The range at Bloemfontein, where the South African National Championships are held every year, is considered by many top marksmen to be the hardest range in the world.
Apart from the searing heat – the temperature reached over 35C one day – shooters also have to contend with a vicious and fickle wind that blows from behind the range.
Said Richardson (18): ‘Coming from Jersey, where the wind is usually very constant and requires few changes, Bloemfontein was something entirely new.
It wasn’t unusual to have to make two to three minute wind changes between shots – and that was in what South Africans call ‘normal’ conditions!’ After a disappointing start, Richardson’s confidence slowly grew and he finished as the top Great Britain under-19 in the Grand Aggregate, winning several medals along the way for high placings in the individual competitions.
Said Richardson: ‘The wind was the main problem to start with.
I didn’t have the confidence to make the changes that were required, and I got punished.
‘However, I soon learnt and by the time the Grand Aggregate got under way, I was able to hold my own and shoot to a standard I was very pleased with.’ Richardson’s five merits, awarded to the top 25 per cent of shooters in each competition, also means that should he return to South Africa in the next three years, he will have to enter the A class category, reserved for the top shots.
Richardson was also one of four GB U19s to qualify for the State Presidents Final, the South African equivalent of the Queens Final that is held every year at Bisley.
He now looks forward to a few less arduous shoots on the Crabbé range before heading to Bisley in July for the Imperial meeting and then jetting off to Canada with the Athelings in August.
He said: ‘It will definitely be a very hectic season, especially with A-levels to think about.
South Africa was a fantastic experience and I now hope to put the lessons I learned to good use at Bisley and in Canada.’ Richardson thanked the companies, clubs and individuals who sponsored the team.
