Ashburton Shield Explained
The Ashburton Shield is an historic trophy for target rifle shooting in the British Isles. It is awarded annually to the winning team of VIII at the Schools' Meeting (previously the Public Schools' Meeting), held at Bisley by the National Rifle Association. The competition is open to teams of cadets from, predominantly, Combined Cadet Force units based in public and private schools.[1] [2]
History
The Ashburton Shield was presented by Lord Ashburton in 1861 for competition between the Junior Officers' Training Corps that were run within public schools.[3] This remained the case until the 1948 merger of school cadet units into the Combined Cadet Force.[4] The shield was first contested at the National Rifle Association's second Imperial Meeting.[5] It was mentioned by Edward Walford in 1878 when he wrote of the Meeting, then at Wimbledon:
The runner-up team is awarded the Montague-Jones Challenge Trophy, which was first presented in 1947 by the OTC Officers Club in memory of Major Montague-Jones OBE TD, and eight NRA bronze medals. The third place team are awarded eight NRA bronze medals.[6] The Allhallows Salver, presented in 1987 by Allhallows College, is awarded to the coach of the winning school.
The Public Schools' Meeting is considered the pinnacle of inter-school shooting in the UK, and British Pathé featured the event in multiple newsreels.[7] [8] [9] It has been held annually, with the exception of 1915–18 and 1940–45 due to the outbreak of war, and 2020–21 when the meeting was placed in abeyance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Epsom College hold the record for the most wins, at 15.[10]
Notable winners include 2018 ISSF World Champion Seonaid McIntosh, who was a member of the 2013 winning team from Dollar Academy.[11] McIntosh individually won the Schools Hundred competition.[12]
Results by year
Scores in bold indicate a record for that competition format.
Performances
Schools in bold competed for the Ashburton Shield at the 2024 Schools' Meeting.[20]
| Wins | School | Years |
|---|
| 16 | Epsom College | 1973, 1990–94, 1998–99, 2002, 2004, 2006–08, 2010–11, 2024 |
| 13 | Charterhouse School | 1882–83, 1889–92, 1895–96, 1898, 1920, 1931, 1948, 1988 |
| 11 | Harrow School | 1862, 1864–67, 1969, 1870, 1875, 1879, 1905, 1908 |
| 9 | Winchester College | 1871–73, 1876, 1904, 1919, 1930, 1937, 1955 |
| 8 | Eton College | 1863, 1868, 1878, 1880, 1887, 1901, 1923, 1947 |
| Uppingham School | 1957, 1969, 1976, 1978, 1981–82, 1995, 2001 |
| 7 | Rugby School | 1861, 1894, 1907, 1909, 1912, 1924, 1979 |
| Allhallows College | 1951, 1954, 1960, 1963–65, 1977 |
| 6 | Clifton College | 1884–85, 1888, 1926, 1928, 1974 |
| 5 | Sedbergh School | 1914, 1921, 1996–97, 2018 |
| 4 | Glenalmond College | 1929, 1933, 1949, 1952 |
| Oakham School | 1966, 1972, 1975, 1987 |
| Bradfield College | 1970, 1980, 1985, 2022 |
| Wellington College | 2012, 2014, 2016–17 |
| 3 | Cheltenham College | 1877, 1881, 1902 |
| Bradford School | 1893, 1897, 1910 |
| King's College School | 1932, 1934, 1938 |
| 2 | Marlborough College | 1874, 1935 |
| Dulwich College | 1886, 1900 |
| Repton School | 1913, 1958 |
| Lancing College | 1922, 1925 |
| Brighton College | 1927, 1936 |
| Blundell's School | 1946, 1956 |
| The Leys School | 1950, 1953 |
| Victoria College | 1961, 2023 |
| Gresham's School | 1968, 2009 |
| RGS Guildford | 1986, 2019 |
| Stamford School | 2000, 2003 |
| Dollar Academy | 2005, 2013 |
| 1 | Rossall School | 1899 |
| Tonbridge School | 1903 |
| Dover College | 1906 |
| Edinburgh Academy | 1911 |
| Cranbrook School | 1939 |
| St Lawrence College | 1959 |
| Ardingly College | 1962 |
| Cranleigh School | 1967 |
| Merchant Taylors' | 1971 |
| Malvern College | 1983 |
| Bedford School | 1984 |
| Elizabeth College | 1989 |
| Ellesmere College | 2015 | |
References
Citations
Notes and References
- Web site: Schools Imperial Meeting . National Rifle Association . 14 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220324024936/https://nra.org.uk/imperial/schools-meeting/ . 24 March 2022 . English . live.
- News: David James . Ashburton Day . 14 October 2022 . The Spectator . 15 July 1949 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221014114019/http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/15th-july-1949/10/ashburton-day . 14 October 2022 . 10 . English.
- News: Col. Langford Lloyd . Where the Best Marksmen of the Empire Meet: Bisley's Coronation Fortnight & The Story of the King's Prize . . 3 July 1937 . 12 . en-gb . When the Ashburton was given in 1861 by Lord Ashburton, only seven schools were eligible..
- Web site: The History of the Combined Cadet Force . https://web.archive.org/web/20141129212629/http://www.1260sqn.co.uk/about-us/the-air-cadet-organisation/the-history-of-the-combined-cadet-force . 29 November 2014 . 1260sqn.co.uk.
- Edward Walford, (2006 reprinted), Greater London. A Narrative of Its History, Its People, and Its Places. Volume 2, page 508, (Adamant Media Corporation)
- Book: NRA Handbook Competitions 2021 . National Rifle Association of the UK . 2021 . 217–218.
- Web site: Schools Day At Bisley . British Pathé . 14 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181127073238/https://www.britishpathe.com/video/schools-day-at-bisley . 27 November 2018 . British English . 16 July 1934 . live.
- Web site: News In A Nutshell 1935 . British Pathé . 14 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221014102045/https://www.britishpathe.com/video/news-in-a-nutshell-57/query/ashburton . 14 October 2022 . British English . 15 July 1935 . live.
- Web site: Ashburton Shield Competition 1938 . British Pathé . 14 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181127062306/https://www.britishpathe.com/video/ashburton-shield-competition . 27 November 2018 . British English . 11 July 1938 . live.
- Web site: Another Ashburton win for target rifle team. Epsom College. The College Target Rifle VIII saw off strong competition at the National Rifle Association's Schools' Meeting at Bisley last week to retain the prestigious Ashburton Shield in the 150th year of the competition. This was the 15th time overall and the 14th time in the past 22 years that Epsom has won the blue riband event of the school target rifle shooting calendar.. 14 July 2011.
- Web site: Ashburton Shield Prizelist 2013 . 21 July 2013 . . 17 October 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130717124516/http://www.nra.org.uk/common/files/results/imperial/2013/704.pdf . 17 July 2013.
- Web site: Schools Hundred Prizelist 2013 . 30 October 2013 . . 17 October 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161017153156/http://www.nra.org.uk/common/files/results/imperial/2013/735.pdf . 17 October 2016.
- Web site: Charterhouse School Win Ashburton Shield Bisley - 1948 Clip. 2023-01-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20230130140854/https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154016701794. 2023-01-30.
- Book: Elizabeth College: A Rifle-Shooting Century . 2022 . OE Rifle Club . UK . 1.
- The A-Z of Oakham School. Ashburton. Guillomot-Bonnefond. Aurore. Woodward. Charlotte. 2022-12-07. 2023-01-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20230130215024/https://issuu.com/oakhamsch/docs/12025_oo_mag_a-z_8pp_digi. 2023-01-30.
- News: John Barry . Shooting: Stamford blow hot . 13 August 2024 . The Telegraph . Telegraph Media Group . 11 July 2003 . http://web.archive.org/web/20160229071049/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/shooting/2407528/Shooting-Stamford-blow-hot.html . 29 February 2016 . en . live.
- News: Tony de Launay . Shooting: Tenth triumph a breeze for Epsom . 13 August 2024 . The Times . 14 July 2006 . https://archive.ph/XhCgt . 13 August 2024 . en . live . subscription.
- News: Epsom College are hottest shots again . 13 August 2024 . Your Local Guardian . Newsquest . 26 July 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220125115439/https://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/sport/other_sport/8293187.epsom-college-are-hottest-shots-again/ . 25 January 2022 . en . live.
- Web site: NRA 155th Imperial Meeting - The Ashburton . 18 July 2024 . 12 August 2024 .
- Web site: 2023 . The NRA 155th Imperial Meeting The Ashburton . National Rifle Association of the UK.
