Great Britain Rifle Team

South Africa 2023

Bloemfontein, South Africa

Featured Team Members

Coach

Seth Dowley

Seth Dowley

Cap Number

927

Home Country

England

Big 5

8

Seth Dowley

Seth started shooting at school with Cheltenham College when forced to choose a weekday activity and quickly became hooked on it. During Ashburtons and early tours, he found he particularly enjoyed the view from the coaching chair. He has gone on to coach his county, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, as well as England in the National and Mackinnon, and GB on their recent Canada 2022 tour. He has previously toured with the UK Cadets, Athelings, and the GB U19 and U25 teams including two lots of World Championships in the USA and New Zealand. He is looking forward to returning to South Africa, his last trip having been in 2014.

Away from the range Seth works as an investment adviser for charities, corporates, and private clients and keeps fit with running, skiing and squash.

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Team Member

Parag PatelGM GC5 SM SB2 SC2

Parag Patel

Cap Number

768

Home Country

England

Big 5

79

Parag PatelGM GC5 SM SB2 SC2

Parag first started shooting at Epsom College and his prodigious talent was in early evidence as he won the Canadian Grand Aggregate as an Atheling in 1994. This is his 14th tour with the GB team. Accomplished in both team and individual shooting, Parag has shot in all ‘Big 5’ matches with 69 appearances to date (including the last five Palma matches). His proudest individual accolade is having won the Bisley Grand Aggregate a record of five times 2001, ‘03, ‘20, ‘21 and ‘22.

He has also represented England in 4 Commonwealth games with a tally of 4 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze medals.

When not on the range, Parag is an ear, nose and throat surgeon. He and his wife, Urvi, have three young sons, so he has little time left for golf. For the meantime, all his slicing is therefore done with a scalpel.

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Team Member

Theo Dodds

Theo Dodds

Cap Number

922

Home Country

Wales

Big 5

25

Theo Dodds

Theo started shooting with an air rifle in his back garden at the age of 4 but more formally got into the sport at the age of 13 at Tonbridge School. He got his first opportunity for a Great Britain tour with the GB U21 team to the 2015 World Championships and has been progressing through the teams with a tour to South Africa with the GB U25s in 2017 and the New Zealand World Championships in 2019.

A keen Smallbore shooter, he became the youngest in history to “do the double” by winning the Earl Roberts and the X Class Grand Agg in the 2019 Bisley Smallbore Meeting.

In 2021 he received his first GB Cap in the Kolapore team, something he is extremely proud of. Now an Officer in the Royal Navy, Theo is very grateful to receive support from his Service as he aims to secure a spot in the Palma team in 2024.

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