User:Keith Graham Mower/Twickenham Rifle & Pistol Club

Twickenham Rifle and Pistol Club is based in West London and limits its activities to paper targets apporved by the National Smallbore Rifle Association and International Shooting Sport Federation.

History
The Club was started in Twickenham around 1900. The official opening of the range was on 17th October 1903. The Club celebrated the 100th anniversary of the range opening in 2003.

The Club has a proud history. It is one of the most successful target shooting clubs in the country, winning national league and knockout cup competitions. In addition to numerous successes in minor divisions of National and County leagues, the Club has achieved many notable successes during its history including the following:


 * eight times National Division One Champions;


 * seven times National Knockout Cup Champions;


 * set and equalled National Record scores;


 * winners at the National Championships, most recently in 2002;


 * winners numerous county competitions.

Club members have achieved many individual successes and received honours during the Club's history, including:


 * six British Champions, the most recent in 2003;


 * double Queen's Prize winner;


 * European Junior Champion;


 * world record holder.

The Club is the most successful target shooting club in its Borough.

Activities
TR&PC is a target-sports club, specialising in small-bore rifle, air rifle and air pistol target shooting. It is a | Home Office approved target shooting club, affiliated to the | National Small-bore Rifle Association, the | National Rifle Association (UK), the Middlesex Small-bore Rifle Association and the Surrey County Small Bore Rifle Association.

Members shoot on club ranges in inter-club, inter-county and national, team and individual competitions, as well as just practicing their sport.

Membership is open to all ages and abilities, from national champions to complete beginners. Target shooting is distinctive in that men and women compete on equal standing. Junior and Retired members are encouraged through reduced subscriptions 25% and 50% respectively.

The Club also runs annual open-days in partnership with the Friends of the River Crane Environment (FORCE) when more than two hundred local residents visit the Club and with more than half of them having a go at air-rifle shooting.

Small-bore rifle, air rifle and air pistol shooting, as practiced at the Club are | Olympic sports and | will be part of the | 2012 London Olympics. “Shooting was one of the sports on the programme of the first modern Olympic Games in Athens 1896. … Shooting had more athletes than any other sport at the Athens 1896 Olympic Games. … The worldwide development of the sport has seen it grow from three events at those Games to 17 today. Women first took part in Shooting at Mexico City 1968. They used to compete alongside men, but separate men’s and women’s events have been held since 1996. … Between 1896 and 2004, British athletes won 88 Olympic medals in Shooting.”

References and External Links

 * 1) | National Small-bore Rifle Association
 * 2) | National Rifle Association (UK)
 * 3) | The Middlesex Small-bore Rifle Association
 * 4) | The Surrey County Small Bore Rifle Association
 * 5) | Friends of the River Crane Environment (FORCE)
 * 6) Wikipedia article | "Shooting at the Summer Olympics"
 * 7) Wikipedia article | "Shooting at the 1896 Summer Olympics"
 * 8) Wikipedia article | "Shooting at the Summer Olympics"
 * 9) | An Illustrated History of Olympic Shooting
 * 10) Wikipedia article | "List of Olympic medalists in shooting"
 * 11) | London 2012 official site (Reference is fact 4 of 6 in the "Did you know?" section)