The Guardian Ireland Match
by McMillan
On September 28–29, The Guardian Long Range Competition will host a match at the Midland National Shooting Centre of Ireland. The Guardian is a shooting event organization that McMillan has supported and sponsored for a number of years. Their mission is not only to host a safe and educational environment for the precision rife community but 100% of Guardian match proceeds support the charity work of Bethany Christian Services, assisting orphans and families worldwide. Since 2014, The Guardian has raised over $750,000, providing resources to families in need and offsetting adoption costs.
Registration for the Ireland match closed in May due to customs deadlines, but there is no registration deadline for residents of Ireland. Only a 90-minute drive from Dublin, The Midlands National Shooting Centre of Ireland sits in the middle of the island in County Offaly and has served Irish sport shooters since 1994. Many long-range matches are held at Midlands, including the F-Class nationals of Ireland. This is The Guardian’s first international match, a tradition they hope to continue each year.
Guardian matches are set up with a two-day format. Day one follows a traditional Guardian set-up where shooters are scored as individuals. On day two, shooters will be paired in two-shooter teams and compete together based on their day one rankings. U.S. participants will be matched with international competitors, creating “a fun opportunity for mentoring, coaching across cultural lines,” The Guardian writes. “There will be obvious differences in equipment and communication that will need to be overcome for each team to perform successfully.”
Prizes will be awarded for both days, including, top three, best shooter in LE/MIL, .308, a female category, and team scoring. There will also be a raffle prize and drawing. Raffle proceeds will be donated to local charities and schools in Ireland. This type of collaboration between Bethany Christian Services and international charities is just the sort of project that McMillan stands behind—each year we see competitive shooting bringing families together and will continue supporting matches across the globe. The Guardian is always looking for volunteers and sponsors to help continue their mission; stand up for a great cause and get involved in future matches.
Britainy McMillan has been instrumental is setting up the Ireland competition. Our Vice President of operations, Britainy has served on The Guardian’s leadership team since 2018 and is instrumental in advancing sport shooting in a positive way.
This is a unique opportunity for long-range shooters who want to travel abroad. Keep watching The Guardian’s website for their upcoming national and international events in the near future. So far scheduled is: South Dakota, June 14-15 ; Michigan on July 20; Tennessee, August 17–18; South Carolina, November, 23–24, and Arizona, December 14-15.
