The first big Match Rifle competition of the season - the English VIII meeting in conjunction with the NRC of Scotland and the Welsh Rifle Association - was held at Bisley on 6th and 7th May 2017. It saw a strong entry of almost 80 competitors, 13 of them ladies and a high percentage of under 25 shooters.

It was shot in conditions not usually associated with the month of May, both on the temperature and the wind front. The Saturday challenged those who started the season that day with some rather strong wind from the right, luckily it proved to be pretty steady though, so scores were reasonably high. Sunday’s wind was less strong, but also less steady, especially by the time competitiors got to the final 1200 yards where mirrage and fish tailing wind definitely challenged many of the competitors. The day had started with winter temperatures which lasted until lunch time and were then replaced by bright sunshine and a quick rise in temperatures.

Ron Scaglione, part of the new Scottish squad, won the Saturday competition shot over 1000, 1100 and 1200 yards (15 to count) with 223.32, a point ahead of Rob Lygoe and a point and three V-Bulls ahead of fellow Scot Fergus Flanagan. Albeit attempts by several competitors to stop Flanagan's continuous success on Sunday, he managed the winning score of 222.32, one V ahead of fellow Scot John Sweet and two ahead of Englishman Rob Lygoe. In the end he wasn't able to snatch all the trophies from Lygoe, who won overall (The Welsh Rifle Association Aggregate) with 444.62...only one V ahead of Flanagan. Irish shooting hero David Calvert became third with a 441.61.

The 1200-yards aggregate went to John Lindsay III, still suffering from jet lag, he was clearly excelling in long distance and his 147.13 meant he was a point ahead of Sweet and Flanagan.

Hannah Fisher won the Ladies' trophy with 427.43 ahead of Kate Fitton and Loulou Brister and the Under 25 trophy was won...yes, you may have guessed it by Fergus Flanagan with ex-Cambridge Hannah Fisher in second and ex-Oxford Hattie Mansell in third place.

Each of the three nations handed out their club prizes to their top shots:

England – Rob Lygoe (444.62), John Lindsay III (440.50), Si Whitby (437.46)

Scotland – Fergus Flanagan (444.61), Ron Scaglione (440.59), John Sweet (439.59)

Wales – Loulou Brister (423.37), Andy Burgess (206.12), Gareth James (137.13)

Silke Lohmann.

ENGLISH EIGHT CLUB, NATIONAL RIFLE CLUB OF SCOTLAND and WELSH RIFLE ASSOCIATION
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                SPRING MATCH RIFLE MEETING 6/7 May 2017
                ----------------------------------------------
                
             Lord Cottesloe's Cup and
        The English Eight Club Gold Jewel 1 Lygoe RJ             444.62
                             Silver Jewel 2 Lindsay JA           440.50
                             Bronze Jewel 3 Whitby SJ            437.46
                             
        The Scottish Eight Cup            1 Flanagan F           444.61
                                          2 Scaglione R          440.59
                                          3 Sweet J              439.59
        
        The Welsh Rifle Assn Cup          1 Brister Mrs LJ       423.37
                                          2 Burgess A            206.12
                                          3 James GL             137.13
        
        The Welsh Rifle Assn Aggregate    1 Lygoe RJ             444.62
         (Overall)                        2 Flanagan F           444.61
                                          3 Calvert DP           441.61
        
        The H G Courth Memorial Trophy    1 Scaglione R          223.32
         (Saturday)                       2 Lygoe RJ             222.32
                                          3 Flanagan F           222.29
        
        The Martin Smith Challenge Cup    1 Flanagan F           222.32
         (Sunday)                         2 Sweet J              222.31
                                          3 Lygoe RJ             222.30
        
        The L D Ranken Memorial Trophy    1 Lindsay JA           147.13
         (1200 Aggregate)                 2 Sweet J              146.18
                                          3 Flanagan F           146.17
        
        The O.C.R.A. Trophy               1 Flanagan F           444.61
         (Under 25)                       2 Fisher H             427.43
                                          3 Mansell H            418.36
        
        The Powell Trophy                 1 Fisher H             427.43
         (Ladies)                         2 Fitton K Ms          426.38
                                          3 Brister Mrs LJ       423.37
        
      Name             1000  1100  1200   Total 1000  1100  1200   Total Agg Nat
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 1 Lygoe RJ            75.13 73.9  74.10 222.32 75.14 75.10 72.6  222.30 444.62E
 2 Flanagan F          74.11 75.9  73.9  222.29 75.13 74.11 73.8  222.32 444.61S
 3 Calvert DP          75.11 74.12 71.7  220.30 75.13 74.12 72.6  221.31 441.61I
 4 Scaglione R         75.13 74.9  74.10 223.32 75.12 72.7  70.8  217.27 440.59S
 5 Lindsay JA          73.7  73.8  74.7  220.22 75.15 72.7  73.6  220.28 440.50E
 6 Sweet J             75.12 68.8  74.8  217.28 75.12 75.9  72.10 222.31 439.59S
 7 Whitby SJ           73.8  74.9  72.7  219.24 75.11 74.4  69.7  218.22 437.46E
 8 Barnard GV          75.12 72.8  74.8  221.28 74.8  72.9  69.6  215.23 436.51E
 9 Tremlett CN         73.7  74.9  67.8  214.24 75.9  74.8  73.7  222.24 436.48E
10 Brasier NRJ         73.8  72.6  73.4  218.18 74.10 73.6  71.7  218.23 436.41E
11 Peck JC             74.11 73.6  71.10 218.27 75.14 73.11 69.2  217.27 435.54E
12 Dashwood DHW        74.8  75.10 71.7  220.25 75.13 74.11 66.1  215.25 435.50E
13 McLeod A            74.12 73.6  71.7  218.25 75.12 73.8  69.3  217.23 435.48S
14 Alexander GK        75.7  73.6  74.5  222.18 74.12 73.10 66.4  213.26 435.44I
15 Abrahams A          73.10 74.10 73.8  220.28 75.11 72.10 66.6  213.27 433.55E
16 Lowe D              73.10 74.9  72.7  219.26 74.13 72.5  68.4  214.22 433.48E
17 Spencer MJ          73.7  73.7  74.11 220.25 75.11 70.6  68.2  213.19 433.44E
18 Whitby RWS          74.6  73.6  70.4  217.16 75.7  73.8  68.3  216.18 433.34E
19 Chisholm L          74.12 69.4  73.6  216.22 75.12 74.5  67.3  216.20 432.42E
20 Judge MJ            73.7  73.5  72.7  218.19 75.7  72.8  67.3  214.18 432.37E
21 Brown IRM           74.7  72.8  73.10 219.25 75.11 70.6  67.3  212.20 431.45E
22 Mott WRD            70.3  74.9  70.4  214.16 74.10 74.5  69.6  217.21 431.37E
23 Crichton Maitland M 71.8  70.4  73.10 214.22 73.8  73.7  69.9  215.24 429.46S
24 Bridger JA          72.7  71.7  70.6  213.20 75.11 72.5  69.4  216.20 429.40E
25 Campbell-Smith AR   74.11 73.6  69.6  216.23 75.10 71.8  66.4  212.22 428.45S
26 Fisher H            75.9  72.8  69.4  216.21 74.13 72.6  65.3  211.22 427.43S
27 Wentges MJ          70.5  72.6  69.6  211.17 71.6  72.10 73.9  216.25 427.42I
28 Fitton K Ms         74.8  69.4  71.7  214.19 72.7  72.7  68.5  212.19 426.38E
29 Dickenson C         71.6  73.4  71.7  215.17 73.6  71.7  67.4  211.17 426.34E
30 Harrison TW         74.10 73.9  69.6  216.25 73.4  69.5  67.6  209.15 425.40E
31 Willingale KM       73.7  73.7  68.7  214.21 71.4  69.4  70.4  210.12 424.33E
32 Brister Mrs LJ      72.6  71.5  68.6  211.17 73.9  71.6  68.5  212.20 423.37W
33 Friend DA           72.8  74.11 72.6  218.25 71.8  72.9  61.2  204.19 422.44E
34 Kenchington RS      72.5  73.8  69.5  214.18 75.14 70.4  62.2  207.20 421.38E
35 Kuppen S            75.9  70.5  72.5  217.19 75.9  71.4  58.2  204.15 421.34D
36 Gent AM             74.10 73.9  71.6  218.25 74.12 71.5  57.3  202.20 420.45E
37 Fyfe NCM            72.7  73.10 70.4  215.21 75.11 65.7  65.4  205.22 420.43S
38 Baxby K             72.7  74.9  65.4  211.20 74.12 71.7  63.3  208.22 419.42S
39 Hissey MJ           71.9  70.5  68.4  209.18 72.8  71.5  67.6  210.19 419.37E
40 Mansell H           75.9  71.8  68.3  214.20 74.9  70.6  60.1  204.16 418.36E
41 Townsend MK         74.8  69.2  66.1  209.11 72.7  72.7  64.2  208.16 417.27I
42 Day F               73.5  68.3  68.6  209.14 73.7  72.7  62.3  207.17 416.31E
43 Lohmann Ms SS       72.6  70.9  68.3  210.18 71.6  70.3  63.3  204.12 414.30G
44 Page J              69.8  71.3  70.8  210.19 71.7  71.4  61.2  203.13 413.32E
45 Taylor WJM          73.6  65.3  68.2  206.11 73.9  71.4  63.3  207.16 413.27E
46 Nuttall H           71.1  70.6  65.4  206.11 74.6  67.3  64.4  205.13 411.24E
47 Hobson PH           72.7  69.4  71.6  212.17 72.10 69.2  54.1  195.13 407.30E
48 Furniss RL Miss     67.3  66.2  61.3  194.08 72.6  75.10 64.4  211.20 405.28E
49 Fitch A             74.10 73.8  67.4  214.22 72.6  67.8  50    189.14 403.36E
50 Woodroffe Z         67.4  59.2  68.4  194.10 74.5  68.5  66.4  208.14 402.24S
51 Rosling RP          69.1  71.5  68.4  208.10 68.6  67.4  55    190.10 398.20E
52 Campbell-Smith JM   67.5  64.1  64.2  195.08 69.6  68.3  60.2  197.11 392.19S
53 Hall M              68.2  59.4  68.3  195.09 69.6  71.5  54    194.11 389.20E
54 Brooking T          72.8  62.2  65.4  199.14 70.7  69.5  50    189.12 388.26E
55 Jobson RA           68.6  66.4  59.2  193.12 70.5  69.5  56.2  195.12 388.24E
56 Sutton S            57.3  67.5  59.2  183.10 69.4  69.4  59.1  197.09 380.19E
57 Hayden RW           73.3  66.2  58.1  197.06 64.2  64.2  48.1  176.05 373.11E
58 Wentges S           70.6  63.2  56    189.08 64.2  59.2  55.2  178.06 367.14I
59 Pizer R             29.1  66.1  67.4  162.06 70.6  65.5  60.2  195.13 357.19E
60 Jauncey S           73.5  70.7  66.3  209.15 58.2  72.7   9    139.09 348.24E
61 Howell Miss A       57.3  61    58    176.03 62.3  62.3  43    167.06 343.09E
62 Taylor Miss R       36.2  46    54.1  136.03 60.1  52.2  39    151.03 287.06E
63 Errey AS            72.8   9.1         81.09 74.12 69.8  60.3  203.23 284.32E
64 Place M             71.9  68.3  67.3  206.15 66.3               66.03 272.18E
65 Burbridge P         66.5  68.8  64.4  198.17 71.4               71.04 269.21
66 Baillie-Hamilton JMB75.12 75.9  72.7  222.28                          222.28S
67 Chesterfield F      74.8  69.9  70.8  213.25                          213.25E
68 Winney R            73.6  70.7  69.4  212.17                          212.17E
69 de Castro F         69.1  73.6  69.4  211.11                          211.11F
70 Hunter AD           71.3  70.2  68.3  209.08                          209.08S
71 Burgess A                                    73.9  72.3  61    206.12 206.12W
72 Cargill Thompson DrA71.6  72.3  63.1  206.10                          206.10E
73 Webster T           69.5  70.5  65.3  204.13                          204.13E
74 Xiao J              72.6  67.4  62.3  201.13                          201.13
75 Dodd PAB            68.6  66.3  65.4  199.13                          199.13E
76 Waite J             73.7  68.5  55.2  196.14                          196.14E
77 James GL            73.9  64.4        137.13                          137.13W

  Entries, Squadding, Score Cards & Stats programs developed in Basic from 1984

        by John & Michael Hissey