The forum of the 2022 Annual Shooting Dinner that took place on Sunday 4 December is a great platform to use to talk about not only the success of shooting at Bradfield but also how that success was achieved. The article below covers the details of the dinner as well as highlights the success of the partnership between the College and Alumni shooting community. A strong contender as role model for other clubs.

The Dinner itself was a celebration of many levels. Firstly, three OBs, Elliott Sewell, Christina Cuming and Annabel Morris were recognised as becoming accomplished GB shots. Then the dinner recognised 60 years of Athelings at Bradfield College. For those not in shooting circles an Atheling, aside form being an Anglo-Saxon term to describe someone of noble birth who was eligible for kingship, was used from 1926 to describe someone who had secured a place in the British Cadet Rifle Team. Since 1962 Bradfield has produced 42 athelings, including 3 Commandants and 1 Adjutant, an outstanding achievement. In addition to recognising this, Nigel Suffield-Jones, President of the Athelings, was also given the opportunity to present the 2020 athelings with their iconic hats, righting the wrong dealt by the pandemic that had prevented the team from representing their country as they would have wished. The undoubted highlight of the year however was winning the Ashburton Shield at the schools meeting for the first time since 1985.

A very poignant presentation was also made during the event, the presentation of the Simon Dixon Memorial Tankard, made to the college by the Dixon family and awarded to the highest scoring cadet on Ashburton day. Simon was instrumental in ensuring the current health of shooting at Bradfield, not least through the hiring of Steve Bates as the shooting coach. Steve praised Simon as his mentor and it was a heartfelt moment with Simon’s widow Chris, and his two grown-up children in attendance.

As Simon was undoubtedly a key figure in the developing shooting at Bradfield, he was by no means alone in the support that he offered as an Old Bradfieldian. Indeed, the role of the Alumni in ensuring the success of the current shooting team is a significant one and the strength of bond between the College and the Alumni is very strong. It was identified by the Headmaster as perhaps the only example of a sport where College and Alumni could unite and be successful as a combined team as happened at Bisley this year.

The connection between College and Alumni really exemplifies the call to ‘be involved’, and the desire of individuals who have benefited from an experience at College to want to reciprocate and give back to the community, to perpetuate the experience for others. It is a true benefit, right up to the point that those top College shots become the Alumni. At this point the competition between the teams is fierce and in the recent Tremlett Trophy on Winter Bradfield Day the College lost to the Alumni for the second year running. So, almost the perfect virtuous circle then…

If you are interested in joining the award-winning Old Bradfieldian shooting team do make contact with the Club Secretary, Richard Vary via email Richard.Vary@twobirds.com