The Shooting World Championships were underway in South Africa from 8-23 March 2024, with Matthew Button and Rick Shouler participating as members of the elite twenty-five-person 'Palma' squad. All matches have taken place at Bloemfontein, 250 miles south-west of Johannesburg: shooting conditions have been challenging, with high temperatures and strong, gusting winds.

The main event of the meet is the competition for the Palma Trophy, which is held at the end of the meeting. Great Britain has been keen to reclaim the title from Australia. South Africa (which has a home team advantage), along with the USA, New Zealand, and Germany, are also competing.

In the world of competitive shooting, the Palma Trophy is considered to be the ultimate test of the national teams. After a titanic battle, with the destiny of the Palma trophy not known until the very last shots of the final distance, it was the Australians who emerged triumphant, retaining the trophy that they had won in Trentham five years ago.

Congratulations to Matthew and Rick on their incredible achievements over the past month!