Reading Time: 4 minutes

The Jamaican team, with a contingent of 10 shooters, returned recently from Antigua & Barbuda after competing in the West Indies Full Bore Shooting Championship in the regional multi-range format (300/500/600 yards) at the Crabbs Range.

They faced stiff competition from leading nations such as Barbados, Bermuda, England (with a 22-person team), Grenada, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, and Antigua & Barbuda, the host country. There were 76 shooters overall at the championship, which ran over five days, with individuals competing for the first three days and two days of team matches.

The Jamaican team was led by Professor Derek Mitchell (captain), Karen Anderson, Canute CC Coley, Basil Davidson, Dr Dwayne Ford, Nicola Guy-Chin, Denis Lee, Major (ret’d) D John Nelson, Jose Nunez, Richard Thelwell.

Individual competition

Jamaica finished with two (2) shooters in the top ten, Major D. John Nelson, the highest placed Jamaican, tied for 3rd place with a score of 452.32 and Dr Dwayne Ford, who finished 7^th on 448.30. Karen Anderson (443.25), placing 13^th to round out the Jamaican shooters in the top 20. The winner of the individual championship was Laurne Benjamin of Antigua & Barbuda, who displayed remarkable marksmanship and range knowledge in winning the title

A highlight for Jamaica was the performance of Major Nelson on day 2 when he shot a core of 74.8 out of 75 at 500 yds. That topped the day’s score on that range. Major Nelson, a senior and highly respected figure in regional full-bore shooting, is also president of the West Indies Full Bore Council, the governing body in the Caribbean. This result underscores his continued excellence and leadership within the sport, especially given the high level of competition from experienced shooters from England and the Caribbean.

Dr Ford, the other top-10 finisher, displayed resilience and discipline under challenges from the English and other Caribbean counterparts. Dr Ford’s consistency was on display again, having finished in the top 10 over the last four years. Dr Ford was the 2022 Wogarth Cup winner, which is the shooter with the highest score in the West Indies short-range team match

Karen Anderson, last year’s Amazon winner, the highest placing female then, failed to repeat as champion when she lost out by two points to the new champion, Maxime James from Antigua & Barbuda. She, however, finished in the top 20 at 13th. She came 2^nd at 500yds with a 49.5v’s.

The individual results were Major John Nelson – 452.32 tied for 3^rd Place, Dr Dwayne Ford – 448.30 7^th, Karen Anderson – 443.25 13^th, Nicola Guy-Chin – 411.9 25^th, Jose Nunez – 410.13 26^th, Denis Lee – 406.9 28^th, Basil Davidson – 399.13 31^st, Richard Thelwell – 339.14 43^rd, Prof. Derek Mitchell – 296.4 45^th and Canute CC Coley – DNS.

Team competition

Jamaica captures bronze in the West Indies Short Range team match.

Major D. John Nelson, Dr Dwayne Ford, Karen Anderson, Nicola Guy-Chin, Jose Nunez, Denis Lee, Basil Davidson and Richard Thelwell were named to the team to compete in the West Indies Short Range Team match.

The team brought home the bronze medal with a total score of 1029.42, behind Antigua (1097.57), who defended their title and Guyana (1088.51), who placed second. The top three (3) shooters for the Jamaican team were the same as in individual competition, with Dr Ford (142.10) surplanting his teammate Major Nelson (138.7) on this occasion. Anderson rounded out the top three with a score of 132.7, followed closely by Basil Davidson, who ended on 132.4.

Scores for the other members of the Jamaican team were Nicola Guy-Chin -126.4, Jose Nunez – 123.3, Denis Lee – 120.3 and Richard Thelwell – 116.4

Jamaica maintained strong representation in both the team and individual categories, reflecting the country’s ongoing presence as a regional contender.

The results reinforce Jamaica’s status as a consistent force in West Indies Full Bore shooting, with a solid foundation to challenge for top honours in future championships.

Jamaica is set to host the championship in 2027.

Team Jamaica was sponsored by the Jamaica Olympic Association, Milex Security Services, Mayberry, and Pre-Mix.