British Sporting Grand Prix

The 2012 FITASC Sporting Grand Prix of Great Britain (officially promoted as the British Sporting Grand Prix) was a premier international clay target shooting competition held from 14th to 15th July 2012. This high-profile tournament brought together elite domestic and international marksmen to face a demanding 200 FITASC targets course in the Sporting discipline (Parcours de chasse). The event was set at the rural, wooded expanses of Hicknaham Farm in Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom.

Event Highlights & Visual Analysis

Based on the official promotional poster, the championship combined British national prestige with high-caliber course architecture:

  • Graphic Identity: The left half of the image is dominated by a sweeping, high-contrast photograph of a rippling Union Jack (British National Flag), serving as the back-drop for the main title text.

  • Masterclass Course Design: A key selling point highlighted on the flyer is that the tournament layout was "Course designed by George Digweed MBE". As a legendary multi-time World Champion in Sporting and Compak disciplines, Digweed's signature target setters guaranteed highly technical, deceptive, and world-class target trajectories.

  • Capacity Constraints: Registration for the event was strictly capped, with the poster noting that booking was "Limited to 216 entries" to ensure smooth, unhurried squad rotations over the two-day schedule.

1. Full Event Program & Schedule

The tournament operational timeline distributed the technical 200-target target menu evenly across the mid-summer weekend:

  • 12th – 13th July (Thursday – Friday): Arrival of international and domestic delegations, squad checking, official shooter check-in, weapon safety compliance verifications, and practice grids open to shooters.

  • 14th July (Saturday) — Grand Prix Day One: Initial qualification rounds consisting of the first 100 competition targets open over the specialized country layouts.

  • 15th July (Sunday) — Grand Prix Day Two: Concluding qualification flights consisting of the final 100 competition targets. Any deadlocks for podium positions are immediately resolved via sudden-death international tie-breaking shoot-offs (barrages).

  • 15th July (Sunday) — Closing Ceremony: Official prize awarding ceremony staged late Sunday afternoon to crown individual, category, and national team winners.

2. Venue Profile & Precise Location

All operations, shooting layouts, and technical stands were hosted at a working farm location well-suited to the natural, unpredictable flight arcs of traditional sporting clay targets:

Host Venue: Hicknaham Farm Littleworth Road, Burnham SL1 8PG, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom

3. Organizing Committee & Booking Information

Advanced competitor registration, entry grids, and event inquiries were handled via specialized regional and international regulatory channels:

  • Executive Event Contact: Nick Woodward

  • Enquiries Telephone Line: +44 (0)7771 904390

  • Official Operational Email: nick@spgc.freeserve.co.uk