Jamaica claims bronze at West Indies Full Bore Championship in Antigua

Jamaica’s full bore rifle team has come home from Antigua and Barbuda with a team bronze, fresh competitive momentum, and further proof that the country ranks among the Caribbean’s steadiest performers in the discipline.

At the West Indies Full Bore Shooting Championship on the well-known Crabbs Range, a ten-person Jamaican lineup spent five gruelling days facing some of the region’s and the Commonwealth’s top marksmen. Shooters represented Barbados, Bermuda, England, Grenada, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and the hosts, Antigua and Barbuda. England alone sent a 22-athlete delegation within a field of 76 competitors.

Organisers split the event into three days of individual shooting and two days of team action, with athletes tested for accuracy, focus, and stamina at 300, 500, and 600 yards.

Professor Derek Mitchell captained the Jamaican side. The roster comprised Karen Anderson, Canute CC Coley, Basil Davidson, Dr. Dwayne Ford, Nicola Guy-Chin, Denis Lee, Major (ret’d) D. John Nelson, Jose Nunez, and Richard Thelwell.

Nelson’s day-two mark set the tone for Jamaica’s campaign. On the second day of competition he posted 74.8 points from a possible 75 at 500 yards—the best score on that range for the day and among the championship’s standout rounds. That display pushed him to an aggregate of 452.32, tied for third in the individual table and the highest finish by any Jamaican.

Rev’d Daniel Olson, Antigua and Barbuda’s full bore captain, presented Major (ret’d) D. John Nelson with his bronze medal. Regional observers were not shocked by the outcome: Nelson is widely regarded in Caribbean full bore circles and currently heads the West Indies Full Bore Council, which oversees the sport across the area. His latest result underlined both lasting class and the capacity to hold his own against elite English and Caribbean opposition.

Antigua and Barbuda’s Laurne Benjamin took the individual title through sharp shooting and strong range management, yet Nelson kept Jamaica in the hunt for honours throughout the week.

Dr. Dwayne Ford added another dependable performance, placing seventh overall on 448.30 for a fourth consecutive year inside the top ten. He stayed composed against a tough English contingent and a deep Caribbean field, reinforcing Jamaica’s place among the leading nations. Ford won the 2022 Wogarth Cup for the top score in the West Indies short-range team match; this week’s result further burnished his standing at home.

Karen Anderson came close to repeating as the region’s top woman. She won last year’s Amazon trophy for the highest-placed female shooter but lost the crown by two points to Antigua and Barbuda’s Maxime James. Anderson still finished thirteenth overall on 443.25 and remained inside the top twenty. At 500 yards she scored 49.5v for second place on that range, adding depth to a squad that featured near the front in several categories.

Across the individual standings Jamaica placed three athletes among the championship’s strongest performers. The full Jamaican results were: Major (ret’d) D. John Nelson, 452.32 (tied 3rd); Dr. Dwayne Ford, 448.30 (7th); Karen Anderson, 443.25 (13th); Nicola Guy-Chin, 411.9 (25th); Jose Nunez, 410.13 (26th); Denis Lee, 406.9 (28th); Basil Davidson, 399.13 (31st); Richard Thelwell, 339.14 (43rd); Professor Derek Mitchell, 296.4 (45th); and Canute CC Coley, who did not start.

Team success followed in the West Indies Short Range Team Match. Jamaica’s bronze-winning lineup—Major Nelson, Dr. Ford, Anderson, Guy-Chin, Nunez, Lee, Davidson, and Thelwell, with Mitchell as captain—posted 1029.42. Antigua and Barbuda retained the title on 1097.57; Guyana took silver on 1088.51.

In that team event Ford led Jamaica on 142.10, just ahead of Nelson on 138.7. Anderson scored 132.7 and Davidson 132.4. Guy-Chin recorded 126.4, Nunez 123.3, Lee 120.3, and Thelwell 116.4. The medal run highlighted depth and resilience against larger, more experienced squads.

Medals and placings aside, the week showed Jamaica still commands respect in Caribbean full bore. Regular top finishes in individual and team events point to experienced leadership, reliable performers, and a base that can push for regional titles.

Focus will slowly turn to 2027, when Jamaica is due to stage the West Indies Full Bore Shooting Championship. With home range advantage approaching and several veterans still shooting at elite level, the squad may approach that meet expecting more than bronze.

The Jamaica Olympic Association, Milex Security Services, Mayberry, and Pre-Mix backed Team Jamaica’s campaign.