Historic Victory for Sedbergh Prep Shooting Team

Sedbergh Prep recently won the Prep School’s Rifle Associations St. David’s shield. A feat they have never achieved in the competition’s 113-year history.

The national competition takes place each term and has been running since 1906. Taking place at our home shooting range, the shooters were using the club’s .177 air rifles. Each team member was required to hold the rifle whilst wearing a shooting jacket and glove. The only aid a shooter is permitted to use in competition is the use of a sling, which attaches the rifle to the shooter’s arm. Each team consists of six members who each fire 10 shots. Taking aim from ten metres away to a target just 0.5mm in diameter, the maximum score a shooter can achieve is 100.

The winning team consisting of; Bea Palmer, Belle Hodgins, Emily Dolby, Eve Robinson, Livi Ross and Will Croft scored a combined total of 552 which saw them finish ahead of Feltonfleet who scored 541 and Terra Nova in third, scoring 534. A great team performance saw the Sedbergh Prep team average a score of 92, with five out of the six shooters all scoring over 90. Emily Dolby was the individual top scorer of the competition, scoring an impressive 96 out of 100. Livi Ross was not far behind, posting the third highest score of the competition with 94 out of 100.

As well as the St. David’s shield victory, Sedbergh Prep also placed first and second in the Geoffrey Place competition. The competition, in its inaugural year, involves the same skills as the St. David’s Shield competition, with the only difference being the rifle is supported on a rest.

The format of the Geoffrey Place competition sees teams of 4 but due to insufficient numbers, the winning Sedbergh Prep team fielding just two shooters and used their ‘double points’ stickers. It was still their lowest nominated team, however. Two great performances from Tatyana Peters and Bella Hubbard, who both scored 93 and 90 respectively, saw them secure the win by 11 points ahead of another Sedbergh Prep team in second and Feltonfleet in third. 

Follow Sedbergh: