Bramwell blows away competition to retain Fast and Furious title
Champion Ryan Bramwell described as “intense” the competitive field in the Fast and Furious practical pistol shooting match at Jamaica Rifle Association (JRA) last Saturday.
The 49-year-old, despite a high-quality cadre of shooters, was able to stave off the challenges to retain his title from 2019.
“It was intense as the level of shooting at the club has improved tremendously since 2019. We have gained new members who are hungry to win, and the veterans are not relinquishing their top places willingly.
“In the past you probably had only one or two guys who would dominate, but now there are easily five to six shooters who will have a good chance of winning,” Bramwell told the Jamaica Observer.
The multiple-title holder said despite the tough competition, he was confident in his ability and preparation to hold on to his crown.
“I was confident going into the match and in the end my performance resulted in me retaining my division title as well as being the unofficial high overall winner of all divisions as well.
“I shot a very fast and accurate match, with no misses in 168 rounds over eight stages. I knew I had to execute and shoot a good score that my coach and mentor Anthony ‘TJ’ Johnson would be proud of, and I did exactly that,” noted Bramwell.
In a match dubbed ‘Iron Sights versus Optics”, Bramwell — a natural iron sights shooter firing his Akai Custom .40 calibre 2011 pistol — was a notch above his challengers.
He amassed 799.79 points, beating Andrew Yap (690.72) into second place. Chris Hart and Adrian Randle were third and fourth, respectively.
In the ladies’ category, promising Super Six shooter Police Constable Shayon Francis (175.82 points) won that category ahead of Natalie Baker (161.25) and Kayla Keane (159).
“It is an awesome feeling knowing this is my very first competition and I won. Also, it is a huge accomplishment and the motivation I needed to go forward because this is telling me my potential is limitless,” said Francis.
The annual Fast and Furious competition is the most-anticipated match at the JRA, and with the level of excitement and competitiveness on display last weekend, it was clear that shooters were glad to be back on the range after the cancellation of the 2020 edition due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, president of the JRA Major John Nelson described the competition as “well organised and highly competitive”.