The Scottish Southern Counties annual Field Day was held on Saturday 7th July on the range at Thirlestane Castle, Lauder.

On a fabulous day for sunbathing, shooting conditions were very tricky – with frequent, sudden changes of wind direction and a strong mirage to contend with.

The winner of the Liddell-Grainger Trophy, the Borders Champion, was Jim Godsell from Dunfermline Rifle Club, who managed to read the wind conditions and coped better with the changes than his competitors. He was presented with the trophy by the Rt.Hon. Gerald Maitland-Carew of Thirlestane Castle.

Winners in the Open Shoot, from which the leading 10 scores qualified for the final championship shoot, were:-

Class A: Jim Godsell

Class B: Rhona Dove

Class C: Neasa O’Connell

Junior: Neasa O’Connell

Team Handicap: George Watson’s College (Rhona Dove, Isabel Stark, Neasa O’Connell)

Sharpshooter (a separate disc shoot for teams of two at 50 metres): “Non-Centenarians” i.e. Isabel Stark and Neasa O’Connell

In addition to winning Class C and the Junior Trophy, Neasa was the leading lady shooter, and also secured second place in the Championship Final!

Whilst entry numbers were low compared to last year, those who attended enjoyed a relaxed – if challenging – days shooting. Some of those taking part had been unable to attend the NSRA Scottish Meeting, so they were pleased to have taken this opportunity to shoot on the same range and experience the conditions which had been prevalent throughout the previous week.

Many thanks to those who assisted with the preparation and running of the range, you all helped to make the day more enjoyable for everyone!

Robin Thomson

Chairman, Scottish Southern Counties Association