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Cadet Staff Sergeant Haines Selected to represent the UK.

We are delighted to announce that Cdt SSgt Patrick Haines of B Squadron has been selected to shoot for the United Kingdom Cadet Rifle Team, who will be touring Jersey in 2008.

The County Shooting Officer, SMI Jane Ritchie (pictured above) said "This is a great achievement for SSgt Haines and he should be justifiably proud of his success - as we are of him. We wish him every success in the competition".

Pen Picture

I first joined LNR ACF Shooting Team when I was 13 yrs old following my one star shooting test. I stating shooting with the Cadet GP Rifle and became part of the B team. After a couple of months, I was chosen to represent LNR ACF in the Regional Skill at Arms Meeting and was placed 6th. Following the competition I was selected for the A Team and continued to compete in other regional competitions.

The next big competition was the 2005 Inter-Services Cadet Rifle Meeting (ISCRM), which is held at Bisley, the National Shooting Centre and is shot using the 7.6 target rifle. This is the biggest competition that we enter at County level. In 2005 I was placed 78th; 2006 I was 21st and last year was 16th.

At the ISCRM in 2006 I was placed in the top 16 Army Cadets and was chosen to represent the Army Cadet Force in the Somerset Cup, which is a competition between the top 16 Army, Air and Sea Cadets and was placed 3rd.

The 2007 ISCRM saw myself and another cadet placed joint 1st and a 3 shot tie-shoot, which I won, decided the winner. Winning the Somerset Cup was an accomplishment of which I am very proud.

My biggest highlight since I started shooting came in 2006 when I was chosen to go on and the Canadian exchange programme with 11 other British Army cadets. I travelled to Ontario, Canada, straight after the ISRM and stayed for seven weeks to participate in the Canadian Shooting Course. During this time I was also taught good leadership techniques and how to take drill in French, as well as practicing my shooting but the last three weeks of the visit were my favourite.

Firstly we entered the Ontario Rifle Meeting Association Meeting where I shot well and came 3rd overall in the Long Range Matches and was only beaten to first place by two men who had previously been Long Range champions. Following this we shot in the National Cadet Full Bore Championship.

The final, and most impressive competition I entered was the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association Meeting. This is one of the biggest competitions in the world - on a par with the Imperial Meeting held at Bisley. During the competition I shot alongside some of the World’s greatest shooters, most notably Pat Vamplew, who is in the Shooting Hall of Fame.

At the start of March 2008 I was invited to Bisley for a weekend trial for the UK Cadet Rifle Team. The team is made up of twelve of the top shooters, selected from the Army, Air and Sea Cadet Forces in Britain. During the week I shot some of the best scores and have been selected for the UK Cadet Rifle Team and will be going on tour to Jersey in August as a member of this team. I have also applied for sponsorship to shoot the Imperial Meeting at Bisley this summer and I am waiting to here whether or not I will be going.

I have had a great time shooting and as well as gaining some very high accomplishments I have had a fun time doing it and made a lot of close friends. It is a very sociable sport and is great fun when you really get into it.

Cdt SSgt P Haines
B Squadron

Colonel Davies congratulating
Cdt SSGT Haines