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Day 21 – Palma Match Day 1
Featured Team Members
Zoë Stirling
Following a lucky chance meeting a few weeks prior, Zoë joined the 2015 Great Britain Palma team to the USA as Physiotherapist just a few weeks after graduating from University. In 2019, she joined the team again for the trip to New Zealand and so South Africa will be Zoë’s third overseas tour in nine years.
Working for the NHS for the past 7 years, Zoë has worked within many different roles and specialised in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy in 2018 before an extended stay in New Zealand after the 2019 tour. Now back in the UK, she is currently working with complex patients in the community setting, seeing a wide range of presentations.
Zoë is really looking forward to re-joining the team in South Africa in 2024 but unfortunately has no plans to stay on after this one.
Jon Kent
Jon started his shooting career at Epsom College in 1999, qualifying for the final of the H.M. Queen’s Prize during his second Imperial Meeting the following year. Individual highlights include winning the 2022 Palma and Stickledown Aggregates at Bisley.
Jon’s previous overseas tours include Australia and Canada with the Great Britain U25s and the 2011 GB team to Canada and 2023 GB team to South Africa. He has been a member of the winning teams in both the Under 21 and Under 25 World Championships matches, in 2003 and 2007 respectively. This will be Jon’s third shooting tour to South Africa and he is thrilled to be returning to Bloemfontein again to represent GB on his first Palma tour.
When not shooting Jon can be found running his company, intheOffice. In his spare time he loves travelling with his wife and cycling.
Under 25s
Toby Little
Toby started shooting at Gresham’s School at the age of 14 after breaking his nose playing rugby. Under the watchful eye of Freddie Grounds he became Captain of the school team in his final year and was selected for the 2017 Athelings (with Harriet as his Captain) and in 2019 the GB U19 team to South Africa. Toby is also very proud to represent Wales, having shot every National Match since 2018, and Norfolk county, for whom he first represented while at school.
This will be his third trip to South Africa having also travelled with GB U25 in 2023 and his second World Championships, after going to New Zealand with the GB U21s. He is really looking forward to meeting international friends on the range once again, and competing at the highest level against the best in the world.
Under 21s
Oscar Farrell
Oscar began shooting at Wellington College at the age of 13, under the tuition of Nigel Ball. He toured Jersey as a cadet in 2018, returning in 2022 as a member of the undefeated NRA team. In 2019, he toured Canada with the Athelings and secured his first National cap for Wales, continuing to shoot in the National Match every year since. In 2021, Oscar was awarded his first Mackinnon cap for Wales.
Oscar is now a regular member of the Yorkshire county team. This is helping to fuel his commitment to continually develop his shooting skills and he looks forward to the challenge that South Africa will bring.
Oscar is also a Sound Engineer and Musician, and has taken a year out of studying for his degree in York to complete a prestigious placement with an award-winning record label, recording some of the finest orchestras and musicians across London and the UK.
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.
Nick Brasier
GC
Nick took up shooting in earnest at University, captaining the smallbore club and being dragged to Bisley to take up fullbore shooting. His first GB tour was with the 1991 team to Canada where he won the Governor General’s Prize, followed by a GB tour to Zimbabwe and South Africa in 1998. Nick has toured with seven GB Target Rifle teams (and one Match Rifle team), including the Palma teams of 2007 and 2011. He came 4th in the 2003 World Long Range Individual Championship at Bisley, winning the Day 3, 900 yard competition.
Nick is Chairman of the London and Middlesex Rifle Association and regularly takes club teams on tour to distant and not-so-distant ranges away from Bisley. Nick is also a Friend of the Royal Opera House, and enjoys travelling to both new and favourite places around the world.
Tour Information
Captain’s Foreword
