Fairfax, Virginia - Last week we told you about the newest round of NRA Competitive Shooting Trivia, which asked "Who was the winner of the Wimbledon Cup in 1974?" What we didn't tell you is that answer is actually a person very near and dear to us here at NRA - our very own Greg Connor, Manager of the Silhouette Deparment.

2012 marks Connor's 25th year of service to the NRA, but back in 1974, then Chief Warrant Officer Connor was a member of the United States Marine Corps Shooting Team.

Connor's win is chroncicled in the book The National Matches: 1903 -2003 The First 100 Years. Along with his picture (at right), the caption reads, "Greg Connor put the old 5V 1,000 yard target 'to bed' in style in 1974 with a fine 100-19V winning score in the Wimbledon Cup... Connor is one of the Marine Corps finest all-around riflemen, excelling in both High Power and Smallbore competition."

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Time for the latest trivia question from NRA Competitive Shooting history! The question this time around is "Who was the winner of the Wimbledon Cup in 1974?"

For those who are unfamiliar with the Wimbledon Cup, it is a trophy with a rich history, dating back to 1875 when the American Rifle Team traveled to the United Kingdom to compete in the Angol-Irish Championships. The Wimbledon Cup was presented to the American team by Princess Louise as a token of hospitality. The Americans then held an impromptu match among themselves to determine an individual winner for the trophy. Newly promoted Captain Henry Fulton posted the high score among the nine-man team, a 133 of 150 points possible for 30 shots at 1000-yards range.

The Wimbledon Cup was then returned to the United States and placed in annual competition at Creedmoor as the trophy for a long range match open to any rifle, and the trophy is now currently awarded in the NRA National High Power Long Range Championships.

To win, just email your answer to compadmin@nrahq.org no later than 4:00 p.m. EST Monday, March 12. Correct answers will entered into a drawing for a 2011 National Matches Under Armour Polo. Don't forget to put "Trivia" in the subject line of your email. Good luck!

Two years ago, world-renowned military and law enforcement artist Dick Kramer began producing stunning artwork that captures the spirit of the National Matches at Camp Perry. In 2010, Kramer crafted a piece based on the National Pistol Championships and in 2011 he did the same for the Smallbore phase of the National Matches.

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With 2012 underway, why not start the New Year off with a new program at your club or range? The NRA Club Champion Challenge is a fun and exciting way to do just that - and to see who is the best all-around shooter in your club or shooting organization.

Getting started couldn't be more simple - learn more about the NRA Club Champion Challenge and register your event online at www.nraclubchamp.com. NRA provides the courses of fire to choose from and even provides awards including medals and belt buckles for champions. So what are you waiting for? Start 2012 with a "bang" by holding an NRA Club Champion Challenge at your range or club!

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Kyle's Story #2 from 2011 - Bernosky takes High Power title at Camp Perry

This past August, Carl R. Bernosky of Ashland, Pennsylvania, shot his way to his 9th NRA National High Power Rifle Championship at the NRA National Rifle & Pistol Championhips – better known as Camp Perry.

A National Guard training facility on the shores of Lake Erie, near Port Clinton, Ohio, Camp Perry has been home to NRA's national championships for 102 years.

The matches, which take place during July and August, have become notorious for their harsh gusts of wind, sweltering heat and storms that come off the lake with little warning.

Camp Perry is where the big names in shooting go to lay claim to their abilities. The courses of fire for each of the five championships are so great that they act as a form of attrition in determining the champion. Once the last shot has been meticulously aimed and fired, there is no doubt that the shooter with the gold medal, standing atop the podium, was the best one out there.

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With just a few shopping days left until Christmas, I've decided to put together my top ten picks (in no particular order) of great stocking stuffers for the shooting enthusiast in your life. If none of these options will work for those hard-to-buy-for shooters on your list, I suggest you trade them in for a new friend or family member who is less picky or has better taste. If you think I've left a "must have" off the list, leave a comment so I can see what I've missed! 

1. Noveske Shooting Team 3-Gun Outlaw Instructional DVD

This is a great DVD for those who are new to 3-gun competition or looking to step up their game. Jansen Jones and Rob Romero from the Noveske Shooting Team take viewers through advanced techniques for 3-gunning including transitions, shooting positions, strategy, and more. It's not the same as attending a Noveske 3-Gun Training Class, but it's the next best thing to learn from two of the country's top competitors.

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It's time for another round of the NRA Competitive Shooting Trivia Contest! In the last contest, Kimberly Baggerly and hundreds of others correctly answered the question, "Who was the 2001 NRA Bianchi Cup Champion?" The answer? Doug Koenig!

This week we're jumping into High Power Rifle by asking: Who was the 1988 NRA High Power Rifle National Champion? To enter, just e-mail the correct answer to compadmin@nrahq.org by 4:00 PM, Monday, December 19 to be entered in the drawing for a 2011 National Matches Under Armour polo (pictured above) Make sure to put "trivia contest" in your subject line. All correct answers will be entered into the drawing.

Good luck, and keep checking back for more trivia contests. Your knowledge of NRA Competitive Shooting could win you some great gear!

November's issue of Shooting Sports USA brings us the third and final part in a series by Jock Elliott on pressure during a match and how some of the top shooters in the world handle their nerves. You can find Part I here and Part II here.

The Fine Art of Not Cracking Under Pressure - Part III

Lones Wigger, Smallbore Rifle

It’s pretty complicated--this subject of dealing with pressure. I’m a precision shooter and have learned to excel in that discipline. You’ve got to learn to shoot the desired scores at home and in training. And once you’re capable of shooting the scores, you may not shoot the same way in the match because of the match pressure. As a result, it takes 3-4 years to learn how to shoot, and another 3-4 years to learn how to win–to deal with the match pressure. It takes several more years to learn how to do it when it counts.

To win, there are several things you have to learn how to do. You have to do it from within. You have to learn how to train just as if you were in a big competition. You work on every shot. You have got to learn to treat it just like a match–to get the maximum value out of every shot. You have got to use the same technique in practice and in training. A lot of shooters have a problem because they change their technique from practice to the match. In competition, you work your ass off for every shot. You have to approach the training the same way.

A second way to combat pressure is to shoot in every competition you can get into so that you become accustomed to it.

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NRA Competitive Shooting is releasing a new, more accessible version of its wildly popular conventional tournaments with the NRA Club Champion Challenge.

Today, NRA Competitive Shooting unveiled the “NRA Club Champion Challenge”, a new recreational shooting event for hometown shooting clubs, businesses and civic organizations. These events will be fun, relaxing, and will encourage your members to try a variety of disciplines and courses of fire.

What it is not is a high level competition using state of the art competitive equipment and the use of this equipment should be discouraged. Any club or organization can participate and any range can configure a challenge. NRA membership is not a prerequisite.

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