BISLEY, England — The 2026 F-Class World Championships concluded with a dramatic standoff at 1,000 yards, where Team USA F-T/R secured a bronze medal in the culminating Richardson team match. Great Britain, Pakistan, the U.S., and Canada entered the final yard line separated by mere points, each squad holding fire as conditions deteriorated rather than eased. All four were ultimately compelled to engage their targets, with U.S. shooters finishing within three minutes of the clock, and the British squad firing down to less than a minute—a rarity for the Bisley ranges.
This bronze medal capped a highly successful tour for the U.S. F-T/R squad, which collectively earned gold, silver, and bronze across individual and team programs throughout the championships. Adding to their achievements, five members of the squad were awarded the coveted NRA International Distinguished Rifleman’s Badge, a significant recognition in the sport. Defending world champions South Africa finished sixth in the Richardson match.
The conditions at Bisley presented a unique challenge to all competitors. The region had experienced over eight weeks without significant rainfall, resulting in a hot and dry championship. This dry spell, combined with recent fires that had stripped vegetation from the ranges, altered the typical behavior of the Bisley winds. Longtime locals noted faster pickups and let-offs, unpredictable direction changes, and significantly higher wind values and brackets than anticipated. For a discipline where precision hinges on accurate wind calls, these unpredictable factors inherently shaped the competition's outcome.
Building momentum for the World Championships, American F-T/R shooters had already left their mark during the preceding British Open. Keith Trapp claimed the overall gold medal in the individual matches, with teammate Chris Fairbanks finishing eighth. In the British Open team competitions, the United States fielded two squads, earning both gold and silver medals.
During the World Championship week itself, prior to the Richardson, American shooters demonstrated strong individual performances, with six members finishing within the top 20 of the individual world championship. Brad Sauve led the U.S. contingent with a second-place finish, followed by Jim Crofts in fourth. In the eight-shooter team matches held during the championship week, the United States once again entered two squads and finished first and second.
The Richardson team match, the pinnacle of the F-T/R competition, spans two days, with eight shooters from a 16-person roster firing 15 shots each at distances of 800, 900, and 1,000 yards daily. With the leaders in a near-tie heading into the final 1,000-yard stage, the match transformed into a tense waiting game against both the clock and the worsening conditions, ultimately forcing teams to make difficult firing decisions.
Twenty-seven team members made the journey to Bisley. Among them, Morgen Fulmer, Dale Lucy, Mike Francis, Kimberly Rowe, and Charles Rowe distinguished themselves by earning the NRA International Distinguished Rifleman’s Badge. Historically, approximately 80 of these badges have been awarded in F-Class, making the achievement of five members from a single American squad in one trip particularly notable.
The U.S. F-T/R team received support throughout their campaign from sponsors including Vortex Optics, Capstone Precision Group (encompassing Berger, Lapua, and Vihtavuori), and SEB Rests.
The next F-Class World Championships are slated for Australia in 2030, with the United States scheduled to host the event in 2034 at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix.
