Members of the Ipswich & District Rifle Club (IDRC) have had a very successful Queens Prize Meeting for 2011, with ten club members, out of nearly 300 competitors, competing throughout the week long event. The Queen's Prize, or state championships, is held each year by the Queensland Rifle Association (QRA) at Belmont.

This year, the QRA celebrates 150 years, making the QRA the oldest sporting association in Queensland. To mark this special occasion, a book on the QRA's history, "Home on the Range" by Bill Casey, and stage 1 of the QRA Museum and Archives were officially launched by Her Excellency, Governor Penelope Wensley on Wednesday.  Another special guest of honour at this event was Jim Rush, President of IDRC, and Life Member of both the IDRC and QRA.

 

In the Queen's Prize, a three-day competition shot over 300 to 1000 yards and finishing on Saturday, IDRC members excelled with John Hislop receiving his highest A Grade Queen's badge to date, 4th place under difficult weather conditions. John was also awarded the National Rifle Association of Great Britain Silver Medal for the QRA's highest scoring member in the Queen's Prize. Past Queen's Prize A Grade winners Ken Lobwein and Rob Rush were presented with the 12th and 16th place badges, respectively by Steve Kilburn State member for Chatsworth.

 

Anthony Logan, who has been shooting for less than 12 months came 5th in the C Grade competition at his first Queens, after winning the MDRA Prize Meeting for C Grade earlier in the week, his first prize meeting win.

In the F-Class Standard divisions, Club Captain Glenn Rush came 2nd in the A Grade section and Daryl Barlow won the B Grade Queens prize.

In the teams matches, IDRC won the Club Teams Match and members of the club were successful in the "Zilman Brothers District Rifle Association Teams" match, coming first. Glenn Rush was a member of the Queensland team, which won the "State of Origin F-Class" match against New South Wales and North Queensland.