Ogier starts his title defence in fine style
FRESH from the euphoria of the Imperial Meeting at Bisley, marksmen of the Guernsey Rifle Club met to contest the first stage of the Island Championship.
Fired as a Queen’s I, the competition consisted of two sighting shots and seven scoring shots at 300, 500 and 600 yards for a maximum possible score of 105.21.
With the Stewart clan that performed so well at Bisley absent because of a pre-booked holiday, the pressure was slightly reduced on the potential winners.
Phil Ogier is well versed in the skill required to win this three stage event, having won on six previous occasions, and he posted the top score of 103.09 to take the bronze medal and showed clearly that he had every intention of holding on to the title he won in 2020.
Starting slowly with a 33.02 at the shorter range, Ogier added a 35.02 at 500 yards and at the longest range a 35.05 gave him a first stage win ahead of newly promoted Rollo Tiffin on 103.08.
At 300 yards, in decidedly tricky winds on the exposed firing point, Jon Branch posted the top score of 34.04 ahead of Nick Kerins on 34.03 and in B class Huw Nippers held a narrow lead with 32.03, just ahead of Rory McKenna on 32.02.
All changed at 500 yards. Conditions improved and it was GRC captain Nick Kerins topping the range with a 35.04 to take a narrow two range lead on 69.07 (ex 70.14) but the chasing pack, headed by Branch on 68.06 and Tiffin on 68.04, were in close contention.
Nippers extended his lead in B class with a 34.03 for a running total of 66.06 and now enjoyed a cushion of two points on McKenna.
Everything hinges on a good final performance at 600 yards, where the exposed site poses problems for the less-experienced shooters.
Rob Waters, the champion in 2019, top scored with a 35.06 but Ogier cemented his victory with a 35.05 for a final total of 103.09.
Tiffin held on to second spot with a 35.04 and a total of 103.08, with GRC president Peter Jory and Branch on 102.10 and Kerins a single V-bull further back.
Nippers held onto his lead in B class with a rather odd 33.00 for 99.06, but the real interest in the class came further back where Mikey Chammings finally broke away from the also rans with an excellent 97.08 to sit in second spot.
Sam Frost had obviously gained from her Bisley experience and a 29.02 at 300 yards was followed by a 32.05 at 500 and a superb 35.05 at the longest range for a 96.12 total.
It is worth noting that her V-bull count of 12 was no less than two ahead of the whole field, many of whom were very experienced marksmen.
All is not over as the competitors this coming weekend now face another three-range shoot, but with 10 scoring shots for a maximum possible score of 150.30.
