OFRC – The Imperial Meeting – 17 July 2025

The Public Schools Veterans match is the opening shoot of the historic Imperial Meeting (the 158^th this year). In recent years this has been very popular with the members, sometimes fielding even a D-Team (five per team).

However, this year, due to unmitigatable reasons, we were down to seven.

Nonetheless, with average age of firers at 64.5 years (the oldest 81 and youngest 36) – The OF team managed 14^th from 44 teams. A creditable performance in that quality – especially with Sandy Walker shooting a perfect 50.10.

The Astor is a National competition with one team representing each county.  This time the average age of firers was a mere 55 though two under 30 and one under 35. It was 10 years to the day since we unexpectedly won it and five of the originals still shooting/coaching the match this year. We came 8^th from 22 teams, which is a great result.

James Mehta again showed why he has acquired the moniker ‘Captain Crossfire’, by doing exactly that with his last shot to break into the second stage of the Kings Prize. A near perfect 105.17 was in his grasp, but snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, he expertly drilled in yet another V-Bull. On the wrong target. Doh!

He later redeemed himself with a bit of silverware winning the county junior team championship and a minor unofficial piece of silver – the self-invented Coffee-Pot Challenge – between him and his girlfriend, Ros. He won by one V-Bull and luckily, on hand to present was our friend Andy Sturrock RE, a recently retired Major General in full uniform.

Elsewhere, Kings Prize finalists Sandy Walker again (29^th 75.11 & 72.6) and Ros Woodhouse 72^nd (72.7 & 72.7) held up the club’s name high and in the St George’s shield Sandy Walker, a pervious winner, was 80^th with 145.17.

James Mehta and Ros represented Scotland and John Halahan, Ireland – forgiving us our high-jinx when we stole his birthday watch and gave it to the Chief Range Officer. Despite some hints about a subtle as a Russian train crash,  he took hours to locate it.

Sasha Radkovskii is off to Canada and USA next month representing Great Britain and of course James is recruiting for his GB team for next year.

McDowell, putting aside his Target rifle, shot the Running Deer unlimited competition and came 12^th with his .357 Magnum underlever 56 ex 100 and 19^th in the Dewar Cup 29 ex 50 with a .223 straight-pull – both of them not designed for the discipline, so that was fun.