A 16-year-old Newton Abbot Cadet has been selected to represent the UK in shooting.
Cdt Cpl Oliver Frost, of Newton Abbot Detachment, D (South Devon) Company, Devon ACF, has been selected by the Council for Cadet Rifle Shooting to join the United Kingdom Cadet Rifle Team and take part in their upcoming tour to Jersey.
Cadet Corporal Oliver Frost, who joined Devon ACF in March 2018, took part in a selection event run by the Council for Cadet Rifle Shooting (CCRS) at the National Shooting Ground at Bisley.
The selection event was held by the CCRS to identify candidates to form part of the United Kingdom Cadet Rifle Team (UKCRT), who will go on to take part in the UKCRT’s upcoming shooting tour to Jersey.
Competition was fierce amongst the candidates up for selection, who had to prove their rifle shooting mettle through an intense training and selection event over a gruelling two and a half days.
In confirming selection for the team, Brigadier (Retd) Mark Pountain CBE, General Secretary of the CCRS, confirmed that the ‘competition for places was extremely high’.
However, despite this, Cdt Cpl Frost was successfully selected onto the UKCRT, being the only represented from the Army Cadet Force (ACF) selected to the team.
Following successful selection, Cdt Cpl Frost will now be representing the UK Cadets at the National Rifle Association Imperial Meeting at Bisley later this July, before participating in a tour to compete in the Jersey Rifle Association Championships in August.
Having joined the ACF in March 2018, Cdt Cpl Frost has risen through the ranks and the various star-level gradings of the Army Proficiency Certificate (APC), achieving various shooting badges in the process.
Cpl Frost was extremely active during lockdown in supporting his Detachment and Company virtual training programmes, and continues to espouse the motto of the ACF of ‘To Inspire, To Achieve’.
Sergeant Major Pete Brock, County Shooting Officer (Devon ACF): ‘Selection for the UKCRT is amongst the pinnacle of what a cadet can achieve in the world of cadet shooting, and Cpl Frost has done phenomenally well to be selected.
‘We are all extremely proud of his achievements, and wish him great success in his upcoming competitions.’
Sergeant Major Vicky Caton-Sharp, Detachment Commander (Newton Abbot), said: I am very proud of Cpl Frost for being selected to the UKCRT - this is an outstanding achievement which is thoroughly deserved.
‘I, and the rest of Newton Abbot Detachment, wish him all the best for his upcoming tour. Good Luck Cpl Frost.’
Oliver said: ‘“I am absolutely thrilled to have been picked for the UKCRT, and I believe it will be an amazing opportunity both to represent my country, and improve my shooting.
‘I would like to thank my shooting instructor, Bruce Harvey at Budleigh Farm Shooting Club, and both my company and county shooting officers for their support and guidance that has allowed me to get as far as I have.
‘I am looking forward to going on the tour, and I hope I do the ACF proud.’
If you are interested in joining Devon ACF either as a Cadet Force Adult Volunteer to work with our young people, or as a cadet (if you are aged 12-18), contact the ACF.
To find out more about the Army Cadets, and how you can get involved, visit https://armycadets.com/county/devon-acf/.