Page 23 - Chiron Calling Autumn 2019

On Wednesday 27th February, I tried clay pigeon shooting for the first time at Bisley. There were 7 RAVC personnel there, however I was the only one who had never done clay pigeon shooting before.
At first, I found it quite hard to hit the targets, but it was all a learning curve. Knowing how to follow the disks and when was the best time to pull the trigger to fire at the clay disk were the key learning points. We did 10 different shoots that gave us clay disks at different angles, speeds, distance and heights. This allowed us to see what shoots we were better at and which ones we could work on.
The staff that ran the clay pigeon range were really friendly and welcoming and the range was very busy with keen clay pigeon shooters. The weather was perfect for a day of
shooting.
For me the toughest part of clay
pigeon shooting was following the disk and knowing where I had to be in order to hit the target. It is different to what I have done before because you have to hit the disks before they dip to come down. Timing is the key to clay pigeon shooting. With practise I think I would get better but for the first time I was pleased with how I did even if I wasn’t the highest scorer present.
Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and it was nice to do something a little different on a sports Wednesday.
Overall, it was a really good experience that I would definitely do again and would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in shooting whether it is in a competition or just a hobby.
Clay pigeon shooting
Pte Carless 105 Squadron
Army Polo
By Private Erin Pepper 101 MWD Squadron
Having transferred to 101 MWD Squadron at the beginning of 2019, I have been lucky enough to be the only RAVC personnel to represent the RAVC throughout the 2019 polo season, as part of AMS Polo Team. The opportunity to compete alongside, and against, some incredible players has allowed me to develop massively as a player, as well as gain invaluable insight into Army sport and more specifically the Army Polo Association.
The Army polo season begins in April each year starting with the Royal Horse Artillery Cup, hosted at Tidworth Polo Club, and culminates with the Adjutant General Corps Cup at the end of August. The 2019 polo season has not only seen great success across the Army with a record number of registered players; the Army Medical Services Polo team has seen a particularly fruitful year with the team placing within the top three of their division in all tournaments, with a first-place win at the final tournament of the season, the AGC cup.
Whilst Polo remains one of the Army’s lesser known sports, the Army Polo Association is putting great emphasis on up and coming talent, and participation by all levels and ranks is actively encouraged. From novice to high goal, there is opportunity for all to get stuck in and try out the sport. With the 2019 season now wrapped up planning is already underway for 2020 which is looking to be even bigger and better than ever. It is fantastic that the squadron has fully supported my endeavours on the polo playing field.
More information about the Army Polo Association can be found on their website.
www.britisharmypolo.org
RAVC Golf Competition 2019
The annual RAVC Golf competition was held at Six Hills Golf Course on Friday the 21st June 19.
The competition attracted a good number of competitors, made up of serving personnel, veterans and guests, although numbers were down on previous years, mainly due to the ill health of a few of the veteran stalwarts and work commitments of some of the serving personnel. The winners on the day were: RAVC Championship (Chiron Cup)
1st Sgt Shaun Cheatham
2nd WO1 Jody Honeywood
3rd Mr George McGregor
4th S/Sgt Andy Shaw
Pairs: 1st SSgt Andy Shaw & WO2 Matt Day
Longest Drive: WO1 (CRSM) “Blacky” Blackmore
Best Guest: WO2 Matt Day
Serving RAVC versus RAVC Veterans
On the third time of trying the team of serving members managed to win the
trophy, beating the veterans by just eight points.
Prior to presenting the prizes, the CO DATR, Lt Col MJ Thompson MBE, thanked the main sponsor Mr George McGregor for his continued support for the competition and congratulated all those that took part, saying that he hoped the competition would continue to grow in numbers and become as popular as it was in bygone years.
The 2020 competition will be on the Friday before the RAVC Association reunion dinner at a location to be decided nearer the time. Watch this space.
CHIRON CALLING 21