2nd January 2026
2025 – A Year of Progress and Tremendous Success for the Bedfordians Rifle Club!
There is much to say about 2025, but top of the list of achievements is the superlative success of Paul Sykes as runner-up in His Majesty The King’s Prize at the Imperial Meeting held at Bisley in July. The competition is, put simply, the Holy Grail of target rifle shooting and Paul joins a very small list of marksmen to have been awarded the NRA Silver Badge for this unique event, the world’s oldest fullbore target rifle shooting competition. Many congratulations, Paul! Separate reports are dedicated to the Imperial Meeting and to Paul’s magnificent achievement.
The year also the saw the continued rise of our ‘second generation’ Bedfordians, the children of OB shooters, including Paul. Nia and Nyree Barnes, Andy’s daughters, made target rifle history in 2025 in being the first sisters ever to be selected for the NRA Team that toured the Channel Islands in May. The team beat Guernsey but were narrowly defeated by a very strong Jersey with a significant home advantage and knowledge of local conditions.
The season was also notable as one of encouraging reconnection between the Club and the School. Following the focus on small-bore shooting (.22”), there are now a number of School visits to Bisley each year thanks to the vision and efforts of Pete Lumley-Wood and other members of staff. Supported by Club members, an increasing number of School shooters are transferring their marksmanship skills to the outdoor, long range, higher-calibre (.308”/7.62mm)) fullbore.
There was more excellent news in 2025 with a major financial boost for the Club, thanks to the Bedford School Foundation. Their grant will allow the Club to purchase two rifles and associated kit for School and OB shooters who are trying out or considering returning to fullbore shooting. We are very grateful for the generous ongoing support of the Foundation.
OBs vs BSRC
The 2025 season kicked off in March with the annual .22” match against the School Club in the School indoor rifle range. It was hotly contested as always but, as has been the case for some years now, the OBs were defeated by the slimmest of margins (1,231-1,230). It was particularly satisfying to see recent leaver OBs turning out to boost the numbers from the ‘old guard’ and enjoy a very sociable lunch at the De Parys Hotel beforehand. Marc Smith and James Hine topped out for the OBs, with 159 and 158 ex 160 respectively.
We are already looking forward to the next .22” match in March 2026, which will be in the newly refurbished and modernized School range. The range should become an amazing asset for the School and significantly increase the appeal of School shooting. We can’t wait to see it!
Q Match
As the season gathered momentum in April, the major club match of the Spring, the ‘Q’ Match at Bisley was skippered by recent England Captain Andy Barnes and resulted in a well-deserved victory against seven other old school clubs over 300 and 600 yards. Our current GB squad member, Paul Sykes, was the top scorer with a 100.14v ex 100.20v. An excellent result for the Bedfordians.
Bedfordians Spring Weekend
The Club Spring Weekend in May followed, with a splendid turnout of six members of the School Club and 12 Bedfordians for a practice in the morning, an introduction to fullbore over lunch and a friendly mixed match at 600 yards in the afternoon. Nick Hudleston ably skippered the winning team (‘No Bulls’) to victory but were chased all the way by Dan Lumley-Wood and his team (‘Here To Win’) resulting in a two-point margin. It was great to welcome back Will Young who celebrated his return to shooting with us by contributing one of the top scores to his team’s win, a commendable 48.2v ex 50.10v.
More individual shooting was to follow with a closely contested Club competition concurrent with the Army Target Shooting Club Target Rifle Open Meeting. Robin Hatcher took top slot in raw score but there was also a handicap competition taking into account target rifle class and Nick topped out with that. Nia Barnes won the Long Range Aggregate outright at both 900 and 1,000 yards with some excellent shooting in blustery conditions which tested everyone’s skills reading the changing wind.
The focus of the first half of the weekend was very much on fostering closer links with the School Club and early on Saturday evening Paul gave an insightful talk at the Artists Rifles Clubhouse on his recent experiences in the GB Rifle Team at the World Championships in South Africa. This was followed by dinner with the School in the Surrey Rifle Association Clubhouse.
Imperial Meeting & Other Events
The Imperial Meeting at Bisley in July was busy as always and dominated by the superlative success of Paul Sykes as runner up in His Majesty the King’s Prize – see separate reports.
Club members also turned out at Bisley in November to support School shooters as they ease into fullbore. Hopefully, the one-to-one coaching and general advice and support from highly experienced former GB and England shooters was of benefit to the School shooters, even if the late autumn weather refused to co-operate!
In addition, a number of Bedfordians have shot at least one day each month on the electronic targets on Century and Stickledown ranges at Bisley to practice, try out new kit, bed in new barrels and enjoy lunch together at one of the many Bisley clubhouses.
Looking Forward in 2026
The scene is set for the Club to grow as we increasingly work with the School to bring School shooters back into target rifle shooting, with the Club Spring Weekend in May 2026 and further weekends for the School at Bisley planned for the spring and autumn.
We hope that recent leaver OBs will wish to translate their obvious acumen at smallbore rifle shooting into fullbore target rifle, especially now that rifles and kit are available via the Club.
OBs who have previously shot in the School Rifle Club or have since taken up target rifle shooting are heartily encouraged to join us, please get in touch through the website contact page.
15th August 2025
National Rifle Association Imperial Meeting 2025
The major calendar event in the national and international rifle shooting world is The Imperial Meeting held at Bisley over 10 days in July, and 2025 was the 156 th time it had taken place since 1860.
Attracting over 1,000 competitors from all of the world, it is always an opportunity for the Bedfordians Rifle Club to shine. Over the generations we have produced some standout performances, including the notable year of 1909 when an OB, PR Radice, won His Majesty the King’s Prize, the most coveted target rifle shooting prize in the world even to this day.
Fortunately, the Bedfordians Rifle Club honours didn’t stop 100 years ago! And 2025 was a very special year for the Club, with Paul Sykes placed 2 nd in HM The King’s Prize – a superlative performance that merits its own separate report.
Overall, the number of Bedfordian competitors was slightly lower than average this year but we put out a full team in the Schools Veterans match at 500 yards. Always a fun and highly sociable event, we were placed 34 th ex 45.
In the Astor competition the following day at 300, 500 and 600 yards, there was a commendable rallying display of marksmanship that saw the club team mid-tabled against some very strong county championship-winning club teams, packed with international-grade shooters.
Nia and Nyree Barnes were both selected for the Wales National team and as reserves for the Wales Mackinnon team, a clear reflection of their outstanding and consistent marksmanship.
Nyree competed in the Inter-Services Competition at both short and long range on behalf of the British Army, as part of the Army Reserves.
In addition to the King’s Prize, Paul also won The Palma Aggregate, the Overseas Team Fund Aggregate, the Ellington Aggregate and the English XX Varley, underscoring his position as one of the leading marksmen of the moment.
Internal club competition was intense as 10 Bedfordians tussled over the Nigel Penn Trophy for the Weekend Aggregate, won easily by Paul Sykes and chased by Rupert Riley and Nia Barnes. The Stickledown Watercolour concurrent with the NRA Grand Aggregate was similarly scooped up by Paul Sykes, with Rupert Riley and Andy Barnes in 2 nd and 3 rd . The top Young Bedfordian in the 1 st stage of the King’s Prize was Ben Ebbetts.
As always, there was much cheer in the evenings, with tales of the day’s shooting told and retold, each time slightly less accurately as the evening progressed. Some things haven’t changed since 1909!
28th July 2025
Congratulations to Paul Sykes – Runner-Up in HM the King’s Prize 2025!
Many congratulations to Paul Sykes who topped off an outstanding season with 2 nd place in His Majesty the King’s Prize at Bisley on 26 th July 2025.
Held now on no less than 156 occasions since it was inaugurated by Queen Victoria in 1860, HM The King’s Prize is widely regarded as the most prestigious prize in the sport globally, so Paul’s achievement is a really big deal.
For those who haven’t attended the Final of the King’s Prize, it’s quite a spectacle. As the world’s oldest fullbore target rifle shooting competition, there is considerable pomp and circumstance after the winner is announced and they are carried shoulder-high on a ceremonial chair from the range into the camp preceded by a military band to celebrate their victory. They also collect prize money of £250, originally a personal gift of the Sovereign and no doubt a tidy sum back in 1860!
The competition is held in three stages, narrowing down from a large field to the top 100 shooters for the final, and is shot at distances of 300 to 1000 yards. Paul scored 150.21 ex 150.30 in the 2 nd stage, so headed back to long range “clean”, having not dropped a shot out of the bullseye, and clearly in contention.
In the 3 rd and final stage Paul put in the top score at 900yds (75.8 ex 75.15) and all eyes were on him in the closing round at 1,000 yards. Much to everyone’s excitement and admiration, he retained his consistency and was winning right up to his very last shot. This final shot, his only ‘inner’ (scoring 4) in the entire competition, finished less than an inch to the left of the bullseye resulting in second place. Such fine margins between euphoria and deep disappointment are commonplace in rifle shooting but Paul came away with the much coveted NRA Silver Badge and was commendably phlegmatic, despite being so very close to the ultimate prize.
Paul, who is a Consultant Surgeon and the son of Bedfordian Andy Sykes, was cheered on by his wife, May, their baby son, Luca, as well as by his Clubmates and his many other Bisley friends.
There was even some speculation among us that there may have been an additional influence on Paul’s superlative individual performances as he successfully shot using the late Nigel Penn’s rifle in his long range competitions. Nigel did so much for our Club over many years and we like to think that he was there for Paul on such a momentous occasion.
Paul was also selected for the England Mackinnon Team match (900/1000 yards) during the Imperial Meeting where they were just beaten by a fine, resurgent Scotland performance. In addition, he won The Palma Aggregate, the Overseas Team Fund Aggregate, the Ellington Aggregate and the English XX Varley, underscoring his position as one of the leading marksmen of the moment.
On a recent historical note, Paul joins another current Bedfordian, Lt Col Rupert Riley, who was runner-up for what was then HM The Queen’s Prize in 2011. Having two runners-up in the world’s most prestigious rifle shooting competition among your current shooters is quite an achievement for any club, and we are proud of them and their achievements.
Incidentally, Paul was married to May and they welcomed their first child all within the previous few months, so he certainly had a year to remember!
13th October 2024
Lt. Col. Rupert Riley (79-89) was recently selected to shoot in the victorious England Rifle team at the European Long Range Championships held at Bisley over the 12th and 13th October. The match is shot over distances of 900 and 1000 yards with 2 shoots at 900x and 3 at 1000x. On a cold October weekend, England had to overturn a 10 point deficit on day 2 to secure 1st place over Scotland, with Wales finishing 3rd, the Channel Islands 4th and Ireland 5th.
Congratulations to England and Rupert for a fine victory. This comes after Rupert's recent tour to Kenya and the Republic of South Africa in 2023 with the England Rifle Team, that was also Captained by OB Andy Barnes (76-83).
7th August 2024
Congratulations to Nia and Nyree Barnes who have both been selected to shoot in the National Rifle Association team to tour the Channel Islands in May 2025. This is a key developmental opportunity for future Great Britain representation and is recognition for their excellent performances in this year’s Imperial Meeting, where they were both selected to shoot in the Welsh National Team.
Nyree was also selected for the Welsh McKinnon (long range) team and her sister, Nia, was a reserve for the match.
We wish this Bedfordians sister act the best of luck in Jersey and Guernsey next year!
For more details go to https://nra.org.uk/2025-nra-team-to-the-channel-islands/
27th July 2024
The Imperial Meeting is over for another year, with good representation from the Bedfordians, as always.
Paul Sykes had an outstanding Meeting, being placed 14th in the Conan Doyle, 15th in the Times and 19th in the Donegall, making it through to the King’s Final and finishing 23rd in the Grand Aggregate with a score of 764.94. Paul was placed 15th in the Palma Aggregate, 18th in the Friday Aggregate, 19th in the Saturday Aggregate, 24th in the Short Range Aggregate and 25th in the Weekend Aggregate. He was also selected for the winning England Mackinnon team.
Nyree Barnes also performed extremely well, with the top score in the Army Inter-Services Short Range Team and the second highest score in the Army Inter-Services Long Range Team (overall tied top score on points for combined short/long range inter-services overall score, being beaten by 1 V-bull by Palma World Championship team member, Major Nick Healy). Nyree was selected to shoot in the Combined Armed Forces team against England on the final Friday. She also finished 26th in the Times and 31st in the Wimbledon with scores of 50.7.
Phil Dawes was placed 14th in the Alexandra with a score of 50.7 and Marty Ebbetts won the Stickledown with 49.8.
Congratulations to all!
19th July 2024
A creditable performance by the Bedfordians representing Bedfordshire in the Astor County Championship shot over 300, 500 and 600 yards, finishing 7th with a score of 617.75.
The Schools Veterans match at 500 yards brings together former pupils from many schools across the country and there is always a bit of a party atmosphere. It was great to have two Bedfordians teams representing the School and both the A and B teams were placed 13th with scores of 242.26 and 229.20 respectively.