CHRIST COLLEGE CADETS SWEEP THE BOARD AT CADSAAM
23 Oct 2013
Over the weekend of 5th and 6th October, the Christ College CCF participated in the 160 Brigade organized Cadet Skill at Arms meeting. This event tested all aspects of marksmanship and pitched CCF teams against Army Cadet Force units from throughout Wales.
The competition started on Saturday in very unusual Sennybridge weather conditions, warm, dry and very little wind, ideal shooting conditions. The first day comprised of three separate team shoots at a variety of targets, at ranges from 100 meters to 400 meters, one of which started with a 1.5km speed march before the shoot began.
After these shoots finished the top 12 rifle firers from across the day’s shoots were announced and they would fire again to decide the individual champion. Christ College provided three firers in the top 12, Cadet RSM Dominic Hayes, Cadet WO2 Benj Kriehn and Cadet Cpl Ben Wigmore, an excellent effort. Whilst this was taking place, the machine gunners from each team took part in their Gun team shoot, with Cadet WO2 Connor Norris and Cadet Sgt Ed Harries representing the Christ College teams.
Scores from Day 1 would be kept secret until the prize giving the following day, so although pleased with efforts on Day 1, there were two nervous and tired teams that made their way back to school.
Day 2 started in similar weather conditions as the previous day, and spirits were high after a good first day plus the fact that the 1st XV Rugby team had won their fixture without some key team members that were in the shooting teams.
The second day involved teams competing in the falling plate match. This is the Blue Ribbon event and comprises of an FA cup-style knockout competition with pairs of teams running 100 meters and then attempting to knock down 10 small metal plates in the fastest time, with the winner moving into the next round. There is a great deal of tactics involved as ammunition is restricted to 10 rounds per firer, and there are 6 firers per team, but 10 plates to be knocked down.
Both Christ College teams made it through the 1st round, but unfortunately the A team were eliminated after a run-off in the next round. The B team got through the next couple of rounds safely and, in their semi final achieved the fastest time of the competition, an outstanding 38 seconds which would take them into the final. The final was a tense affair and required a second run after an error was made by the judges, however the Christ College team lost by the narrowest margin to team from Gwent and Powys ACF.
At the prize giving, Christ College were the recipients of every trophy that they could have won in the CCF teams competition, and Cdt Cpl Ben Wigmore received the trophy from Brigadier Phillip Napier for the top CCF shot in Wales.