b'THE ELLESMERIAN The Schools Meeting was held for the first time in 3 years this Summer and a strong but inexperienced squad travelled from Ellesmere to Bisley in July. There was some excellent shooting, with eight of the 14 strong squad finishing well up in the prize lists during the individual173competitions. The Ashburton Match itself was a challenging experience and, while not finishing in the top 10, much experience was gained and we will return much stronger in 2023. The Cadet Pair, Myles Webster and Charlotte Goss, performed extremely well in their first national competition at Bisley.James Caldwell and Will Williamson have been shooting very well in cadets and were selected earlier this year for the GB Cadet Rifle Team. This is a fantastic achievement, and they are the very first Ellesmerians to be selected for the team. The team, known as the Athelings, first competed in 1910 against various national cadet teams from Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Subsequently, a regular exchange has taken place with Canada. Sadly, this year due to pandemic restrictions the team could not tour to Canada but instead toured the UK, competing against National Teams. In the event, Will was unable to travel but James excelled on tour, scoring a memorable 75 ex 75 at 900 yards and the team beat Wales at Bisley at the end of the tour.Anna and Francines success this year did not go unnoticed, and they were both selected to shoot for England in their respective disciplines at the CSF ED championships in Cardiff. This is a senior event that runs as a precursor to the Commonwealth Games and attracts competitors from all over Europe. Both Anna and Francine shot very well to finishShooting is thriving at Ellesmere, and we look forward to a full program with podium places. Of note, Old Ellesmerian Alan Bain was alsoin 2023. selected for England and one of our coaches, Mark Parry, was selected for Wales in the prone mens event. Both qualified for the final and ranTRneck and neck right to the end, with Mark just shading out Alan on the very last shot of the final by a fraction of a point!'