Stewart had earlier achieved a magnificent maximum score of 150 ex 150 in the second stage, with 24 of his 30 shots finding the central ‘V-bull’ ring, to enter the final stage in second place behind three-time Sovereign’s Prize winner and GB shooter, Glyn Barnett.
Adam Jory, the veteran Commonwealth Games marksman, was also a King’s finalist for the seventeenth time, 32 years on from his first final appearance in 1993.
With Barnett dropping several points early on in the final, Stewart quickly assumed the lead which he held until his final shot at 900 yards strayed to the right of the bullseye, pushing him into joint-third.
Among such high-quality opposition, one dropped point in the King’s final can result in a drop of several positions on the leaderboard.
At 1000 yards, the furthest distance used in target-rifle competition, Stewart dropped three more points for a final total score of 296.35v ex 300.60v, placing him 18th overall.
Peter Jory, who since 2020 has overseen the development of the Guernsey Rifle Club’s young marksmen as shooting master at Elizabeth College, says their performance has been outstanding.
‘They’ve excelled in this competition against world-class opponents from around the globe. Alexander, in particular, was looking like a real contender for a top placing, but finishing in 18th place is a fantastic achievement for someone of his age and experience.’
In the Imperial Meeting’s Grand Aggregate, Adam Jory and Nick Mace finished in the all-important top 50 spots, placing 29th and 45th respectively, to win NRA bronze crosses.
Another highlight of the meeting was the GRC’s captain, Mike Creber, scoring maximum points in The Times competition at 300 yards to end up in a 10-way tie shoot for first place, in which he ultimately finished eighth.
In the Kolapore international match, Guernsey’s team of eight had a 600 yards score equal to that of the winning Great Britain team, but their deficit at 300 and 500 yards saw them finish sixth, a point behind Jersey.
In the long-range Mackinnon match, Guernsey’s 12-strong team matched England’s total score at 1000 yards to finish ahead of Jersey, Canada, the United States and Kenya, but behind the Home Nations and Australia.
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