Sport | Shooting |
---|---|
Competition | Imperial Meeting |
Discipline | Fullbore target rifle |
Location | Bisley Camp |
Country | United Kingdom |
Presented by | National Rifle Association |
History | |
First award | 1860 |
Editions | 154 |
First winner | Edward CR Ross |
Most wins |
|
Most recent | DC Luckman |
The Sovereign's Prize is a British fullbore target rifle shooting competition. It is the climax of the National Rifle Association's annual Imperial Meeting and is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious prizes in the sport globally. [1] The prize is typically referred to as the Queen's Prize or the King's Prize depending on the incumbent British monarch.
The Prize was first contested in 1860, with the winner receiving a gold medal and £250. Strictly, the "Queen's Prize" refers to the £250 cash prize, which was originally the personal gift of Queen Victoria. The gold medal is awarded by the Association. [2] As of 2024, the Prize has been contested 155 times, breaking only for the World Wars. Although contested on an open basis, it has only been won three times by women (in 1930, 2000 and 2022). Six people have won it three times.
As of 2022, the Prize is contested in three stages. [3] Standard NRA targets are used, with scoring rings offering a maximum score of five points, plus a "v-bull" within the 5-ring (used for tie-breaking). Since the move to the National Shooting Centre at Bisley, the first and second stages have been contested on the 600yard range Century Range, whilst the final is contested on Stickledown Range (which can support shooting up to 1200yards).
Stages II and III are sometimes known as a "Queen's Prize" match. A "Queen's Prize" is used as the standard course of fire for fullbore rifle matches at the Commonwealth Games, although all competitors shoot all distances without elimination.
Stage one is an open elimination round consisting of three "2+7" matches (2 sighters with 7 shots to count) at 300, 500 and 600yards. This gives a highest possible score of 105 with 21 V-bulls (rendered as 105.21v).
The top three hundred competitors progress to the second stage, which typically includes scores of ~101 or better.
Stage two consists of 2+10 matches at the same distances as the first stage. Qualification is on a "start from zero" basis, meaning that scores from the first stage are not carried forward and top qualifiers have no advantage over those with poorer scores in the first stage. The highest possible score is 150 with 30 v-bulls (150.30v).
The top one hundred competitors progress to the third and final stage. The "King's Hundred" each receive an NRA '100' Badge. The top scorer in the second stage is awarded an NRA Silver Medal for winning the "short range" portion of the competition, regardless of how they perform in the final.
Stage three moves to longer distances, consisting of 2+15 matches at 900 and 1000yards. Scores are carried forward from the second stage, giving a highest possible score of 300.60v. Winning scores better than 298 are common, indicating the shooter has only dropped one or two shots across five distances and sixty shots.
The winner receives a gold medal and £250, with the runners up receiving silver and bronze badges respectively. The winner is then "chaired" off the range on an open sedan chair borne by other competitors. [4] By tradition they are carried to the NRA offices to receive their prize, followed by a tour of the clubhouses on camp.
Notable winners include the three female winners – Marjorie Foster (1930); [5] [6] [7] [8] Joanna Hossack (2000) [9] and Alice Good (2022). [10] A road on Bisley Camp is named Marjorie Foster Way.
The Fulton family have the unique distinction of having three generations of winners. George Fulton used the proceeds of his 1888 win to found Fulton's Gun Shop on Bisley Camp, which still stands today. His son Arthur won a record-breaking three times in 1912, 1926 and 1931. Arthur's son Robin won in 1958.
Arthur Fulton's record was only matched in 1996. There are now six shooters who have won the Prize three times: [11]
Also notable is PA Bennison's 1998 shoot, where he became the first person to score a "possible" with 300.40v. Canadian shooter James Paton matched this in 2005 with another 300.40v.
Year | Gold Medal | Gold Medal Score | Silver Medal [note 1] | Silver Medal Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
1860 | ECR Ross | 24 | Cpl F Sharp | 17 |
1861 | Pte JM Jopling | 18 | Sgt J Dougan | 23 |
1862 | S Pixley | 41 | Ens H Walton | 46 |
1863 | J Roberts | 65 | Cpl W Wisker | 49 |
1864 | J Wyatt | 60 | Pte J Haward | 47 |
1865 | J Sharman [13] | 64 | ECR Ross [13] | 47 |
1866 | A Cameron | 69 | Pte A James | 48 |
1867 | H Lane | 57 | Capt W Wright | 52 |
1868 | JB Carslake | 65 | D/Maj SG Hutchinson | 51 |
1869 | A Cameron | 71 | T Kirk | 46 |
1870 | W Humphries | 66 | Cpl H Young | 49 |
1871 | AP Humphrey | 68 | Pte TH Mayfield | 51 |
1872 | W Michie | 65 | Capt A Cortis | 52 |
1873 | AD Menzies | 60 | Cpl R Willows | 74 |
1874 | WC Atkinson | 64 | Cpl H Young | 87 |
1875 | G Pearse | 73 | Pte A Innes | 90 |
1876 | R Pullman | 74 | Pte RB Burgess | 86 |
1877 | G Jamieson | 70 | Cpl Betts | 92 |
1878 | P Rae | 78 | Pte C Lowe | 47 |
1879 | G Taylor | 83 | QM JC Macdonald | 96 |
1880 | A Ferguson | 74 | Cpl Scott | 102 |
1881 | T Beck | 86 | Cpl W Ingram | 96 |
1882 | A Lawrance | 65 | Sgt WHO Smith | 174 |
1883 | Col-Sgt R Mackay | 79 | Capt JH Young | 183 |
1884 | D Gallant | 110 | Sgt JH Taylor | 105 |
1885 | W Bulmer | 307 | Col-Sgt Simonds | 104 |
1886 | CH Jackson | 265 | Capt A Cortis | 110 |
1887 | RO Warren | 274 | Armr-Sgt Hill | 104 |
1888 | Armr-Sgt GE Fulton | 280 | LCpl Noakes | 108 |
1889 | Sgt D Reid | 281 | Pte CW Wattleworth | 205 |
1890 | H Bates | 278 | Pte J Murray | 107 |
1891 | D Dear | 269 | Sgt A Milner | 113 |
1892 | Major J Pollock | 277 | Major J Pollock | 108 |
1893 | Sgt WT Davies [14] | 274 | Pte A Stocks | 96 |
1894 | Pte MS Rennie | 283 | Capt H Bateman | 113 |
1895 | TH Hayhurst | 279 | LSgt W Hogg | 114 |
1896 | JL Thomson | 273 | Capt R Foster | 105 |
1897 | WT Ward | 304 | Armr-Sgt JH Scott | 117 |
1898 | D Yates | 327 | Lieut EL Fletcher | 119 |
1899 | WA Priaulx | 336 | Col-Sgt HWM Matthews | 120 |
1900 | WT Ward | 341 | Col-Sgt H Comery | 116 |
1901 | Cpl ANVH Ommundsen | 310 | Armr-Sgt AJ Comber | 93 |
1902 | Lt ED Johnson [15] | 307 | Cpl TH Kerr | 94 |
1903 | Col-Sgt WT Davies [14] | 311 | Pte W Gray | 85 |
1904 | SJ Perry | 321 | Chap CJ Ferguson-Davie | 93 |
1905 | AJ Comber | 315 | SSgt G Souter | 119 |
1906 | RfF Davies | 324 | Sgt ANVH Ommundsen | 94 |
1907 | WC Addison | 318 | Pte EA Buckley | 99 |
1908 | G Gray | 325 | Gnr DR Paterson | 94 |
1909 | HG Burr | 324 | Lieut JW Beatty | 93 |
1910 | FR Radice | 340 | FR Radice | 94 |
1911 | WJ Clifford | 319 | Pte AG Garrod | 95 |
1912 | AG Fulton | 335 | RSIM GH Harvey | 96 |
1913 | WA Hawkins | 330 | Sgt ANVH Ommundsen | 92 |
1914 | JL Dewar | 309 | AG Fulton | 94 |
1919 | L Loveday | 253 | Pte RW Lockwood | 129 |
1920 | FH Morgan | 281 | Capt WH Hoey | 144 |
1921 | J Cunningham | 226 | CR Crowe | 95 |
1922 | AF Marchment | 230 | RSM S Green | 94 |
1923 | EH Robinson | 232 | J Elgood | 97 |
1924 | DT Burke | 230 | CSM JL Dewar | 95 |
1925 | A Smith | 226 | Fl Off G Richardson | 98 |
1926 | AG Fulton | 286 | FH Kelly | 146 |
1927 | Capt, Dr CH Vernon | 292 | AG Fulton | 148 |
1928 | AC Hale | 283 | Lieut AE Martin | 145 |
1929 | RM Blair | 283 | Pte PRT Garnett | 141 |
1930 | Marjorie Foster [16] | 280 | Lieut AJ Andrews | 147 |
1931 | AG Fulton | 285 | AG Fulton | 145 |
1932 | CFH Bayly | 289 | JW Houlden | 146 |
1933 | DE Woods [17] | 287 | Fl Off C Bunch | 145 |
1934 | JA Barlow | 288 | CSM WR Clarke | 146 |
1935 | Armr-Sgt FS French | 289 | CA Sutherland | 148 |
1936 | LD Busschau | 272 | Sgt JE Johnson | 146 |
1937 | DL Birney | 283 | O/Cdt DL Birney | 143 |
1938 | JA Barlow | 287 | RD Greig | 147 |
1939 | Capt TS Smith | 282 | Lieut A Eccles | 146 |
1946 | CC Willott | 280 | Capt RJ Middlemas | 144 |
1947 | WO R Bennett | 279 | WO R Bennett | 146 |
1948 | PA Pavey | 283 | Cpl RJ Kerslake | 146 |
1949 | Capt EWH Brookes | 278 | AG Fox | 146 |
1950 | Capt RD Greig | 277 | J Draper | 144 |
1951 | Lt GS Boa | 285 | Flt Lt H Gill | 144 |
1952 | Major AB Kinnier-Wilson | 277 | WH Magnay [18] | 146 |
1953 | Major NW McCaw | 273 | RL Saunders | 145 |
1954 | Major GE Twine [19] | 278 | Major GE Twine | 145 |
1955 | LR Fenwick | 286 | Lt Col OA Watts | 146 |
1956 | Major GE Twine [19] | 283 | Capt AF Bromley | 142 |
1957 | JRC Love | 283 | Lt Col F Adams | 147 |
1958 | Major RA Fulton | 281 | Lord Swansea | 145 |
1959 | Lt LW Mallabar | 276 | M Hook (later Hook-Sinclair) | 146 |
1960 | Sgt G Westling | 280 | Lt Col DE Elford | 146 |
1961 | WO2 NL Beckett | 284 | NL Beckett | 148 |
1962 | Flt Lt PWM Hall | 280 | PO RS Boyman | 147 |
1963 | KM Pilcher [20] | 283 | Dr KM Pilcher | 148 |
1964 | AD Harris [21] | 281 | LEM PEM Tarrant | 147 |
1965 | Capt JA Allen | 284 | Lt Col HJ Orpen-Smellie | 147 |
1966 | Maj RW Hampton [22] | 280 | Lieut RJ Cade | 146 |
1967 | JG Powell | 280 | Major GE Twine | 147 |
1968 | Capt AA Parks | 285 | Lord Swansea | 146 |
1969 | FG Little | 284 | CERA D Fox | 145 |
1970 | GF Arnold | 281 | EGJ Hayes | 146 |
1971 | RM Stevens | 292 | MJ Brister | 150 |
1972 | RP Rosling | 293.34 | TPB Garnett | 148.19 |
1973 | KM Pilcher [20] | 293.39 | KO Pugh | 149.23 |
1974 | FO Harriss | 283 | JR Killian | 148 |
1975 | CMY Trotter | 284 | GF Arnold | 148 |
1976 | WH Magnay [18] | 287 | E Felton | 149 |
1977 | DA Friend | 283 | JMA Thompson | 149 |
1978 | GR Graham | 285 | PG Kent | 148 |
1979 | Andrew Tucker [23] | 290 | JH Carmichael | 150 |
1980 | A Marion [12] | 294 | RWH Stafford | 150 |
1981 | GM Ayling | 291 | SA Thomas | 150 |
1982 | LM Peden | 295 | AG Harrison | 150 |
1983 | A Marion [12] | 289 | A Marion | 150 |
1984 | DFP Richards | 284 | Flt Lt C Fitzpatrick | 149 |
1985 | JPS Bloomfield | 290 | S Belither | 149 |
1986 | G Cox | 289 | PG Kent | 148 |
1987 | Andrew Tucker [23] | 290 | J Pugsley | 150 |
1988 | J Pugsley | 290 | C Mallett | 148 |
1989 | JMA Thompson | 288 | RE Hind | 149.12 |
1990 | JPS Bloomfield | 293 | HA Tomlinson | 150.22 |
1991 | Flt Lt C Fitzpatrick | 293 | GR Robilliard [24] | 150.21 |
1992 | TA Ringer | 287.37 | AD Le Cheminant [25] | 148.11 |
1993 | CA Brook | 295.29 | CA Brook | 150.20 |
1994 | ML Millar | 291.34 | JS Collings | 149.24 |
1995 | AJ Luckman [26] | 289.30 | DGM Coleman | 149.22 |
1996 | A Marion [12] [27] | 298.51 | PB Bromley | 150.27 |
1997 | TA Ringer | 299.44 | PG Kent | 150.26 |
1998 | PA Bennison | 300.40 | Chief Tech B Jones | 150.23 |
1999 | DGM Coleman | 294.37 | TA Ringer | 150.22 |
2000 | JF Hossack | 294.29 | GC Childs | 150.20 |
2001 | TA Ringer | 295.41 | JMA Thompson | 150.26 |
2002 | Dr GCD Barnett | 297.38 | Flt Lt IW Robertson | 150.28 |
2003 | Dr GCD Barnett [28] | 297.34 | Lt NJ Ball | 150.27 |
2004 | HRT Jeens | 291.25 | AJ Woodward | 149.18 |
2005 | JAM Paton | 300.40 | J Corbett | 150.23 |
2006 | JC Underwood | 297.42 | JC Underwood | 150.23 |
2007 | James WE Lewis [29] | 293.26 | DC Luckman | 150.23 |
2008 | Zainal Abidin Md Zain | 294.36 | Zainal Abidin Md Zain | 150.24 |
2009 | CN Tremlett | 298.44 | TA Ringer | 150.23 |
2010 | Wg Cdr DP Calvert [30] | 297.37 | J C Underwood | 150.26 |
2011 | ES Compton | 297.35 | D E Nuthall | 150.24 |
2012 | Dr JD Warburton | 298.34 | G E Morris | 150.25 |
2013 | J Corbett | 297.46 | SKC Hunter | 150.19 |
2014 | RCT Jeens | 297.44 | J Corbett | 150.24 |
2015 | Wg Cdr DP Calvert | 294.29 | J P Tapster | 149.20 |
2016 | Wg Cdr DP Calvert | 297.41 | HJ Golaszewski | 150.28 |
2017 | PM Patel | 297.37 | PM Patel | 149.18 |
2018 | DC Luckman | 281.29 | SJ Whitby | 150.13 |
2019 | GCD Barnett | 299.47 | WCP Richards | 150.26 |
2020 | DC Luckman | 297.40 | BJ Le Cheminant | 150.24 |
2021 | RSF Shouler | 298.35 | RL Furniss | 150.21 |
2022 | AP Good | 293.37 | Wg Cdr DP Calvert | 150.28 |
2023 | CJ Watson | 297.34 | CP Weeden | 150.22 |
2024 | DC Luckman | 298.42 | DC Luckman | 150.25 |
The National Rifle Association (NRA) is the governing body for full bore rifle and pistol shooting sports in the United Kingdom. The Association was founded in 1859 with the founding aim of raising funds for an annual national rifle meeting to improve standards of marksmanship. Today the NRA continues this objective as well as organising civilian target shooting and selecting British teams to contest the ICFRA World Championships. The National Shooting Centre at Bisley is a wholly owned subsidiary of the association.
The Wimbledon Cup is a marksmanship trophy that was established in the 1870s.
Fullbore Target Rifle (TR) is a precision rifle shooting sport discipline governed by the International Confederation of Fullbore Rifle Associations (ICFRA). The sport evolved as a distinct British and Commonwealth of Nations discipline from Service rifle (SR) shooting in the late 1960s. Its development was heavily influenced by the British National Rifle Association (NRA). Due to this history, it is usually contested amongst the shooting events at the Commonwealth Games, although not at the Olympics. World Championships are held on a four-year cycle. The annual NRA Imperial Meeting at Bisley in the UK is globally recognised as an historic annual meeting for the discipline.
The National Small-bore Rifle Association (NSRA) is the national governing body for all small-bore rifle and pistol target shooting in the United Kingdom, including airgun and match crossbow shooting.
Arthur George Fulton was a British sport shooter who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics and 1912 Summer Olympics. He was the first person to win the prestigious King's Prize at Bisley three times, a record not matched until 1996 – over twenty years after his death.
James Paton is a sport shooter from Canada.
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Charles Maitland Yorke Trotter was a British sports shooter and photographer who represented Guernsey and Kenya in both fullbore and smallbore disciplines. Trotter's achievements in rifle shooting made him one Guernsey's most decorated sportsmen.
The National Shooting Centre is the UK's largest shooting sports complex, comprising several shooting ranges as well as the large Bisley Camp complex of accommodation, clubhouses and support services. The centre is located near the village of Bisley in Surrey, from which it takes its colloquial name "Bisley ranges". The site is wholly owned by the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NSC is the trading name of the facility.
Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Martyn Parsons was a British Army marksman who played an important role developing and testing small arms and ammunition during the Second World War, and whose performance in post-war rifle competitions established him as one of the finest rifle marksmen in Britain.
Peter Michael Jory is a British sport shooter from the island of Guernsey.
Andrew St George Tucker (1937–2003) was a Scottish-born, sports shooter who represented England and Great Britain shooting smallbore and fullbore target rifle. He won the Queen's Prize at Bisley twice, medalled at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland as well as winning the NSRA Lord Roberts Trophy for smallbore, He also won the Grand Aggregates at both the NRA Imperial Meeting and NSRA National Smallbore Meeting. He is the first and only person to win the "big four" of both British titles and both Grand Aggregates. He ran Andrew Tucker Gunsmiths, manufacturing firearms and target shooting equipment including jackets, rifle slings and gloves.
Andrew James Luckman is a British retired sport shooter.
The National Rifle Association of New Zealand (NRA) is the national governing body for Fullbore rifle shooting in New Zealand.
The Ashburton Shield is an historic trophy for target rifle shooting in the British Isles. It is awarded annually to the winning team of VIII at the Schools' Meeting, held at Bisley by the National Rifle Association. The competition is open to teams of cadets from, predominantly, Combined Cadet Force units based in public and private schools.
The sport of rifle shooting at Cambridge University has been practised since at least the early 19th century. Beginning as part of the military training of the Cambridge University Rifle Volunteers, it has since been conducted by a number of student clubs, and is currently carried out predominantly by the Cambridge University Rifle Association and Cambridge University Small Bore Club, with some participation by the Cambridge University Revolver and Pistol Club for the discipline of gallery rifle.
Marjorie Elaine Foster was a United Kingdom rifle shot and poultry farmer. In 1930 she became the first woman to win the prestigious King's Prize for shooting.
The Imperial Meeting is a major annual target shooting competition hosted by the National Rifle Association on the historic Bisley Camp in England.
Alain Marion was a French Canadian sport shooter. He competed in the discipline of fullbore target rifle (TR), and won three Commonwealth Games medals, including gold in the 1986 fullbore pairs. He set the record score for the Sovereign's Prize twice, and was the second shooter to win it three times.
Christopher John Watson is a British sports shooter. Shooting fullbore target rifle, he has competed for Great Britain in numerous GB Tours and Palma Matches. He has represented Wales at the Commonwealth Games. In 2023 he won the King's Prize at Bisley. He has a brother James Watson who is also capped for Great Britain.
The Queen's prize of 250l., together with the gold medal of the Association, will be shot for by candidates successful in other trials, the ranges being 800, 900 and 1000 yards.
The earliest evidence of the Chairing Ceremony for the sport of long range rifle shooting is recorded in the book titled 'History of the National Rifle Association during its first fifty years 1859 to 1909' by A.P. Humphry and Lieutenant Colonel the Hon T.F. Fremantle, 1914. ... The plate on the original chair reads: 'Presented in 1883 by Sgt GJ Wainwright LRB'. This suggests that the Chairing Ceremony was introduced at the Wimbledon Championship in 1883 and is peculiar to shooting and the King's/Queen's Prize. Since this likely first chairing of the winner, the ceremony has been adopted by many other nations, particularly Commonwealth Countries, where long range rifle shooting is an established and recognised activity.
The Queen's Prize was won by Private Sharman, or the 4th West York Rifles, ... while Mr. Edward Ross, formerly of the Cambridge University Corps, and now of the London Scottish, the champion for the yea 1860, won the SIlver Medal in the first stage for this prize this year...
A crack shot with a rifle, Colour Sgt Davies - a Llanelli man - won scores of medals for shooting, including the Queen's Prize in 1893 and the King's Prize in 1903.
Major G.E. Twine ... repeated his 1954 success in winning the Queen's Prize of £250 and the National Rifle Association Gold Medal, at Bisley on Saturday.
He held the unique distinction of winning the Queen's Prize blue riband event at Bisley twice, using first, in 1963, the immediate postwar .303 calibre adapted Lee Enfield service rifle and ten years later, in 1973, a bespoke rifle in the 'new' 7.62mm calibre.
Andrew Tucker won international honours in small-bore and full-bore rifle shooting in 39 consecutive years from the early 1960s. He won the Queen's Prize at Bisley twice, the Bisley Grand Aggregate, the National Smallbore Rifle Association Lord Roberts Trophy and its Grand Aggregate (twice), and Commonwealth Games gold and silver medals.(subscription required)
Graham Robilliard , an actuary who shoots for Ibis Rifle Club, confounded some of Britain's top internationals at Bisley yesterday with the top score in the second stage of the Queen's Prize.
ANDREW Le Cheminant, from Jersey, won the Queen's Silver Medal at Bisley yesterday with a score of 148 out of 150 for the short-range semi-final round.
ANDY LUCKMAN, of Sedgemoor RC, at 23 one of Britain's most outstanding marksmen, won the Queen's Prize at Bisley only one year after winning the Grand Aggregate, the overall championship.
Queen's Prize: 1. A Marion (Canada) 298.41pts (sic); 2. Sqdn Ldr D Calvert (RAF/Comber) 298.41; 3. A Luckman (Sedgmoor TSC) 297.49.
Shooting: Glyn Barnett's first act after creating history by successfully defending the Queen's Prize at Bisley was to dedicate his win to the memory of Andrew Tucker, one of the finest British riflemen, who died on July 9. 'He was a great friend to all shooters,' Barnett said.
Shard Capital, the brokerage and asset management firm, will be a little light on senior management. Toby Raincock, its chief executive, and James Lewis, its managing partner, are both flying to South Africa to represent the Great Britain rifle team at one of the sport's big events. Who's the better shot? 'James won the highly coveted Queen's Prize at Bisley in 2007, which puts him into an elite club of winners dating back over 150 years,' says Mr Raincock. 'On current form it would be close but perhaps I might just edge him out.'(subscription required)