wife Urvi, enjoy their free time watching their three boys compete in their own sporting endeavours.
Under 25s
Jemima Hince
Jemima began shooting in 2016 at Wellington College, under the tuition of Nigel Ball. Her love of touring started in 2017 with the UK Cadets tour to Jersey. In 2018 she visited South Africa and Canada with the GB U19s and Athelings and has now toured Canada three times, returning in 2019 with England and in 2022 with GB. As an individual, she has competed in Scotland, Jersey and Phoenix. In March 2023, Jemima travelled with the GB U25s to South Africa, where they won both international matches. She looks forward to returning in 2024 for the World Championships and hopefully securing more victories.
When not shooting, Jemima enjoys coaching cadets and in the rare occurrence she is away from the ranges, she is completing her final year of a Chemistry degree at Surrey University. When time permits, she can also be found sailing, skiing or walking her Labrador.
Under 21s
Thomas Craig-Fleming
Thomas started fullbore shooting in 2016 at Lancing College, where he also represented Sussex although he now shoots for Kent. His first tour was with the UK Cadet Rifle Team to Jersey in 2019. He was an Atheling in 2020, but never made it to Canada as the tour was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the postponed Imperial Meeting that year, he won the Conwey Fenton Memorial Challenge Cup.
Thomas graduated from the English Lions development pathway in 2023 before which he also had the opportunity to compete in the SA Open Championships as a member of the GB U25 team in March. He is very much looking forward to being a member of the GB U21 team competing in the 2024 World Long Range Championships in Bloemfontein.
Away from the range, Thomas is studying Psychology at Brunel University, London.
Veterans
Stephen Penrose
Having first discovered the delights of shooting in South Africa as part of the 1993 GB team, Stephen is looking forward to making his 10th return visit. He first started shooting at Rugby School, continuing at Cambridge University where he managed to change course enough times to ensure he got in plenty of practice. Over the years, he has shot in many teams matches, has captained the England team in the National Match and enjoyed the odd highlight individually too – winning the SA Long Range Agg in 1993 and State President prize in 1999.
Stephen is a veterinary surgeon by profession and was a partner in a small-animal practice in Colchester; now managing a small property business. He is a keen skier and, with all three children having flown the nest, he enjoys travelling with his wife Kate.
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
