ALTHOUGH the entry included no fewer than five previous champions, it was young Elizabeth College student and 2007 Athelings member Nick Branch who took the honours in the first stage of the 2007 island championships. His scores of 35.04, 35.06 and 35.05 saw him total 105.15 ex 105.21 to take the lead by a point from Ian Donaldson, Phil Ogier and fellow Atheling, Rob Waters. A narrow margin of four points separated all the A class shooters.

Since acquiring a new Barnard rifle, Branch has been threatening to mount a challenge on the acknowledged marksmen and this shoot demonstrated his ability to the full.

The Athelings tour to Canada will give Branch and Waters the opportunity to compete on an international stage and their presence will bolster the joint Channel Islands team in the Palma World Championships to be held in Ottawa at the end of August.

The fight for the B class championship was equally well contested with just two points separating the top three marksmen.

Jeremy Witham top-scored with a good 101.15, remarkable for the fact that at 300 yards he scored a 33.6 – a stray ‘magpie three’ joining six perfect V bulls.

He leads by four V bulls from Cherry Le Poidevin, with her husband, Paul, a further point behind on 100.09.

Because of the trip to Canada, many events have had to be shoehorned into the available dates and the weekend sees the second round staged on Saturday morning followed by the third after lunch.

It would be a brave man who would predict the result in either category.