For copies of the 2010 Field Gun photos please email
claire@digitalequine.co.uk

The first weekend in June witnessed a truly historic Royal Navy Field Gun competition at HMS COLLINGWOOD in Fareham. The Crew from MoD Abbey Wood were hoping to better last year’s performance of making the grand final (finishing 6th) by pushing for the title. The final was to be one of the fastest on record

A difficult season lay ahead with the availability of the track in jeopardy as the numbers have swelled at the Abbey Wood site and parking spaces are a premium. With excellent support of the car park users and by training late at night the track was successfully shared. The next hurdle was the obligatory loss of digits and torn biceps as Lt ‘Rocket’ Stephenson was rendered offering high 4’s for the rest of season. A new finger is available in course of supply!

With a week to go the team had established faster times than they had previously achieved, helped in some part by the attention of the BBC who were following the teams progress, by completing a public run in 1:27s.

The progress continued into the competition heats where the crew were drawn next to HMNB Portsmouth the competition favourites and started with their fastest time to date 1:21.69. The second heat saw them beat the favourites and make in roads to securing a place in the final. All was not to be plain sailing though; the next heat saw the team pick up two of the 39 penalties on offer. Undeterred they battled through the rest of the heats and once again found themselves in the final, running next to the favourites HMNB Portsmouth. 

By the first quarter (the curly button up) the team were flying ahead of the opposition. Portsmouth came back at them by the time they were executing the aptly named ‘suicide limber’ and were marginally ahead at the first firing. By the time the team had got to the second firing Portsmouth and the much younger REME team had caught up, Abbey Wood gave it their all, with the weight of the crowd behind them chanting ABBEY ABBEY ABBEY – WOOD WOOD WOOD the team burst for home. Alas they were to be held in third place, but with heads held high after running their hearts out in the fastest final on record.

The crew will now get to represent DE&S next year when they compete against HMNB Portsmouth in front of the Queen at the Windsor Royal Tattoo.

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