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Day 21 – Palma Match Day 1
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.
Jon Underwood
GM GC2 SM2
Jon’s passion for target shooting started at the tender age of 11 at Aldro School on a 20 yard range in a converted greenhouse. Jon learnt about fullbore shooting and ‘Bisley’ when he moved to the Royal Grammar School, Guildford, continuing at London University.
Jon has achieved a number of notable successes over the years including winning the Bisley Grand Aggregate, the H.M. Queen’s Prize, and the Governor General’s Prize. He has also been a consistent member of many successful teams representing England and Great Britain. He is delighted to be selected for this World Championships team and is very much looking forward to meeting up with friends again in Bloemfontein.
Back home, Jon looks after his family’s many business interests, including a tool hire business. In his ‘spare time’ he has returned to RGS Guildford to help coach the school’s rifle 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
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
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.
Richard Hirst
Richard is a retired Patternmaker, apprenticed in Halifax and then Bradford. Returning to Halifax, he started as a labourer, ending up as Foundry Manager. His other skills include engraver, french polisher, theatrical prop designer/builder, panel beater, engine builder and chauffeur. His hobbies are shooting, classic cars and motorcycles.
Richard started shooting smallbore at the age of 12, attained three Junior Badges at Bisley in 1972-74, a Mastershot Badge in 1975 and an Experts badge in 1977.
Richard’s expertise in shooting has come to the fore in recent years, including winning the Yorkshire Championship in 2017 and 2023 and the Daily Telegraph in 2020. He has toured with England to the West Indies and to South Africa with last year’s GB Veterans. He is very much looking forward to returning to South Africa for the World Championships.
Tour Information
Captain’s Foreword
