Media Advisory

2 December 2010

Queens Medal Awarded to Army Top Shot

The Queen’s Medal was awarded to the NZ Army’s top shot in Waiouru yesterday.

Corporal Timothy Bryce from 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment in Linton won the competition by one shot in a fiercely contested match.

Sixty of the NZ Army’s top marksman started the two day Queens Medal competition in Waiouru. The competition was broken into four elimination matches and saw shooters whittled down to ten for the final match up. Targets were engaged from 300 metres to 50 metres during the 45 minute long final.

Chief of Army Major General Rhys Jones attended the final match and presented the Queens Medal to Corporal Bryce at the prize giving last night.

“Shooting is a core skill within the Army and the standard shown during the Queen’s Medal competition has been impressive. The ability for soldiers to apply good marksmanship principals is important as it allows soldiers deployed on operations to protect themselves and those they are protecting effectively,” said Major General Jones.

“It was a tough competition and for Corporal Bryce to win by only one shot showed how close many of the competitors were in their skill levels,” said Major Eugene Whakahoehoe, Chief Instructor of Combat School and officer in charge of the competition.

Corporal Bryce will hold the title of Champion Army shot until the next Queen's Medal competition.

The King’s Medal (now The Queen’s Medal) was introduced to New Zealand by King George V in 1923. Awarded to the Champion Army Shot, The Queen’s Medal is contested annually. Open to all branches of the New Zealand Army, The Queen’s Medal matches are fired in daylight only, firing the current in-service Steyr rifle.

ENDS

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