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The sport of rifle shooting at Cambridge University has been practised since at least the early 19th century. Beginning as part of the military training of the Cambridge University Rifle Volunteers, it has since been conducted by a number of student clubs, and is currently carried out predominantly by the Cambridge University Rifle Association and Cambridge University Small Bore Club, with some participation by the Cambridge University Revolver and Pistol Club for the discipline of gallery rifle.

Cambridge shooters compete in a number of Varsity matches against the University of Oxford, which constitute one of the longest-running Oxbridge sporting rivalries. The oldest of these is the Chancellors', currently contested in the discipline of target rifle, which dates to 1862. In 1869, an inter-university long range fixture was set up, which later became the match-rifle Varsity match known as the Humphry. Other Varsity matches include several smallbore fixtures and a gallery rifle match, which replaced the former revolver match in 1997.

Shooting is generally a Half Blue sport at Cambridge, though shooters can be awarded Full Blues for exceptional shooting success. Several Cambridge shooters have become notable in the sport during and after their time at the university, including several winners of the Sovereign's Prize, the most prestigious contest in British target shooting.

Disciplines and clubs[edit]

See also: Fullbore target rifle and Smallbore rifle shooting
Photograph of a large outdoor shooting range.
Long-range target rifle shooting on Stickledown Range, Bisley. The jackets, rifles and positions used here are typical of the discipline.

Target rifle shooting in the United Kingdom is traditionally divided into smallbore and fullbore shooting. Smallbore shooting is conducted at shorter ranges, generally between 25 and 100 yards (23 and 91 m), with .22 calibre rifles. As smallbore ranges are often indoors, the competition season runs throughout the year. Fullbore shooting is carried out with larger-calibre rifles (in the modern era, usually .308 calibre) at ranges in the hundreds of yards. The fullbore season runs from March until October,[1] which corresponds approximately to the Easter term of Cambridge University.[2] The discipline of fullbore shooting includes target rifle, shot at shorter ranges — 300–1000 yards (270–910 m) in the modern era — with open sights and strict rules on the positions and equipment permitted, and match rifle, shot at longer ranges — 1000–1200 yards (910–1100 m) — with fewer restrictions on equipment and positions, which include allowing the use of telescopic sights.

Smallbore shooting at Cambridge is conducted by Cambridge University Small-Bore Club, which predominantly operates in the Michaelmas and Lent terms.[2] Fullbore shooting is conducted by the Cambridge University Rifle Association, which largely trains and competes during the Easter term and the 'long vacation' between July and October.

The discipline of gallery rifle, which historically evolved from pistol shooting, is conducted by Cambridge University Revolver and Pistol Club.

Cambridge fullbore shooting, particularly match rifle, maintains close links with the English Eight Club, which administers the England national match rifle team. In 1954, Cambridge undergraduates (along with those of other shooting universities) were granted honorary membership of the English Eight; since 1960, both Oxford and Cambridge Universities have maintained a gun room in the English Eight's clubhouse at Bisley, and have used it as their base on the camp.[3]

History[edit]

Photograph of a young man wearing a cream jacket with Cambridge blue trim. On the breast pocket, embroidered in Cambridge Blue thread, are a lion and the Roman numerals IV and VIII
A half blue in rifle shooting: above the lion on the breast pocket, the IV denotes that the holder has shot in the Humphry (match rifle), and the VIII below indicates a cap in the Chancellors' (target rifle).

The first formal shooting club at Cambridge University was formed in 1859, shortly before the 1860 raising of the Cambridge University Rifle Volunteers, a militia unit recruited from the student body.[4] According to a Cambridge rumour, Horatio Ross, one of the great rifle shooters of the nineteenth century, whose son Edward was a member of CURV,[5] once fired from the top of the tower of the Cambridge University Press building at a target 2000 yards away, thereby setting the record for the longest range at which shooting had been conducted in Cambridge.[6]

The CURV, initially part of the Cambridge Rifle Club (which included units from the town's non-student population), first shot on a range on Mill Road, but became an independent organisation on 7 February 1861[7] and acquired its own range on Grange Road (immediately north of where Leckhampton House was constructed in the 1880s, and opposite what would become Selwyn College) on 30 October.[8] The new range allowed firing at up to 1100 yards (1000 m).[9] It is unclear precisely when the range fell out of use: it was noted on an Ordnance Survey map surveyed in 1950, by which part of the range had been built upon,[10] but is absent from maps from the 1960s.[11]

Prominent Cambridge shots of the nineteenth century included Edward Ross, the winner of the inaugural Queen's Prize in 1860.[9] In 1871, A.P. Humphry equalled Ross's feat of winning the Queen's, and subsequently won the Grand Aggregate in 1878 – successes which made him one of the most famous rifle shooters of his time.[9] The Cambridge University Long Range Rifle Club was founded in 1864,[12] to conduct the two-day 'Cambridge Cup' match rifle meeting.[13] The Long Range Rifle Club is no longer formally associated with the university, but continues to administer the Cambridge Cup competition, now held at Barton Road, to which members of the club and recent alumni of the Oxford and Cambridge rifle teams are invited.

Cambridge University Revolver and Pistol Club was founded in 1907, and competed in its first Varsity match the following year.[14] In 1909, the Cambridge University Rifle Association broke off from the CURV as an independent club.[6][a] The commanding officer of Cambridge University Officers' Training Corps, the descendant of the CURV, remains ex officio president of CURA.[6]

View of the Cambridge University Rifle Ground (opened 1861) on an Ordnance Survey map from 1888.

In a 1913 survey of sport at Oxford, Cambridge and the English public schools, the cricketer and writer Robert Lyttelton noted the nineteenth-century history of shooting at Cambridge, but judged that the sport had "not made much headway" until the foundation of the Officers' Training Corps in 1908.[4] In 1910, A.M. Humphry, a lieutenant in the OTC and son of the Queen's Prize winner, won the St. George's Prize with a record score of 139.[15][16] Philip Richardson, a Cambridge graduate who made the top 100 shooters of the Sovereign's Final seven times between 1886 and 1907,[17] went on to shoot in the 1908 and 1912 Olympic Games, winning a silver medal in 1908.[18] He later served as chairman of the National Rifle Association's council between 1939 and 1945, and gives his name to a competition shot during the NRA's Imperial Meeting.[19] By 1913, most Cambridge colleges had their own rifle clubs affiliated to CURA, which had a total membership of around 300.[13]

Cambridge University Small-Bore Club existed as a separate club by the 1920s.[20] On 7 March 1952, CUSBC competed by telegram against Harvard University, each team shooting on their own range and sending the results to the other. Harvard won the match by 1581–1554, despite handicapping themselves by firing in the less stable standing and kneeling positions as well as Cambridge's prone.[21]

Varsity and other matches[edit]

Photograph of a shooting range, with yellow-and-blue wind flags visible.
Century Range, Bisley, where the Chancellors' Varsity match is held each July.

There are currently several annual Varsity matches in rifle shooting contested between Cambridge University and Oxford University. The Oxford–Cambridge shooting rivalry is believed to be one of the longest-running Varsity competitions between the two university.[22]

Other than the Heslop and Bentata, the Varsity matches are normally contested during the Imperial Meeting, a series of shooting competitions administered by the British National Rifle Association at Bisley each July.

Both CURA and CUSBC compete in British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS). They also compete in matches against clubs, universities and schools throughout the year.[24]

In 1903, a 'Universities' Snap-Shooting Match' was inaugurated in response to the view of Frederick Roberts, then Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, that potential soldiers should be trained in accurate, rapid short-range fire.[17] Each team, consisting of a 'commander' and eight firers, fired from behind cover at head-and-shoulders targets 200 yards (180 m) away, exposed ten times for three seconds each at irregular intervals of between five and ten seconds.[17] The match was contested until at least the 1920s,[25] but no longer takes place.

In addition to the formal Varsity matches, Cambridge compete in three additional annual smallbore fixtures against Oxford. These are the Kensington (2nd VIII), the Ex-Captains' Challenge (3rd VIII) and the Lerman (three-position). An informal black-powder shooting match, known as the Roads Cup, is sometimes contested during the Imperial Meeting.[26] This match is named after Christopher Roads, an ex-Cambridge shooter who donated the trophy in the late 20th century. Within the university, an annual inter-college competition, known as 'Cuppers', is held annually in smallbore shooting.

The Chancellors' Challenge Plate[edit]

In 1862, the chancellors of Oxford and Cambridge universities — William Cavendish and Edward Smith-Stanley — agreed to award a trophy for a shooting match between the two universities: a silver plate[9] set into a large silver stein.[27] The inaugural match was won by Cambridge.[28]

Originally, the match was shot at 200, 500 and 600 yards (180, 460 and 550 m),[29] and seven shots were fired by each shooter.[9] The first matches were shot with muzzle-loading Pattern 1853 Enfield rifles, though breech-loading Snider–Enfield rifles were used from 1871.[29] In 1883, Martini–Henry rifles were introduced, followed by magazine-fed Lee–Enfield rifles in 1897,[15] which remained the standard until the modern era of target shooting in the mid-20th century.

In modern times, it has been contested at 300, 500 and 600 yards (270, 460 and 550 m), with each shooter firing one sighter and ten scoring shots. Any rifle that meets the criteria of the target rifle discipline may be used.

The Humphry Challenge Cup[edit]

Team photograph of a rifle shooting team, in black and white.
The Cambridge University 'Humphry' team of 1912, photographed at Bisley. In the front of the picture is A.P. Humphry, who donated its trophy in 1881.

The Humphry is the long-range Varsity shooting match, in the discipline originally known as 'any rifle'[30] (to distinguish it from shorter-range shooting, in which all competitors were required to use the same model of rifle) and currently known as match rifle. Its lineage can be traced to the Inter-University Long-Range Match, first contested in 1869, but it takes its name from A.P. Humphry, who donated the challenge cup awarded to its winner in 1881.[17] From 1897, the match changed from 'any rifle' to match rifle.[31]

The distance shot for the Humphry, in common with other match rifle competitions, has increased over time as rifles, ammunition and optics have improved. The first matches took place at 800, 900 and 1000 yards (730, 820 and 910 m), which increased to 900, 1000 and 1100 yards (820, 910 and 1010 m) from 1910[30] and to 1000, 1100 and 1200 yards (910, 1010 and 1100 m) from 1963.[31]

The match is currently shot on Stickledown Range at Bisley. Until 1874, the venue alternated between Cambridge and Oxford; after a lapse in which no match took place between 1875 and 1877, it was shot at Welwyn in 1878 before being added to the programme of the NRA competitions in 1879,[17] first at Wimbledon, and then at Bisley from 1890.

The Humphry is shot between teams of four,[32] with fifteen scoring shots fired at each range by each shooter.[32] Unusually for a modern shooting match, coaches who are not otherwise eligible to shoot in the match may be part of the team, though firers must be current students of the university they represent.[32]

The Oxford and Cambridge Match[edit]

The Oxford and Cambridge Match is contested in gallery rifle. It was first shot informally in 1908, with formal matches beginning at Bisley in 1909.[33]

The match was originally shot with revolvers, and so named the 'Universities Revolver Match'.[17] In this format, each shooter fired twelve shots at each of 20 and 50 yards (18 and 46 m).[17]

The trophy for the match was presented by Ian Heslop in 1929.[34] The match was officially known as the Heslop Cup between 1929 and 1948,[33] and continues to be informally known as 'the Heslop' among CURPC shooters. In 1949, the official name was changed to the 'Oxford and Cambridge Revolver Match', followed by the 'Oxford and Cambridge Pistol Match' in 1962.[33]

Following the UK ban on fullbore pistol shooting in 1997, the match moved to lever-action .357[33] centre-fire gallery rifles.[35] Each university enters a team of four.[34]

The Heslop Cup[edit]

The annual smallbore Varsity match is held in February. Since the 1920s, it has been named for Ian Heslop, a British naturalist and conservationist who helped Cambridge to a period of dominance in the match between 1923 and 1926.[20]

The Heslop is contested between teams of eight shooters, each shooting two ten-spot cards at 25 yards (23 m), with a total highest possible score of 200. It is traditionally held on a neutral range: in the 21st century, venues have included the National Smallbore Rifle Association at Bisley,[22] The Perse School in Cambridge[36] and Sevenoaks School in Kent.

The Bentata Cup[edit]

The Bentata is the newest of the Varsity matches,[22] contested since around 1990. It is named for David Bentata, an Oxford University alumnus who established the match and donated its trophy.[37]

The match is contested between women's teams of four shooters. It is shot to the same conditions and at the same time as the Heslop, and shooters may shoot the two concurrently, counting their score in the Heslop for both.

Varsity match results[edit]

Chancellors'[edit]

Year Winning Team Score
1862 Cambridge 372 – ?[29]
1863 Cambridge 402 – ?[29]
1864 Cambridge 415 – ?[29]
1865 Cambridge 314 – ?[29]
1866 Oxford 412 – ?[29]
1867 Oxford 369 – ?[29]
1868 Cambridge 424 – ?[29]
1869 Cambridge 395 – ?[29]
1870 Cambridge 410 – ?[29]
1871 Oxford 433 – ?[29]
1872 Cambridge 520 – ?[29]
1873 Oxford 455 – ?[29]
1874 Oxford 509 – 501[38]
1875 Cambridge 561 – 552[28]
1876 Oxford 552 – ? [15]
1877 Oxford 537 – ? [15]
1878 Cambridge 621 – ?[15]
1879 Cambridge 565 – ?[15]
1880 Cambridge 603 – ?[15]
1881 Oxford 555 – ?[15]
1882 Oxford 471 – ?[15]
1883 Oxford 653 – ?[15]
1884 Cambridge 607 – ?[15]
1885 Cambridge 606 – ?[15]
1886 Cambridge 609 – ?[15]
1887 Oxford 638 – ?[15]
1888 Cambridge 645 – ?[15]
1889 Cambridge 615 – ?[15]
1890 Oxford 598 – ?[15]
1891 Cambridge 637 – ?[15]
1892 Cambridge 611 – ?[15]
1893 Cambridge 671 – 610[39]
1894 Cambridge 665 – ?[15]
1895 Cambridge 624 – ?[15]
1896 Cambridge 606 – ?[15]
1897 Cambridge 715 – ?[15]
1898 Cambridge 724 – ?[15]
1899 Oxford 712 – ?[15]
1900 Oxford 637 – ?[15]
1901 Cambridge 713 – ?[15]
1902 Cambridge 736 – ?[15]
1903 Cambridge 727 – ?[15]
1904 Cambridge 710 – ?[15]
1905 Cambridge 707 – ?[15]
1906 Oxford 691 – ?[15]
1907 Oxford 719 – ?[15]
1908 Cambridge 736 – ?[15]
1909 Oxford 750 – ?[15]
1910 Cambridge 756 – ?[15]
1911 Cambridge 748 – ?[15]
1912 Cambridge 750 – ?[15]
1925 Cambridge[40]
1927 Oxford[41]
1929 Oxford 1029 – 1028[42]
1998 Cambridge 1150.106v – 1112.80v[43]
1999 Cambridge 1143.107v – 1120.88v[43]
2000 Cambridge 1157.123v – 1111.93v[43]
2001 Cambridge 1142.108v – 1129.110v[43]
2002 Cambridge 1164.116v – 1146.105v[43]
2003 Cambridge 1170.125v – 1164.132v[43]
2004 Cambridge 1143.108v – 1142.111v[43]
2005 Oxford 1155.112v – 1142.115v[43]
2006 Cambridge 1122.80v – 1109.83v[43]
2007 Cambridge 1133.106v – 1066.64v[43]
2008 Cambridge 1141.99v – 1127.96v[43]
2009 Cambridge 1157.126v – 1133.96v[43]
2010 Cambridge 1153.125v – 965.75v[43]
2011 Cambridge 1149.107v – 1126.85v[43]
2012 Cambridge 1141.100v – 1127.91v[43]
2013 Cambridge 1142.86v – 1115.93v[43]
2014 Oxford 1141.99v – 1111.91v[43]
2015 Cambridge 1148.102v – 1096.83v[43]
2016 Cambridge 1166.128v – 1118.123v[43]
2017 Cambridge 1120.82v – 1079.76v[43]
2018 Cambridge 1155.116v – 1104.62v[26]
2019 Cambridge 1158.111v – 1152.115v[43]
2020 Cambridge 1024.125v – 1000.97v[43]
2021 Oxford 1149.112v – 1141.116v[43]
2022 Cambridge 1163.128v – 1101.93v[43]

Humphry[edit]

Year Winning Team Score
1880 Cambridge 676 – ?[30]
1881 Oxford 717 – ?[30]
1882 Oxford 706 – ?[30]
1883 Oxford 662 – ?[30]
1884 Oxford 634 – ?[30]
1885 Oxford 706 – ?[30]
1886 Oxford 739 – ?[30]
1887 Oxford 638 – ?[30]
1888 Oxford 626 – ?[30]
1889 Oxford 707 – ?[30]
1890 Oxford 750 – ?[30]
1891 Cambridge 791 – ?[30]
1892 Cambridge 746 – 686[44]
1893 Cambridge 761 – ?[30]
1894 Cambridge 795 – ?[30]
1895 Oxford 766 – 726[45]
1896 Cambridge 742 – ?[30]
1897 Cambridge 774 – 633[46]
1898 Oxford 755 – ?[30]
1899 Oxford 758 – ?[30]
1900 Cambridge 731 – 708[47]
1901 Oxford 790 – ?[30]
1902 Oxford 735 – 692[48]
1903 Cambridge 697 – 688[49]
1904 Cambridge 801 – 784[50]
1905 Cambridge 753 – ?[30]
1906 Cambridge 763 – 750[51]
1907 Oxford 760 – 721[52]
1908 Oxford 836 – ?[30]
1909 Cambridge 831 – ?[30]
1910 Cambridge 777 – ?[30]
1911 Oxford 722 – ?[30]
1912 Oxford 763 – ?[30]
1913 Oxford 766 – 711[53]
1914 Oxford 766 – 711[54]
1915 No match
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920 Oxford[55]
1921 Oxford[56]
1922 Oxford 809 – 797[57]
1923 Oxford 803 – 799[55]
1924 Oxford [58]
1925 Cambridge 846 – 836[59]
1926 Cambridge 826 – 805[60]
1927 Cambridge 826 – 805[61]
1928 Oxford 805 – 797[62]
1929 Cambridge[63]
1931 Cambridge[64]
1932 Cambridge[64]
1933 Cambridge[64]
1934 Cambridge[64]
1935 Cambridge[64]
1936 Oxford[64]
1937 Oxford ? – 838[65]
1938 Cambridge[66]
1939 Oxford[67]
1940 No match
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
2001 Cambridge
2002 Cambridge
2003 Cambridge
2004 Cambridge
2005 Cambridge 806.52v – 802.41v[43]
2006 Cambridge 827.59v – 823.60v[43]
2007 Cambridge 854.76v – 846.68v[43]
2008 Cambridge 836.74v – 835.70v[43]
2009 Cambridge 845.64v – 815.46v[43]
2010 Cambridge 783.49v – 732.27v[43]
2011 Cambridge 792.50v – 773.42v[43]
2012 Cambridge 812.57v – 776.43v[43]
2013 Cambridge 836.36v – 816.54v[43]
2014 Cambridge 837.72v – 820.50v[43]
2015 Cambridge 831.71v – 722.33v[43]
2016 Cambridge 858.79v – 781.43v[43]
2017 Cambridge 860.93v – 827.53v[43]
2018 Cambridge 872.93v – 841.68v[26]
2019 Cambridge 837.76v – 816.46v[43]
2020 Oxford 867.83v – 851.85v[22]
2021 Cambridge 835.60v – 832.68v[43]
2022 Cambridge 828.67v – 794.51v[68]
2023 Cambridge 837.66v – 835.67v[69]

Revolver and gallery rifle[edit]

Oxford and Cambridge Match (1998–)[edit]

Year Winning Team Score
1998 Oxford[33]
1999 Oxford[33]
2000 Oxford[33]
2001 Oxford[33]
2002 Oxford[33]
2003 Oxford[33]
2004 Cambridge 709 – ?[33]
2005 Cambridge 710 – 666[33]
2006 Cambridge 736 – 577[33]
2007 Oxford 1099 – 894[33]
2008 Oxford 682 – 639[33]
2009 Oxford 335– 334[33]
2010 Cambridge 722 – 658[70]
2011 Cambridge 739 – 701[70]
2012 Cambridge 742 – 701[71]
2013 Cambridge 1488 – 1389[72]
2014 Cambridge 1492 – 1462[73]
2015 Cambridge 1520 – 1485[33]
2016 Oxford 1536 – 1529[33]
2017 Oxford 1523 – 1499[33]
2018 Oxford 1509 – 1500[33]
2019 Cambridge 1488 – 1322[33]
2022 Oxford 1293.11x – 1172.10x[43]

Revolver match (1909–1997)[edit]

Year Winning Team Score
1909 Cambridge 433 – ?[33]
1910 Cambridge 485 – ?[33]
1911 Cambridge 495 – ?[33]
1912 Cambridge 481 – ?[33]
1913 Cambridge 436 – ?[33]
1914 Cambridge 410 – ?[33]
1915 No match
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920 Cambridge 102 – ?[33]
1921 Cambridge 264 – ?[33]
1922 Oxford 302 – ?[33]
1923 Cambridge 360 – ?[33]
1924 Cambridge 327 – ?[33]
1925 Cambridge 275 – ?[33]
1926 Cambridge 255 – ?[33]
1927 Cambridge 287 – ?[33]
1928 Cambridge 239 – ?[33]
1929 Cambridge 233– ?[33]
1930 Cambridge 233– ?[33]
1931 Cambridge 250 – ?[33]
1932 Cambridge 242 – ?[33]
1933 Cambridge 235 – ?[33]
1934 Cambridge 257 – ?[33]
1935 Cambridge 247 – ?[33]
1936 Cambridge 206 – ?[33]
1937 Cambridge 219 – ?[33]
1938 Oxford 220 – ?[33]
1939 Cambridge 251 – ?[33]
1940 No match
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946 Cambridge 207 – ?[33]
1947 Cambridge 232 – ?[33]
1948 Cambridge 221 – ?[33]
1949 Oxford 191 – ?[33]
1950 Cambridge 249 – ?[33]
1951 Cambridge 220 – ?[33]
1952 Cambridge 238 – ?[33]
1953 Oxford 222 – ?[33]
1954 Oxford 248 – ?[33]
1955 Oxford 278 – ?[33]
1956 Oxford 295 – ?[33]
1957 Oxford 295 – ?[33]
1958 Cambridge 284 – ?[33]
1959 Oxford 280 – ?[33]
1960 Oxford 331 – ?[33]
1961 Oxford 1418 – ?[33]
1962 Oxford 1393 – ?[33]
1963 Oxford 1356 – ?[33]
1964 Oxford 1394 – ?[33]
1965 Oxford 1396 – ?[33]
1966 Cambridge 1274 – ?[33]
1967 Cambridge 1361 – ?[33]
1968 Oxford 1415 – ?[33]
1969 Cambridge 1297 – ?[33]
1970 Cambridge 1386 – ?[33]
1971 Cambridge 1321 – ?[33]
1972 Cambridge 1416 – ?[33]
1973 Oxford 1356 – ?[33]
1974 Oxford 1333 – ?[33]
1975 Oxford 1338 – ?[33]
1976 Cambridge 1364 – ?[33]
1977 Oxford 1452 – 1344[33]
1978 Cambridge 1397 – 1297[33]
1979 Cambridge 1355 – 1319[33]
1980 Oxford 1395 – ?[33]
1981 Cambridge 1435 – ?[33]
1982 Oxford 1426 – ?[33]
1983 Cambridge 1414 – ?[33]
1984 Oxford 1374 – 1368[33]
1985 Oxford 2154– 1817[33]
1986 Oxford 2162– 2013[33]
1987 Oxford 2073– ?[33]
1988 Oxford 2081 – ?[33]
1989 Oxford 2081 – 1556[33]
1990 Oxford 2045 – 2012[33]
1991 Cambridge 1978 – 1962[33]
1992 Oxford 2095 – ?[33]
1993 Cambridge 1909 – ?[33]
1994 Oxford 2064 – ?[33]
1995 Oxford 1370 – 1300[33]
1996 Oxford 1442 – ?[33]

In 2017, an informal revolver Varsity match was conducted in Switzerland, fired with a revolver used during one of the early 20th-century matches. Cambridge won by 626 to 568.[33]

Heslop (smallbore)[edit]

Year Winning Team Score
1923 Cambridge[20]
1924 Cambridge[20]
1925 Cambridge[20]
1926 Cambridge[20]
1931 Oxford
1932 Oxford
1933 Oxford
1934 Cambridge
1935 Cambridge
1936 Cambridge
1937 Cambridge 785 – 777[74]
1940 No match
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1958 Cambridge [75]
1959 Cambridge [75]
1960 Cambridge [75]
1961 Oxford[75]
1962 Cambridge [75]
1963 Cambridge [75]
1964 Cambridge [75]
1965 Oxford[75]
1966 Oxford[75]
1967 Cambridge [75]
1968 Cambridge [75]
1969 Cambridge [75]
1970 Cambridge [75]
1971 Cambridge [75]
1972 Cambridge [75]
1973 Cambridge [75]
1974 Cambridge [75]
1975 Cambridge [75]
1976 Oxford[75]
1977 Cambridge [75]
1989 Oxford[75]
2007 Draw[75]
2008 Cambridge[75]
2009 Cambridge 1530 – 1508[76]
2010 Cambridge 1511 – 1485 [77]
2011 Cambridge 1513 – 1479[78]
2012 Cambridge 1519 – 1499[79]
2013 Cambridge 1515 – 1514[80]
2014 Cambridge 1505 – 1496[81]
2015 Cambridge 1522 – 1473[75]
2016 Cambridge 1526 – 1466 [82]
2018 Cambridge 1544 – 1479 [26]
2019 Cambridge[83]
2020 Cambridge 1555 – 1517[37]
2021 No match
2022 Cambridge 1525 – 1498[36]
2023 Cambridge 1536 – 1517[84]
2024 Cambridge 1537 – 1526

Bentata[edit]

Year Winning Team Score
2009 Cambridge 768 – 706 [76]
2010 Cambridge 729 – 716 [77]
2012 Cambridge 744 – 691[85]
2013 Cambridge 756 – 690[86]
2014 Cambridge 753 – 719[81]
2015 Cambridge 745 – 687[75]
2016 Oxford
2017 Cambridge[82]
2018 Cambridge 760 – 751[26]
2019 Cambridge[83]
2020 Cambridge 772 – 740[37]
2021 No match
2022 Cambridge 753 – 718[36]
2023 Oxford 763 – 761[84]
2024 Cambridge 770 – 762

Blues and club colours[edit]

Rifle shooting is a Discretionary Full Blue sport, meaning that shooters who compete in Varsity matches are usually awarded Half Blues,[87] but can be awarded Full Blues if they meet certain additional criteria. To be awarded a Half Blue for smallbore shooting, a shooter must score at least 190 out of 200 in the Heslop or Bentata match; in fullbore, those shooting in the Chancellors'[87] or Humphry are automatically awarded one.

The breast pocket of the Half Blue jacket displays a lion, one of the traditional symbols of Cambridge University. A shooter who has won the Half Blue for competing in the Chancellors' will have the Roman numerals 'VIII' stitched beneath the lion; a shooter who has competed in the Humphry will alternatively or additionally stitch 'IV' above the lion. Those who have won the Half Blue in small-bore shooting stitch the initials 'CUSBC' lowermost upon the pocket.

Shooters who represent the university against Oxford, whether in 1st-team competition or at a lower level, may wear the club colours. These consist of a jacket and matching tie, sometimes with a cap, in maroon and Cambridge blue.

Notable Cambridge shooters[edit]

  • Alice Good (Emmanuel): winner of the Queen's Prize in 2022.[88]
  • Ian Heslop (1904–1970): shooter, naturalist and lepidopterist.[89]
  • A.P. Humphry (fl. 1871 – c. 1914): winner of the Queen's Prize in 1871.[4]
  • Henry Jeens: winner of the Queen's Prize in 2004.
  • Richard Jeens (brother of Henry): winner of the Queen's Prize in 2014.
  • Philip W. Richardson: silver medallist in the 1908 Summer Olympics.
  • Edward[3] Ross (son of Horatio): a private of the CURV who won the inaugural Queen's Prize in 1860.[4]
  • Nick Tremlett: winner of the Queen's Prize in 2009.

Gallery[edit]

  • Team photograph of a rifle shooting team, in black and white.
    Cambridge University team for the 'Humphry', 1905
  • Team photograph of a rifle shooting team, in black and white.
    Cambridge University team for the 'Humphry', 1906
  • Team photograph of a rifle shooting team, in black and white.
    Cambridge University team for the 'Humphry', 1907
  • Team photograph of a rifle shooting team, in black and white.
    Cambridge University team for the 'Humphry', 1909
  • Team photograph of a rifle shooting team, in black and white.
    Cambridge University team for the 'Humphry', 1910

Footnotes[edit]

Explanatory notes[edit]

  1. ^ The date is sometimes given as 1907.[14]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Manxman Publishing 2013.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b University of Cambridge Sport 2020.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Pizer 2009.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Lyttelton 1913, p. 205.
  5. ^ Doyle 1897, pp. 264–265.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c University of Cambridge Sport 2016, p. 112.
  7. ^ Atkinson 1897, p. 229.
  8. ^ Capturing Cambridge 2020.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Lyttelton 1913, p. 206.
  10. ^ Ordnance Survey 1952.
  11. ^ Paige 1960.
  12. ^ Humphry & Fremantle 1914, p. 108.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b Lyttelton 1913, p. 213.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b Cambridge University Revolver and Pistol Club 2022.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al Lyttelton 1913, p. 207.
  16. ^ The North China Herald 1910, p. 180.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Lyttelton 1913, p. 210.
  18. ^ Sports Reference 2008.
  19. ^ National Rifle Association 2021, p. 302.
  20. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Robinson, Flacke & Hentschel 2017, p. 59.
  21. ^ The Harvard Crimson 1952.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Oxford University Rifle Club 2020.
  23. ^ Sevenoaks School 2016; Gresham's School 2023.
  24. ^ Matches against school teams have included fixtures against Gresham's and Sevenoaks.[23]
  25. ^ The Cambridge Review 1920, p. 436.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Oxford University Rifle Club 2018.
  27. ^ Old Blundellian Club 2022.
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b National Rifle Association 1875b, p. 138.
  29. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n National Rifle Association 1875a, p. 218.
  30. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Lyttelton 1913, p. 211.
  31. ^ Jump up to: a b Great Britain Match Rifle Team 2021.
  32. ^ Jump up to: a b c National Rifle Association 2021, p. 208.
  33. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu Cambridge University Revolver and Pistol Club 2019.
  34. ^ Jump up to: a b National Rifle Association 2021, p. 187.
  35. ^ University of Cambridge Sport 2011a, p. 75.
  36. ^ Jump up to: a b c Cambridge University Small Bore Club 2022.
  37. ^ Jump up to: a b c Plummer 2020.
  38. ^ National Rifle Association 1874, p. 112.
  39. ^ North Devon Gazette 1893, p. 6.
  40. ^ Exeter and Plymouth Gazette 1925, p. 8.
  41. ^ The Scotsman 1927, p. 7.
  42. ^ Sheffield Daily Telegraph 1929, p. 7.
  43. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an National Rifle Association 2022.
  44. ^ Sheffield Daily Telegraph 1892, p. 5.
  45. ^ Worcester Journal 1895, p. 3.
  46. ^ Wells Journal 1897, p. 6.
  47. ^ Gloucester Citizen 1900, p. 3.
  48. ^ Nottingham Evening Post 1902.
  49. ^ Gloucester Citizen 1903, p. 3.
  50. ^ Globe 1904, p. 7.
  51. ^ Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette 1906, p. 5.
  52. ^ Wells Journal 1907, p. 5.
  53. ^ Daily News 1913, p. 5.
  54. ^ Oxfordshire Weekly News 1914, p. 6.
  55. ^ Jump up to: a b Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette 1923, p. 24.
  56. ^ Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette 1921, p. 20.
  57. ^ Western Chronicle 1922, p. 11.
  58. ^ Derby Daily Telegraph 1924, p. 3.
  59. ^ Gloucester Citizen 1925, p. 7.
  60. ^ Gloucester Citizen 1926, p. 6.
  61. ^ Portsmouth Evening News 1927, p. 3.
  62. ^ Aberdeen Press and Journal 1928, p. 11.
  63. ^ Western Gazette 1929, p. 6.
  64. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Dundee Chronicle 1936, p. 9.
  65. ^ Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer 1937, p. 20.
  66. ^ Aberdeen Press and Journal 1939, p. 10.
  67. ^ Portsmouth Evening News 1939, p. 12.
  68. ^ Great Britain Match Rifle Team 2022.
  69. ^ Cargill Thompson 2023, p. 50.
  70. ^ Jump up to: a b University of Cambridge Sport 2012a, p. 80.
  71. ^ University of Cambridge Sport 2013a, p. 80.
  72. ^ University of Cambridge Sport 2014a, p. 83.
  73. ^ University of Cambridge Sport 2015a, p. 202.
  74. ^ Smith Archive 2020.
  75. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Armstrong & Firth 2015.
  76. ^ Jump up to: a b University of Cambridge Sport 2010, p. 123.
  77. ^ Jump up to: a b University of Cambridge Sport 2011b, p. 86.
  78. ^ University of Cambridge Sport 2012b, p. 88.
  79. ^ University of Cambridge Sport 2013b, p. 90.
  80. ^ University of Cambridge Sport 2014b, p. 83.
  81. ^ Jump up to: a b University of Cambridge Sport 2015b, p. 120.
  82. ^ Jump up to: a b Oxford University Rifle Club 2017.
  83. ^ Jump up to: a b Oxford University Rifle Club 2019.
  84. ^ Jump up to: a b Cambridge University Rifle Association and Small Bore Club 2023.
  85. ^ University of Cambridge Sport 2013b, p. 88.
  86. ^ University of Cambridge Sport 2014b, p. 90.
  87. ^ Jump up to: a b Lyttelton 1913, p. 212.
  88. ^ O'Shea 2022.
  89. ^ Oates 2022, p. 37.

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