News
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.
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
Miles Horton-Baker
Miles started shooting in the cadet force at RGS Guildford aged 14 and had his first taste of touring with the Athelings to Canada in 2018, where he shot the America Match for GB U25. 2019 saw him both captain the RGS team to an historic Ashburton victory and earn his first National and Mackinnon caps for Wales.
In the last 2 years Miles has captained Durham University Rifle Club, shot for Yorkshire county, toured Scotland and South Africa with GB U25, and been fortunate enough to train as part of the senior GB Palma Squad.
Away from shooting Miles works as a Graduate Surveyor at Savills primarily conducting loan security valuations for development finance institutions as well as providing development agency and consultancy advice to public and private sector clients. He also enjoys getting out with his camera and the odd game of golf, when time permits!
Under 21s
James Burch
James started shooting fullbore with the Royal Marines Cadets in 2019, joining the UKCRT the following year; a tour that was sadly cancelled due to COVID. He later toured to Jersey with the Athelings in 2021, and Guernsey as Captain of the GB U19 team in 2023, winning the Guernsey Grand Aggregate. Recently, James has represented Somerset in various county matches, and has shot with the GB U25s in non-capped events.
Since all of James’s tours have been affected by travel restrictions, mainly due to COVID, he is really excited to finally have the opportunity to tour outside of Europe for the first time!
Outside of shooting, James enjoys playing guitar, skiing and running. He is currently in his first year of a Physics Degree at the University of Nottingham, where he is hoping to help the university rifle club get underway.
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.
Andrew Lothian
Andrew was given an air rifle for his seventh birthday and discovered a talent for shooting. Whilst at Epsom College, he started shooting .22’ and .303’ and really got hooked, the team winning their first Ashburton in 1973.
In the intervening fifty or so years since, he has toured with Great Britain and England teams to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa, most recently as Captain of the GB team to Canada in August 2023. He considers himself a team shooter first and foremost and is looking forward to being in Bloemfontein again and may enjoy some steak and red wine whilst there.
Andrew used to fly 747s for Branson, which rather interfered with his shooting. He now spends an appreciable portion of his time coaching 10-13-year-olds at a local preparatory school and helping out at Epsom College.
Tour Information
Captain’s Foreword
