News
Day 24 – The Return Home
Day 23 – Recovery
Day 22 – Palma Match Day 2
Featured Team Members
Jeremy Langley
As Captain for the Palma, Jeremy has been working with a large squad for the last three years which culminated in March 2023 with an in-country tour and final selection. This ‘pre-Palma’ tour was a great way for the team to experience the challenges of shooting in South Africa and Jeremy is greatly looking forward to renewing old friendships forged by many years of international competition, whilst hopefully redressing the 1999 Palma Match result!
Jeremy (a third-generation shooter from Devon) is a seasoned international shot and coach having toured for Great Britain on 19 previous occasions (including six tours to South Africa – spanning three decades). In 2023, he captained the GB team to a single-point win in the Protea Match.
In his spare time when not shooting or coaching, he and his wife Judy can be found chasing after their two sons, Benjamin & Harry.
Nigel Ball
GC SM SC
Nigel is no stranger to South Africa having been on a variety of Great Britain and England teams during the last 30 years. This will be his first tour to Bloemfontein with a GB Palma team and he is relishing the opportunity to compete in a World Championships against such strong competition.
Nigel’s shooting career began in the Royal Navy, where he won the Queens Medal with Service Rifle. He then branched out into Target Rifle. A team to Canada in 1991 gave him an appetite for touring and he has been a regular member of GB and England teams ever since. He has gained several UK Grand Aggregate, the H.M. Queen’s or King’s Final and St George’s badges in his time but it is team shooting he relishes most, hence his delight at being part of this Palma team.
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
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 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.
John Halahan
John’s first experience with shooting was at the age of 11, pest control shooting at monkeys in Malaysia which were destroying the young rubber trees. It is extremely doubtful that he actually hit anything, but he definitely succeeded in scaring them off! He commenced proper target shooting at Framlingham College in Suffolk, continuing in the Army. Following a break, he returned to target shooting in the mid-1990’s.
His first tour was with the 2008 NRA team to the Channel Islands before touring as a reserve with the 2014 GB team to USA and Canada and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. He has now represented Ireland in both National and Mackinnon matches.
Now retired, the theory is that he should find more time to shoot. Married to Ann, he has two grown up daughters and seems to be quite heavily involved with babysitting grandchildren.
Tour Information
Captain’s Foreword
