Click on photographs to view 16th July Ashburton and Veterans' Match photos.

Ashburton
In the schools’ Ashburton Match, the College Eight secured an excellent 5^th place only 10 points behind old rivals Epsom, while Greshams ran out the winners. This with a very young College team in which only 4 shooters were at the previous year’s VIII and bodes well for next year. Congratulations are in order to Beaks, Peter Finn and Martin Watkins for having brought the team to a peak of performance and cohesive approach, and to Freddie Puckle Hobbs (LI 2004-05) as Captain.

Veterans’ Match
The Veterans gathered with 5 teams and 2 reserves, an excellent turnout in blowy but dry conditions, the rain thoughtfully holding off until shooting was over. In the overall Veterans’ Aggregate, (Teams A- C) OMRC posted a new record score for the Club, good enough only for fourth place in the powerful list! The Lucas (Veterans’ A team and Ashburton scores) saw the Club gain 3rd place.

In age old tradition, the Captain’s careful team selection led to the A Team being beaten by the B Team by one point, (though the A Team did ask whether their 37 V bulls could be used to compensate for the lost point against the victors’ 29) and the D Team being beaten by the E Team. The B team came 2nd. The full scoring list is shown below.

Notable possibles were supplied by the brothers Richards (with David beating his brother by one V at 50.9), Robin Baker’s 50.8 starting with two cooking bulls converted from sighters, James Dallas with 50.4 and our Patron’s 50.3.

The Club was pleased to see Peter Hill, Chris Dixon and Jonathan Custance-Baker again after varying absences; Chris whose 48.5 showed the two year’s absence had not affected his shooting; Jonathan delivered a creditable 47.2 for the E Team.

The Match was followed by the excellent Annual Dinner attended by 36 Rifle Club Members and Guests and which was honoured by the presence of the MC Club President, Sarah Hamilton-Fairley and Danielle Griffin, the Club’s Certifier of Accounts as well as some of the Club’s wives and girlfriends. The prizes were presented by Sarah Hamilton-Fairley with David Richards receiving the bulk of the silverware (Ferguson Davie, the Walker and the Vezey Cup) with Charles Brooks being awarded the Few Cigarette case. This was finally followed by the Club’s AGM for the hardier Rifle Club Members which concluded a great day.

Habib Rahman
Hon Secretary

1^st March saw OMs in their the first fixture of the year pitted against the School in a Smallbore Match held at the gunner Range under the hospitable aegis of Peter Finn ably assisted by Martin Watkins. Both the OMs and the School mustered 9 shooters with a close run score of 872 beating the School’s 870 by 2 points, a most creditable score by the young school team against the team of experienced fogeys assisted, it must be pointed out, by a bit of underhand sabotage of the sights on one of the rifles used by the OMs.

The assembled company was able to congratulate Freddy Puckle-Hobbs on being selected for the Aethlings to shoot in Canada.

The OMs wish the School much success in the approaching fullbore season and look forward to the Bisley Match against the School 16^th May 2009

Habib Rahman

The last eighteen months have seen our long-serving Hon Sec Patrick Pelly (B3 1968-72) stand down and, in a seamless transfer, Habib Rahman (B1 1971-75) take over. Patrick gave us sterling service and Habib has already taken to his new task as if he had been doing the job for many years. The Club is very grateful to both of them.

On the firing point 2007 proved to be an interesting year. In the matches against the College we started with a narrow loss in the January small-bore match on the Gunner Range, followed by a rather bigger loss at Bisley on the open range in May, and then a useful victory in the return small-bore match in November.

Marlborough’s 2008 Marlingham team

We were delighted by the College’s second place in the Ashburton (Epsom again won), but had to make do with some rather ordinary placing at the July Schools’ Veterans’ matches. The positive side of that event was the fact that we were again able to field five full teams plus three reserves in an excellent turnout. We were delighted to have Frank Gardner (LI 1974-79) OBE back shooting the Veterans last year after a 28 year absence from the ranges at Bisley and a presentation was made to Frank on the firing point.

Our 2007 Annual Dinner and AGM saw Tony de Launay elected as Patron of the Club (only the 5^th Patron in the Club's history.

2008 started with a win in the small-bore match against the College which was followed by an 11 point win in the full-bore match at Bisley. The College VIII throughout 2008 and in the Ashburton was a much younger and less experienced team than in the last few years and finished 26^th. However, they will have learned for the future from their experiences.

Once again, five full teams were entered in the Veterans’ Match at Bisley and produced some better showings than in 2007. The A team was 5^th ex 53, B team 8^th ex 37, and C team 3^rd ex 23. Our E team was 6^th and the D team 9^th in the match for the third teams. Our aggregate of A, B and C teams was 726 placing us 5th, improving our previous highest score in 2002 by just one point. We were delighted to have the President of the Marlburian Club, Tony Hill as our guest at dinner that evening.

In this year’s Bisley Meeting pride of place must go to our victory in the Marlingham Trophy. This trophy, born in 1959 out of a late night challenge on the veranda of the North London Rifle Club between sons of Marlborough and Uppingham - the Uppingborough Trophy did not sound entirely correct - is for schools’ teams of five, based on the aggregate of their individual scores in the 11 match Bisley Grand Aggregate. The trophy was given by the late Major Tom Vezey, at the time President of OMRC. This year we had a team of two families - three Jeens and two Richards. They finished 23 points ahead of Greshams. This is only the second time that the Club has won the trophy, having won it for the first time in 2005 and been second on five occasions. Our second team was 7^th.

David Richards went on to finish 11^th (he actually tied for first place but was counted out on inner bulls) in the final of the Queen’s Prize (which he won in 1984) with Richard Jeens 28^th and Robin Baker 63^rd. Richard was also our top man in the Grand Aggregate, finishing 13^th, brother Henry 35^th, Bill Richards 36^th and brother David 43^rd all in the top 50. Bear in mind that over 1000 people start each of those competitions.

The first event of 2008 was the .22 match between the OMs and the College on 20 January 2008 once again at the College’s Gunner Range with 7 OMs shooting against the School’s team of 6, with the highest scores to count. Once again the school was, sadly beaten by 591 to 574 but bearing in mind that youth of the school team (with only 2 in the 6th form) and that if only the top 4 scores had counted, the difference would have only been 6 points, the School team can be proud of their achievement against an OM team which it should not be forgotten, includes a fair few who have shot nationally.

Freddy Puckle-Hobbs’ appeared for a lightning shoot which was appreciated though his score suggested his mind was perhaps more on the Debating competition from which he took time out that day! Charles Brooks scored a possible as befits the role of President of the OMRC; for the College Elisabeth Swinn’s possible made it onto “the board” but was unfortunately not counted towards the School’s score as it was her second shoot of the day.

For the OMs, Dominic Devere was back shooting smallbore for the first time in 15 years and also scored a possible on his second (uncounted) shoot! Many thanks to Peter Finn for arranging the Match and the OMs wish the School well in the fullbore season and look forward to the revenge match to be held at Bisley in May – date to be announced.

The last small-bore event for the year for the OM Rifle Club was held at the Gunner Range at the College on 18^th November 2007 with 9 OMs attending and the School fielding a team of 6 headed by Freddy Puckle-Hobbs who scored 100 as did the OM John White (B3 1948-53). Freddy was awarded the Donegal medal for his efforts. The best six scores of for the OMs won the day against the young but promising school team (593 against 585); this was followed by two details of rapid fire in which various shooters surprised themselves by achieving higher scores in the limited time frame than they had in the match itself. The newly refurbished Gunner Range still draws much admiration from the OMs who variously recalled the cramped and freezing conditions of the College’s earlier range. A credit to all for turning up on a wet afternoon but all appeared to have had a good time!

Habib Rahman has taken over from Patrick Pelly as Secretary of the Old Marlburian’s Rifle Club.

Patrick would like to thank all those who supported the club, especially past Club Presidents Tony de Launay and Charles Brooks and wishes Habib Rahman the best of luck in his new role.  Over the year the club has attracted 8 new members and is continuing to flourish. Anyone wishing to join the club should contact Habib on jhr@jute.uk.com 

The OM Rifle Club held the first of their two annual smallbore matches against the College on Sunday 28th January.  The match took place on the Gunner Range at Marlborough.  The OMs fielded 9 firers whereas the College only had 5  available to shoot, so by mutual agreement the result of the match was determined by the best 4 ten-bull targets shot by each team. This culminated in a one-point victory for the College, 381 to 380 (ex 400), continuing their series of victories (at smallbore) against the Club! Well done and thank you to all involved.  Our next event is the fullbore match at Bisley on Sunday 20th May.

The OM Rifle Club held the first of their two annual smallbore matches against the College on Sunday 28th January.  The match took place on the Gunner Range at Marlborough.  The OMs fielded 9 fireres whereas the College only had 5  available to shoot, so by mutual agreement the result of the match was determined by the best 4 ten-bull targets shot by each team. This culminated in a one-point victory for the College, 381 to 380 (ex 400), continuing their series of victories (at smallbore) against the Club! Well done and thank you to all involved.  Our next event is the fullbore match at Bisley on Sunday 20th May.

The OMs fielded 9 firers whereas the College only had 5  available to shoot, so by mutual agreement the result of the match was determined by the best 4 ten-bull targets shot by each team. This culminated in a one-point victory for the College, 381 to 380 (ex 400), continuing their series of victories (at smallbore) against the Club! Well done and thank you to all involved.  Our next event is the fullbore match at Bisley on Sunday 20th May.

The OM Rifle Club held the first of their two annual smallbore matches against the College on Sunday 28th January.  The match took place on the Gunner Range at Marlborough.  The OMs fielded 9 fireres whereas the College only had 5  available to shoot, so by mutual agreement the result of the match was determined by the best 4 ten-bull targets shot by each team. This culminated in a one-point victory for the College, 381 to 380 (ex 400), continuing their series of victories (at smallbore) against the Club! Well done and thank you to all involved.  Our next event is the fullbore match at Bisley on Sunday 20th May.

Congratulations: Firstly, we congratulate those members of the Club who shot in the World Long Range (Palma) Matches in Canada last summer. Richard Jeens was a member of the successful GB Team which retained the Palma Trophy. Richard shot in the match and became only the fourth OM to represent the Club in these matches (following Geoffrey Robinson and David and Bill Richards). Robin Baker was in the successful GB Veterans Team which also retained the Veterans Trophy. Robin was one of the coaches in the Match. Ed Jeens was the successful captain of the GB Under 25 Team which again successfully defended the Under 25 trophy. Apart from his duties as captain, Ed was one of the coaches in the Match. Finally, Ed Dickson was a member of the Athelings team which performed with distinction, and he also shot in the Under 21 Match, against elder opposition from other countries.