Stunners in Silver Above is the NRA Leech Cup on the left and Wimbledon Cup on right. Click HERE to download the 2024 NRA National Matches Program in PDF >> The NRA National Matches 2024 at Camp Atterbury will begin next week, July 22, 2024. They will run until August 19, 2024. The top rifle competitors will want their names to be associated with the famous NRA perpetual trophy. This article covers notable trophies such as the Leech Cup and the Wimbledon Cup. Shooting Sports USA published an interesting article on the Perpetual Trophies that are awarded at NRA national matches. The article recounts the history of the elaborate trophies. Some date back to the 1870s. Jennifer Pearsall, SSUSA, writes: “The pieces made of wood and precious metals are more than a simple recognition of achievement. They are a link between the present and patriotic past of an American shooter. As you read about the NRA ranges and their founders and the long list cups, bowls and plaques that they have won, you will realize how important competitive shooting has been to the founding of this country. Click HERE to read the full story. Col. William Church (ranked Captain) and Gen. George Wood Wingate, who was then a General, co-founded the NRA. Both Church and Wingate wanted to improve the marksmanship of American soldiers. The newly formed NRA issued “An Act To Establish A Rifle Range And Promote Skill In Marksmanship” as one of its first actions. This led to the opening in June 1873 of the famous Creedmoor Range with a special first match. Many of the awards given out at the first NRA matches included cash or firearms. Some of these firearms had been heavily embellished. In the first match, a 22nd New York Regiment member took home a Winchester Model 1866 with gold mountings valued at $100 – a lot of money in those days.
In the 1870s, shooting competitions were both social and sporting events. Ladies and gentlemen gathered to cheer on the winners. This illustration from Harpers Weekly depicts the shooters at the 1876 Grand Centennial Championship, the “Palma” match, and the spectators. The Leech Cup – A Gift from Ireland
The Leech Cup was designed for the first meeting between the American and Irish shooting team. Major Arthur Leech presented the elaborate cup to the Amateur Rifle Club of New York, as captain of the Irish team. The New York Club later donated this masterpiece of Irish silversmithing to the NRA, in 1901. The Leech Cup, which is awarded at the National High Power Long Range Championships, is the oldest trophy in the NRA’s competitive target shooting. Michelle Gallagher in 2013 with the Leech Cup.
Wimbledon Cup
The Wimbledon Trophy is a gift of the NRA in Great Britain. The Wimbledon Trophy was given as a sign of sportsmanship after the U.S. The U.S. Team was denied the opportunity to compete in England’s Elcho Shield Match, which was then limited to Britain and Scotland. To maintain friendly competition, the British gave the Americans a large, engraved tankard trophy that would be awarded annually to the U.S. Champion long-distance Rifleman. The Palma Team Trophy
The Palma Trophy, originally named the Centennial Trophy in honor of the Centennial Celebration of the Independence of the United States of America was commissioned by Tiffany’s for $1,500. The bronze trophy was a full size replica of the Roman Legion standard. It had silver and gold inlay. The legend “In the name of America to Riflemen of all the world” was written on the banner of this standard. Above the banner, an eagle held in its talons a palm leaf wreath and a plaque with the word “PALMA”, which is the Latin word for palm, which the Romans used to denote victory or excellence. The word Palma being so easily visible, the trophy was soon referred to as the “Palma Trophy” and by 1878 it was officially referred to by that name. The original seven-and-a-half foot trophy has been lost since 1954. A copy of the original trophy, commissioned by Dr. Herbert M. Aitken from Eau Claire in Wisconsin, is now on display. The original Tiffany blueprints were used to make the copy, which cost $32,500. Dr. Aitken gave this copy of Palma Trophy to NRA so that it can be used in the Palma Match. The trophy is kept by the winning team for the next Palma Match. In 2008, the Palma Trophy returned to NRA. It was decided that, once refurbished and returned to NRA as a safekeeping, the trophy would travel to the host country for the match every 4 years. The Palma Team’s first competition was a challenge match to which the British Commonwealth countries were invited. The match was held in 1876 on Long Island at the old Creedmoor Range as part of the Centennial Celebration of the United States. The match was played by teams from Scotland, Ireland Canada, Australia and the United States. The match is fired every four years.
