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Day 17 – WLRC Day 2
Day 16 – WLRC Day 1
Day 15 – Under 25 and Veterans Team World Championships
Featured Team Members
Seth Dowley
Seth started shooting in 2008 at Cheltenham College. During Ashburtons, Athelings and early tours, he found he particularly enjoyed the wind coaching side of team matches. As a result he has gone on to coach his county, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, as well as England in the National and Mackinnon, and GB in Canada and South Africa. This will be his ninth overseas tour having been fortunate enough to tour with cadet teams, GB U25s and GB.
He attended the last two World Championships in the USA and New Zealand as an U25 and is thrilled to be going this time with the Palma team. He is looking forward to catching up with overseas friends and building on foundations from the 2023 tour.
Away from the ranges, Seth works as an investment adviser for charities, corporates, and private clients and keeps fit with running, hiking and squash.
David Luckman
GM2 GC3 SM SB3 SC6
David will be touring South Africa for a ninth time having first visited with the Great Britain team 26 years ago. He is looking forward to catching up with friends, both local and international, and is hoping to compete in his seventh Palma Match.
David’s successes include winning the H.M. Queen’s Prize (twice), Grand Aggregate (3 times), the St George’s (4 times) plus four Gold Medals at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games. In 2015, he finally managed to shed the title of ‘Oldest ever World Individual Long Range rifle champion’ but his new long-term goal is to one day regain that title.
David started shooting with Sedgemoor Target Shooting Club and represents Somerset county. He is married to Susie and lives in Bristol with their children Thomas and Sophie. When he has time, David is a keen sports player and enjoys cycling, tennis, and swimming.
Under 25s
Christina Cuming
Christina started shooting at Bradfield College aged 14 and quickly fell in love with the sport. Her first tour was with the UK Cadet Rifle Team to Jersey in 2018 followed by Canada with the Athelings and then Scotland with the GB U19s. Christina shoots for Yorkshire, and earned her England caps in the 2021 and 2022 National matches. She was honoured to be selected for her first GB tour in 2023 to Canada, shooting in the Canada and Commonwealth matches.
Christina recently graduated with a Psychology degree from Durham University, where she was also Captain of the University Rifle Club. This year, she is taking a year out to shoot, work a ski season in France as a cook, climb to Everest Base Camp and travel around South-East Asia. Once she returns to reality, she is hoping to move to London and find a job in the City.
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
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.
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
