A RIDE IN THE CHAIR

[Chopper]

I am an ex fullbore shooter and its still in my blood , but my eyes have let me down due to a car accident a few years ago, thanks to F class my interest is well back into shooting, but there is something i dont know after more than 25 years of shooting Fullbore , and that is the history of THE RIDE IN THE CHAIR, is there some one out there who can tell, Merry Xmas , Chop.

[Lynn Otto]

Paul I know it is an old military tradition but am unsure of the original context. Hopefully someone else will know.

[Chopper]

Would be interesting,lucky James Corbett is not worried about heights

[johnk]

Lynn,

Could be more than military (& shooting).

When I started Googling chairing, I found that they chair the winning poets etc at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, Wiki suggests that was a touch of Druid in that. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_E ... d_of_Wales

I might check on a Bisley friend or two to see where it showed up for Queens shoots.

John

[Lynn Otto]

John I also found this connection, I also found that they 'chair' the winning craftsperson at the annual Queen's/King's prize tourney, which is a competition for the best art/craftmanship. The connection seems too similar to dismiss. The oldest reference I found was the National Eisteddfod of Wales which dates back as far as 1176. I suspect our tradition has been 'borrowed' from this very ancient and respected tradition, the difference being that our guys don't get to keep the chair.

PS The druid connection comes from the Gorsedd aspect which is now strongly entwined with the Eisteddford but is a much more 'modern' aspect and originated in London not Wales. All very interesting stuff.

[Chopper]

Very interesting Lynn.

[Chopper]

Unless tradition does not permit, i would think that it will not be far away from chairing in the F class winner, so i guess we need to find the reasons why and why not, as it has come from fullbore and continues to grow, is it true that the ACT queens had almost half the entry in F class,?. Chop.

[AlanF]

I think I've found the reason. Apparently the first full-bore competitions were held in a very lush part of England, so to avoid the cost of having to buy lawnmowers, they put some handles on a chair instead, and everyone was able to see the winner.....

[Lynn Otto]

Paul if the tradition goes back to these ancient ties of which there seem to be several, all with the main point that the chaired person is the best at what he/she does, then I can't see any reason why it could not be applied to F Class. F Class is after all a separate discipline not a different class of what already exists.

Good thing I'm past winning a Queen's, there's no way anyone would get me up in that chair, I prefer my feet firmly planted on the ground.

[Lynn Otto]

is it true that the ACT queens had almost half the entry in F class,?. Chop.

If my memory is correct it was about 92 to 117, or close to that. This needs to be tempered with the reality that the F Class numbers would have been enhanced from the teams shoot preceding the Queens.

[actionclear]

Well I have spoken to old Jim E Moore on the phone. He is hard of hearing so the he didn't understand the question very well.

He did say "They started carrying the winners on their shoulders"



Maybe the winner one year was more than one person could carry, so the load was shared?

[actionclear]

He said he has an old Bisley book that may have some information in it. He will bring it out to the range next time he's out.