The Old Elizabethan Association

Picture shows the OE Rifle Club team which won the Lucas Veterans Challenge Cup in 1983. Back row, l to r - Charles Trotter, Mike Martel, Bruce Parker, Keith Cunningham. Seated - Danny Yeadon, Alan le Page

12 July 2009

The Old Elizabethan Rifle Club is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this week, with three OE teams taking part in the annual Veterans match at Bisley in Surrey.

The club was formed in 1959 largely though the efforts of Major Keith Cunningham, a distinguished Great Britain shot, who was at Elizabeth College in the early 1930s.

Several of the OE founding members, including Alan Le Page, Mike Martel and Bruce Parker will be among those taking part on Thursday.

Over the past half-century, OEs have won most of the major rifle-shooting trophies at Bisley. Charles Trotter won the Queen’s Prize in 1975 – Geoff Martel, Mike Martel and Frank Le Maitre have all won the St George’s. In 1963, Bruce Parker took The Century.

Latterly, Nick Mace’s name has gone on no fewer than six trophies,and the brothers Adam and Peter Jory have taken four trophies between them.

The two young Guernsey full-bore champions, Nick Branch and Rob Waters, are also OERC members and will add to what’s already a formidable line-up in Thursday’s Veterans competitions.