Round three of the SSS Rifle Grand Prix series saw Edinburgh University Rifle Club hosting their home event, and EURC were keen to capitalise on their strong start to the season at the Aberdeen and RGU legs of the series. With a strong team available for selection, and with EURC fielding a record number of competitors, hopes were high for the weekend and the Edinburgh shooters did not disappoint.
In the main team of eight event, EURC continued their sparkling season with a comfortable victory. The team (Chris Gray, Tom Diggle, Seonaid McIntosh, James Gutteridge, Brian Atkinson, Harry McCaughey, Bryony Fraser-Burn and Vicky Carter) eased into first place by a margin of 22 points, giving Edinburgh a commanding lead in the overall series and highlighting the remarkable strength in depth of the club this season.
Meanwhile, in the team of four event, Edinburgh continued their remarkable run of success with both the A (Gray, Diggle, Atkinson and McCaughey) and B (Gutteridge, McIntosh, Carter and Fraser-Burn) teams taking podium spots, although they were forced to accept 2nd and 3rd respectively after a great shoot from rivals Glasgow.
The Ladies team of three (McIntosh, Fraser-Burn and Carter) were not to be outdone and equalled their teammates success with a win that all but secures them the Ladies team title for the second year running.
In the pairs events there was yet more success for Edinburgh. In the A pairs, Gray and Fraser-Burn took 3rd place, narrowly losing out to the two pairs that comprised the victorious Glasgow team of four, while in the B pairs, Rhys Olley and Fraser McPhie secured their first podium finish of the season to take a creditable 2nd place.
Edinburgh, however, were not just limited to success in the team events. In the A class individual shoot, McIntosh brought home EURC’s first A class individual win of the season, closely followed by Diggle, Gray and Gutteridge in 3rd, 4th and 6th respectively.
In the B class competition, Tim Perkins continued his impressive debut season with a 3rd place finish against significantly more experienced competition, and Olley put in yet another remarkably consistent performance to take 4th place and a narrow lead in the overall B class individual standings.
Last but not least, novice member Linda Xiong, shooting in only her third ever competition, took 2nd place in the Novice competition, showcasing the emerging shooting talent at EURC.
With the next leg of the Grand Prix series not scheduled until 2017, Edinburgh now look ahead to the British Universities qualifiers.
With the club’s A and B teams ranked 1st and 4th in the country, EURC look well placed to continue what has already been an outstanding season for the reigning Scottish and British champions.
Image courtesy of Edinburgh University Rifle Club