WBS VRC Bisley 2012 The National Schools Veterans Competition
We haven’t had a really wet Ashburton day at Bisley for several years, but this year we knew we were in for a soaking. Veterans turned up from far and wide, with a selection of waterproofs ranging from WWII capes to 21^st century Gore-tex, prepared for the worst the weather had to throw at them. All that is except for Dave Pote 88-95 F, who arrived in T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops! His theory was simple – with a forecast that bad everyone would be soaked by tea-time, but, with his minimalist approach to clothing, he’d dry out much faster. Maybe so, Dave, but did you get the dye from your hat off your face in time to swap to your BA pilot’s cap and fly to Miami?


Despite having to lay down in water and shout louder than the torrential rain, spirits were high – thanks, perhaps, to a good grounding in coping with extreme weather conditions while remaining cheerful (think Senior Exmoor!). Despite the rain, visibility was good at 500 yards and there was no wind, meaning we could zero sights and shoot straight through without having to constantly adjust to changing conditions.


Due to an oversight by organisers, NRA, we had to shoot the John Squire Cup on the indoor .22 range rather than the 200yd Siberia Range, and both our teams were booked in on one target for the Ashburton, creating serious timing issues. The target apparatus collapsed halfway through the match, there were problems with ‘ammo failure’, and no register-keeping system had been organised to prevent ‘scoring inaccuracies’!


Despite all that, we still had an excellent day. Dave Pote won the John Squire Cup (the WBS VRC’s in-house competition which decides the teams for the Ashburton). Sean Beer won the Sanders Trophy for the highest WBS VRC score in the Ashburton, the National Schools Veterans Cup. Our A-team scored its highest score for 25 years with 225.9/250 and the B-team wasn’t far behind with its score of 214.11/250. We also beat Blundell’s’ A-team by 17 points. The eventual winners were the Old Greshamians, with a total of 250 ex 250, with 33 'V' bulls.


It is noticeable that, while the standards of the leading teams are as high as ever, the number of schools taking part in the national meeting has gradually reduced in recent decades. Alumni from various schools commented how sad it is that so many school pupils are now unable to experience the memorable, character-building experience of Bisley competition.  Membership of the WBS VRC, however, is slowly increasing, while the average age is decreasing, so the club is in a good state. Hopefully, the new SSI at school, Cpt. Mark Woodward, will be able to find a way to bring a school team to Bisley again, despite the clash with CCF camp.
Many thanks to Sean Beer 79-81 B for all his hard work organizing Bisley for the VRC, and to all the WB Veterans for taking time off from busy working lives to take part.


Chris Wilson WBS VRC Captain.


Results of The John Squire Cup
Dave Pote              185 (1^st)                A-team                   47.3/50 
Chris Wilson          180                        A-team                   44.3/50                                  TOTAL SCORE                      
Mike Baggs            172                        A-team                   48.2/50                                      =229.9
Henry Bexley        169                        A-team                   41.1/50
Joe Assheton        166                        A-team                   39.0/50
 
(cont.)
Alistair Assheton  165                         B-team                   41.2/50 
Sean Beer              160                         B-team                   48.6/50 (1^st)                          TOTAL SCORE
Robert Parsons     159                         B-team                   46.1/50                                       =214.11
Nick Bowen           154                         B-team                   44.2/50                 
Lewis Pring            146                         B-team                   35.0/50