The Old Bradfieldian Shooting Club came together once again at the Imperial Meeting this July at the National Rifle Association’s historic Bisley Camp in Surrey. Dating back to 1860, the Imperial Meeting is the UK’s oldest and largest annual target rifle competition, attracting hundreds of competitors from across the United Kingdom and around the world to compete over two weeks of individual and team events. It remains one of the highlights of the fullbore rifle calendar and provides an opportunity for shooters of all ages and experience to compete at the highest level.

The Meeting began with the Veterans Match, an annual team competition bringing together “old boys” from schools across the country. This year, 14 Old Bradfieldians represented the Society, making it another fantastic opportunity for former pupils to reunite, compete together and celebrate the strong shooting tradition that continues at Bradfield College.

Following the match, the Society held its annual dinner, with current Bradfield cadets joining the Old Bradfieldians for the evening. It was an excellent opportunity to catch up with friends, share stories from past and present, and welcome the next generation of Bradfield shooters into the wider Old Bradfieldian shooting community.

The Imperial Meeting proved to be another successful year for the Society, with excellent individual performances and strong team results throughout the fortnight. In the Veterans Match, the Old Bradfieldian A Team finished 7th overall and 3rd in the Lucas Trophy, awarded on the combined scores of the veterans and the Bradfield cadets competing earlier in the day. The B Team also secured an impressive 3rd place in its competition, while the combined A, B and C Teams finished 4th in the Schools Veterans Aggregate.

In the Veterans Individual Tankard, Elliot Sewell (C 12-17) was the highest-placed Old Bradfieldian, finishing 6th overall, followed by Christina Cuming (M 11-15) in 11th and Keisha Farley (I 18-23) in 25th. These results reflect the depth and strength of the Old Bradfieldian shooting community, with competitors from different generations continuing to perform at a high level.

The Meeting also highlighted the continued success of Old Bradfieldians on the national and international stage. Three OBs – Christina Cuming, Rory Mace (G 18-23) and Keisha Farley – are currently members of the Great Britain Palma Squad, training towards the 2028 World Long Range Championships. Christina, Rory and Keisha have also been selected to represent Great Britain in Australia this October, Christina with the senior team and Rory and Keisha with the Under-25 Team.

Matt Keel, Rory and Christina also represented the England Under-25 Team in the annual Home Nations match, where England secured victory over the other Under-25 teams.

There have also been notable representative honours away from Bisley this year. Elliot Sewell represented the National Rifle Association on its annual tour to the Channel Islands, while Matt represented England during a tour to the West Indies.

Old Bradfieldians also featured prominently in several of the Imperial Meeting’s major individual championships. In the Grand Aggregate, one of the Meeting’s most prestigious overall titles, Christina Cuming finished 31st, Nick Tremlett (A 72-76) 48th and Rory Mace 96th. Rory went on to finish 5th in His Majesty The King’s Prize, with Christina placing 23rd. In the St. George’s Prize, Christina finished 8th, Matt Keel (E 17-22) 36th, Elliot Sewell 56th and Nick 89th.

Individual Highlights;

Rory Mace (G 18-23)

The highlight of Rory’s Imperial was an outstanding performance in His Majesty The King’s Prize, the premier individual target rifle competition in the United Kingdom and one of the most prestigious rifle competitions in the world.

Approximately 800 competitors begin the King’s each year, progressing through several qualifying stages before only the top 100 shooters earn a coveted place in the King’s Final. The Final consists of fifteen shots at 900 yards followed by fifteen shots at 1,000 yards, with every shot counting towards the final result.

Having qualified in 99th place, Rory produced an exceptional Final to climb through the field and finish 5th overall, also becoming the highest-placed Under-25 competitor. It was a remarkable achievement and reflects the dedication, hard work, and determination that Rory has shown throughout his shooting career.

Christina Cuming (M 11-15)

Christina enjoyed a successful Imperial Meeting, representing both England and Great Britain in two of the Meeting’s major international team matches.

One of the highlights was her first appearance in the Kolapore Match, for which just eight shooters are selected to represent Great Britain each year. The GB team went on to secure a closely fought victory over Australia, making it a particularly memorable occasion. Christina also represented England in the Mackinnon Match for the second consecutive year, with England also taking the win.

Alongside the team matches, Christina recorded several strong individual performances. She finished 3rd in the Short-Range Aggregate, awarded on the combined scores of all 300-yard shoots during the Grand Aggregate, and recorded the highest score on the 1,000-yard range during the King’s Final in challenging wind conditions.

Roanna Weinberger (M 21-26)

Outgoing Captain of the College Rifle Team, Roanna enjoyed an excellent Imperial Meeting, with one of the highlights being her selection to represent England in the UK Armed Forces Match alongside sister and fellow Old Bradfieldian Amelie. She also recorded an impressive score of 50.1 at 600 yards.

The Youth Imperial was another highlight of Roanna’s Meeting, where she enjoyed the supportive atmosphere and strong sense of camaraderie throughout the week. Her performances included winning the Tuesday Aggregate and finishing as Bradfield’s top scorer on Ashburton Day. She also played an important coaching role, helping Barnaby to victory in the Youth Grand Aggregate, making it a particularly rewarding week both behind a rifle and in the coaching chair.

Amelie Weinberger (M 20-25)

Having left Bradfield just a year ago, Amelie continued to build on her early success with another impressive Imperial Meeting. She finished runner-up in the Conan Doyle with an excellent score of 50.8 and was selected as reserve for the highly competitive England National Match Team.

She was also selected to represent England in the UK Armed Forces Match, where she competed alongside sister and fellow Old Bradfieldian Roanna, rounding off a memorable Meeting with both representative honours and strong individual performances.

Elliot Sewell (C 12-17)

Elliot Sewell had a successful trip to the Channel Islands with the NRA team, where he competed in the Spring Prize Meetings in both Jersey and Guernsey. Elliot finished 5th in the Jersey Grand Aggregate and 3rd in the Guernsey Grand Aggregate, just behind our own Lucy Mace, who produced an excellent performance to finish 2nd in the Guernsey Grand Aggregate.

Richard Vary (E 86-91)

Richard enjoyed an excellent Imperial, finishing 4th in the Lovell with a score of 50.4. However, perhaps the most memorable moments of his Meeting came away from the prize lists, as both of his children managed to beat him at various stages during the fortnight—particularly his daughter, who was experiencing fullbore rifle shooting for the very first time.

The 2026 Imperial Meeting once again demonstrated the strength of the Old Bradfieldian Shooting Club. From veterans returning to Bisley year after year, to current pupils joining the celebrations and Old Bradfieldians representing Great Britain and England on the international stage, the Society continues to thrive. The enduring friendships, shared traditions and continued success of its members ensure that the future of Bradfield shooting remains as bright as ever.

The Old Bradfieldian Shooting Club would also like to thank the Bradfield Society for its continued support, and in particular for sponsoring our entry into the Veterans Match. Their generosity enables former pupils to continue competing together, strengthens the connection between current and former Bradfield shooters, and helps preserve the proud shooting heritage of the College for future generations.

Christina Cumming (M 15-20)

If you are interested in target rifle shooting and would be interested in joining the OB Shooting Club do reach out to the Club Secretary Richard Vary (E 86-91) on his email Richard.Vary@twobirds.com