RICHARD BENEST made the most of perfect conditions to produce a record-breaking performance in winning 11 trophies at the Guernsey Rifle Club Summer Prize Meeting. Although a change of date necessitated by the Channel Islands’ tour to the World Champion-ships in Canada resulted in fewer entries than normal from the UK and Jersey, the standard was exceptional in the sun and light breeze.

The first competition was a ‘Queen’s I’ comprising two sighters and seven scoring shots at 300, 500 and 600 yards.

Jerseyman Benest was the winner of the Ex-Servicemen’s trophy with a maximum 105.19, missing the V-bull with only two shots, but he was closely followed by brothers Nick and Phil Ogier on 105.16 and 104.14 respectively.

On day two, competitors in the Coca-Cola had to shoot two sighters and 10 shots to count at the 300-yard range and again it was Benest who took the honours with a 50.7, just shading out by a single V-bull fellow JRA member and 2006 prize meeting victor Graham Harris and the sole Englishman, Nigel Cole-Hawkins.

Moving back to the 500-yard range, it was to be an all-Guernsey affair – the only one of the day – as Sylvia Sirett followed her 50.4 in the Coca Cola with a magnificent 50.10 to take the Star Trophy. It was her first maximum possible score and the only one during the entire three-day meeting.

She was followed by club captain Peter Jory and Nick Ogier, both on 50.07.

The Bisset Trophy is regarded by many as the blue riband on the local target-rifle scene and it usually results in a closely fought contest.

Named after Captain Don Bisset, who during a 60-year career was arguably the finest shot the CI has ever produced, the event is a Queen’s II comprising two sighters and 10 to count at each of the three ranges with a maximum possible of 150.30.

Cole-Hawkins set the pace at 300 yards with an excellent 50.9 but he was closely followed by Benest on 50.8 and six other marksmen with 50.5 or more.

At 500 yards Benest produced a 50.9 for a 100.17 two-range total to move into a narrow two V-bull lead over Ron Le Prevost and Jory both on 100.15.

No fewer than six shooters were on a maximum score of 100 and the final stage at 600 yards was set for a nail-biting finish.

Benest was not to be denied and remarkably he shot yet another 50.9 to take the trophy with a 150.26.

Cole-Hawkins claimed the runner-up position on 150.20 and Ian Donaldson completed a hat-trick of 50.6s (150.18) for third.

The wind may have been light but the almost imperceptible changes caught out many shooters and it was only the experts who were able to remain within the bullseye.

At that point Benest led the chase for the overall meeting total, the Grand Aggregate. He had shot a maximum 355 and was two points clear of Cole-Hawkins and three ahead of Harris.

Opening the final day of competition, the O’Toole Trophy is shot at 300 and 600 yards with two sighters and 10 to count at each range and although there were four ‘possibles’ at 300 yards, it was Benest who led the way with a 50.8.

The question now on everyone’s lips was could he ‘clean’ the whole meeting?

Yet another 50.8 followed at 600 yards and the popular Jerseyman took the trophy with 100.16 ahead of Jory on 99.14. The honour of the highest range score in the O’Toole went to regular visitor Martyn Furzer, a Jerseyman now retired to France, who shot a 50.9 at 600 yards.

Astonishingly, at the 600-yard range Sirett had appeared likely to repeat her maximum score of the previous day until she dropped her eighth shot to finish with a 49.9.

The final afternoon of the weekend sees the 15 round shoots for the Castella at 500 and the Le Maitre at 600 yards.

The heat and gentle winds meant an uncomfortable few hours for the competitors and it was at the shorter distance that Benest finally dropped a shot allowing Jory and Cole-Hawkins to top the pile with 75.13 each.

The first and only tie shoot of the meeting resulted in the visiting Englishman scoring a maximum 25.5 for his five shots just shading out Jory on 25.3.

The party arrived at the elevated 600-yard firing point for the final shoot of the weekend with Benest seemingly invincible on 529 ex 530, a whole five points clear of Jory with Cole-Hawkins a further point adrift.

So far the meeting had been uncontroversial but well into his final 15 rounds Cole-Hawkins suffered from the marksman’s worst nightmare – a shot that failed to score.

Despite several attempts to find the shot hole in the target, it was finally accepted by the very philosophical shooter that his bullet had not had, in his words, ‘enough powder in the pot’ and had failed to reach.

It is unfortunate that out of the many millions of rounds produced each year there are some rogue bullets that do not perform as predicted.

Despite the setback Cole Hawkins recovered well and finished with 70.10, the best he could hope for having dropped five points with his missing shot.

Benest was the last to shoot and he calmly set about the task, slotting in one V-bull after another to finish with a 75.13 to claim the Le Maitre Trophy and take the Grand Aggregate with an incredible 604.96 ex 605.121.

The previous record was held by fellow Jerseyman David Le Quesne but this new mark is likely to stand for many years.

Jory claimed second with 598.85 just ahead of Nick Ogier, enjoying his most successful Prize Meeting ever, on 598.73.

At the prizegiving, Guernsey Rifle Club president Peter Sirett presented no fewer than 11 trophies to Benest as his five winning trophy scores placed him in an invincible position to take most of the range aggregate trophies, an incredible exhibition of marksmanship that would stand him well in an international competition anywhere.

Sirett praised the efforts of the young Elizabeth College shooters who had completed the meeting: they were all showing significant improvements thanks to the concentrated opportunities provided by the Imperial meeting at Bisley so closely followed by the two Channel Islands events.

Brett Benest, no relation to the Jersey marksman, looks set to follow in the footsteps of brother Scott as he claimed two B-class wins for the Noyon and Sirett trophies.

Mike Creber was using the meeting as an opportunity to try out a Steyr rifle that has become available and the much improved student took the Perkins Salver for a 72.04 class B victory at 500 yards, it is hoped the first of many such wins.

Some of the Guernsey team now join their Jersey counterparts and head off to Ottawa for the Canadian Championships followed by the Palma World Championships.

With sponsorship from local advocates Ozannes, the current European champions are looking forward to the challenges ahead and while a Palma win is unlikely, the CI are certainly capable of punching above their weight.