Latest News from the The Schools Challenge
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03 Nov 08 - Schools Challenge dates announced for 2009!
We are pleased to announce the dates for the 2009 Schools Challenge!
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| The Schools Challenge at Oxford | Wed 11th Mar 2009 |
| The Schools Challenge at Bredon School | Sun 3rd May 2009 |
| Bredon Fete and Country Fair | Mon 4th May 2009 |
We do hope you'll be able to join us in 2009 - do get in touch to book your place, or further information. Do book early to avoid disappointment...
23 Oct 08 - Oxford Gun Co. Christmas Special Offer
We have decided that our valued customers deserve a Christmas gift from us this year!
Therefore from 1st November 2008 to the 31st January 2009 for every person who buy's a shotgun we will offer you 10% discount on a day course if it is booked on the day of purchase and FREE gun fitting advice.
Please call for further information or call in and buy a gun!
22 Oct 08 - Christmas Party Special
Treat your staff, friends or family to a Christmas party with a difference, A Multi Activity half day. Choose from Archery, X-Bows, Field Target Shooting, Shooting simulator and Blindfold Driving, designed for groups of 5. The cost is £49 per head +VAT. If you book for 10 people we will give you 2 extra places FREE. For an extra £10 per head add Clay Shooting.
Offer extends Monday to Friday Only. For more info, help or to book your event please call Nicky on (01844) 238308 But beware of imitations… use us and the memories you have of this great event will only be good ones! A 50% deposit is required to secure the booking (which is non-refundable) & the balance is due 1 week prior to the event. Prices & Conditions may be subject to alteration without prior notice.
23 Sep 08 - Young Shots Game Day 15th/16th Dec '08
We have lots of youngsters that have been shooting at our grounds for the past few years. Recently many have expressed an interest in game shooting - so we've decided to put a game shooting day together! But, not just 1 day, but a 2 day package!
The first day will be at our shooting grounds with our professional shooting instructors. They'll teach you the etiquette of game shooting and how to shoot game with the correct shooting style, as well as how a day’s game shooting works. This day will start at 9:30am and finish at approx. 4:30pm with a talk about game shooting at the end.
The second day will be at Waddesdon Manor Estate, Buckinghamshire. This is a charming shoot, set in undulating countryside with beautiful scenery and woodland which, we feel, is a good example of a professionally run game shoot. You will have the opportunity to shoot 3 drives, beat 3 drives and pick up 3 drives giving you the chance to see exactly how a shoot works. We will have 3 drives then a break for sausages and soup, followed by 3 more drives. Then lunch on the shoot and shoot some more drives. We'll finish at approximately 5:00pm.
This package is a special price of £229 (all inclusive.) It's open to boys and girls aged between 12 and 21 - but places are limited, so book your place early by ringing David on 01844 238 308
Visit The Schools Challenge homepage for more details of other events
29 Aug 08 - Cocker Spaniel Pups For sale
Bitches and Dogs available, excellent working line, home bred had lots of socialising, affectionate puppies, lovely colours, used to shooting already, mother and aunt can been seen. Ready now.
Call Dan 07921 951477
Please Quote oxford gun company website when enquiring.
20 Aug 08 - Ladies Day 2008
Wednesday 10th September 2008
9:30am – 4:30pm
Itinery
9:30am Arrive for tea, coffee and breakfast.
10:00am Choose teams of 5 ladies at random for the shoot. Shoot 50 sporting practice.
12:30pm Buffet lunch in “The Old Barn” and a chance to peruse clothing from major suppliers for 2007/2008 shooting fashions.
2:00pm Shooting competition in the same teams as the morning’s practice.
4:00pm Afternoon tea & prize giving in “The Old Barn”.
Scores from the competition are recorded and there are prizes to 5th place.
Cost £60 per person.
Fibre Wads ONLY please. The competition is open to individuals & groups.
Please call for an entry form or book in over the phone... it couldn't be simpler!
19 Jun 08 - Young Guns Summer Holiday Fun Days 2008
Full size poster here...
For The Young Shot - Mon 14th July & Tues 12th Aug.
This day will be aimed at young shots that are at a competent level but want to improve.
This day will start at about 9:30am with a brief introduction in the shop you will then shoot through the morning with a break for refreshments, lunch will be at approximately 1pm with an educational video which will be followed by an afternoon of more challenging Targets. Throughout the course we will work on improving your gun mounting, basic technique and different ways to hit those targets that get away!!! The day will then end at 4:30pm
All welcome open to ages 12 to 21. The day will cost you £110 per person all inclusive.
Country Sports Experience Day - Tues 19th Aug 2008
Why Not Try A Country Sport?
This day is a taster of clay shooting, Archery, air rifle shooting & Gun dog handling.
The day starts at 9:30am with an Introduction into shooting by one of our instructors. You will then experience half a day’s clay shooting (with a refreshment break half way through), lunch will be at approx. 1pm with an educational video which will be followed by an afternoon of archery and air rifle shooting. Finishing at approximately 5pm.
All welcome open to ages 12 to 21. The day will cost you £95 per person all inclusive.
Young Handlers Day - Tues 5th Aug.
This day is aimed at all youngsters who are interested in learning about how important a dog can be on a game shoot. Learning the basics from training to manners, picking up to beating.
Tha day starts at 9:30am with an introduction into gun dogs by your instructor followed by some hands on training, a break, more handling, then we will break for lunch. After lunch you will take part in a competition. All welcome open to ages 12 to 21. The day will cost you £70 per person all inclusive.
29 May 08 - Bredon 2008 Schools Challenge results and newsletter
The results and newsletter from the Bredon 2008 Schools Challenge are now available in the results section.
Bredon Results and Newsletter 2008
20 May 08 - Pigeon Shooters Bargain of the year!
A Classic Game 28" M/C, 3" chambers & steel proofed.
14 1/2" stock with a recoil pad for more comfort shooting on a summers evening. Matt finish barrels to reduce reflections.
This Gun is great value for money at £499.
With each gun you will get a FREE PIGEON HIDE
A pop up cave pigeon hide with a camo carrying back pack all for £499
This offer is very limited so you will have to be quick!
17 May 08 - Baby Booming at Oxford - an article by Don Brunt
Baby Booming at Oxford - an article by Don Brunt
The Oxford Gun Company’s Schools Challenge event continues to go from strength to strength. Now in its third year the event has become so popular that it was oversubscribed with some schools having to be turned away due to a lack of spaces, the 160 entries that did get in though were treated to an excellent competition that had that major event feel to it which can be so difficult to create.
David Florent is nothing if not determined and his tenacious approach to the event showed in the number of sponsors that turned out to both support it and donate prizes that wouldn’t have looked out of place at a shoot far bigger than this.
Nobody would deny the importance of getting youngsters involved in the Sport which guarantees its long term future, however school teams have a special contribution to make as many of those who shoot in such teams come from non shooting backgrounds. Many of the schools themselves have only recently introduced the sport to their curriculum and one can think of few better ways to raise the profile of the sport positively amongst the general public than having it supported by the education system.
The event itself is open to children from prep school age through to 6th formers and both in the individual and team events children were competing from different social and economic backgrounds, giving them a chance to meet and talk to people outside of their normal circles.
Shot over a 60 bird 8 stand course the Sporting layout had something for everyone and was not by any stretch of the imagination an easy round, Nick Hollick shot it and returned a score of 56 only five clear of the highest scoring child on the day. Shooting a double squadded morning and afternoon rotation it was always going to be a challenge to get everyone through on time but things went pretty much according to plan and the last shot on the sporting course was fired at around 5.00pm. With so many schools putting in teams it looked like Millfield, often on top at events like this were going to have to work hard for the win but as the scores were counted it looked as though this time they had been frozen out of the top 3. Bradfield College in fact took the last step of the podium just 5 clays adrift of runners up Wellington College whilst Old Swinford Hospital A team proved that state schools can beat the best of the Independent sector by a convincing margin of 12 targets.
Millfield though took their revenge in the form of their Ladies team who as usual shot very well to take the Ladies Team victory with a score of 163. They also managed to bag the Ladies individual win courtesy of Georgia Boscawen’s score of 43, five birds clear of Ruth Baver of Tudor hall who was in turn one clear of A Williams of Millfield.
In the Senior event it was Ben Bowley of Bradfield whose 49 gave him a winning margin of two from Seaford Colleges Chris Whittingham whilst Oliver wall of Kingsley College was a further clay adrift. Ben may have taken the honours in the Seniors event but Oliver Meekins 51 in the Prep School class must go down as the performance of the day. Keep an eye out for this young man; we may be seeing more of him in the pages of this magazine in the future if he continues to shoot like this.
The Florents are now looking forward to 2009 and scratching their heads as to how they can go one better than this year.
For more info visit:- www.theschoolschallenge.co.uk
17 May 08 - Schools graduate to Oxford - an article by Don Brunt
Schools graduate to Oxford - Don Brunt
Three years ago David Florent of the Oxford Gun Company started a small event called the schools challenge, it was designed to encourage the next generation of youngsters into the sport, to support them and to highlight the benefits of having shooting on the curriculum to schools. Today the Schools Challenge has become one of the leading lights on the school shooting calendar and this years event was in fact oversubscribed, over 160 entries from around the country took part competing as both individuals and teams, with ages ranging from prep school through to 6th form.
Of course it’s just another shoot and they do it solely for profit you might say but you get the feeling that it means more than that to David and the Florent family who put in a tremendous effort to make sure that the event gets bigger and better each year. For example the list of sponsors who donate prizes would look more appropriate for an English Open or other major than an inter schools shoot. In addition David has worked closely with Express to create a low recoil cartridge especially for use by youngsters and this Stealth load kills well enough that it has already straighted the 50 bird sporting at the ground.
The day of the competition itself dawned wet and grey but the high spirits of the arriving competitors were not dampened an iota and by 10.15 the first rotation of squads were out on the 8 stand 60 bird layout, it soon became clear that the next generation of shooters are no slouches when it comes to busting clays with some good scores emerging early on. Millfield School from Somerset have a habit of dominating such events and fielded a large contingent of shooters, however as their sunny afternoon round progressed it became apparent that this time the win would be beyond their grasp. In fact in the team event it was the A team from Old Swinford Hospital in the West midlands who took the win by a convincing 12 target margin from Wellington College while Bradfield College took third place. A consolation though was on the cards for Bradfield in the form of Ben Bowley who took victory in the Individual competition with a creditworthy 49 ex 60. Millfield managed to salvage a little pride thanks to the strong performance of Georgia Boscawen who shot her way to the top of the individual ladies leader board, obviously inspiring her team mates to greater heights as Millfield Girls also secured the ladies team trophy. However a special mention must go to Oliver Meekins whose victory in the Prep school class was courtesy of a fantastic score of 51, the best score of the entire day.
For information on next years event contact David on 01844 238308 or visit www.theschoolschallenge.co.uk
| Score |
10th | Worth School B | 153 |
9th | Seaford College Senior | 154
| 8th | Millfield School Girls | 163 |
7th | Lord Williams School | 179 |
6th | Worth School A | 180 |
5th | Millfield School Boys B | 191 |
4th | Millfield School Boys A | 192 |
3rd | Bradfield College A | 193 |
2nd | Wellington College A | 198 |
1st | Old Swinford Hospital A | 210 |
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Individuals Results | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Oliver Wall, Kingsley 6th Form College | 46 |
| 2nd | Chris Whitingham, Seaford College | 47 |
| 1st | Ben Bowley, Bradfield | 49 |
| Senior Ladies Results | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | Andy Williams, Millfield School | 37 |
| 2nd | Ruth Baver, Tudor Hall | 38 |
| 1st | Georgia Boscawen, Millfield School | 43 |
04 May 08 - Stealth Cartridges Launched
At The Oxford Gun Company we’ve been teaching youngsters to shoot for many years.
One of our main concerns over the years is what we consider to be the over development of cartridges. The trend to develop increasingly fast cartridges has had two sides affect - more recoil and increased noise. We feel that both of these aren’t good for youngsters. With this in mind we’ve worked with Roger Hurley from Express to produce a cartridge with light recoil, which still kills well.
These cartridges are ideal to help minimise the effect of shooting on growing youngsters.
We’re proud to be using these cartridges at this year’s Schools Challenge.
30 Apr 08 - The Schools Challenge 2008 - Results and photos
We'd like to thank all the schools and individuals for attending this year.
We had over 160 entries from private and state schools all over the country.
The winners and full results are published on the
2008 Results Page
The photos can be found in the Pics-4-U Photo Gallery
