Peter Boden

Peter Boden (born 18 September 1947) is a British former sports shooter. He specialised in Olympic Trap clay pigeon shooting.

Boden competed at four Summer Olympics; the 1976 Summer Olympics, 1984 Summer Olympics, 1996 Summer Olympics and 2000 Summer Olympics.^[1]

Boden also qualified for the Moscow 1980 Summer Olympics but the GB shooting team withdrew due to political reasons.^[2]

He represented England and won a gold medal in the clay pigeon trap and a silver medal in the trap pairs with Peter Croft, at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.^[3] Four years later he represented England and won a silver medal in the clay pigeon trap and a gold medal in the trap pairs with Ian Peel, at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland.^{[4] [5]}

Boden first started shooting at the age of 12, when he did some 'rough shooting' for pigeons and rabbits at farms near to his Bedworth home. He then slowly developed his talent during a long apprenticeship at local shoots. He was a member of both Fillongley and Berkswell shooting clubs.^[6]

Boden's first national title was the British Open Double Rise Championship at Doncaster, in March 1970. He scored a the-then record points total of 182 from 200. His second title followed just a month later at Bisley, where he won the English Open Double Rise Championship, with a score of 173 (after a shoot-off).^{[7] [8]} It was in 1973 that he was first called up into the GB Universal Trench (5-Trap) Team.^[9]

It was in August 1975, at the North Wales Shooting School, near Chester, that Boden won his first major national title. He won the coveted Rolex Olympic Trap British Grand Prix, after a shoot-off with rival, John Tennison. They had finished level on 192 after two days of shooting.^[10]

In 1976, Boden headed off to Montreal for his first ever Olympic Games. He was accompanied by fellow trapshooter, Malcolm Jenkins of Dunstable. Boden did not start well in his pursuit of a medal. On the first day, his score was well below his usual standard, hitting just 63 from 75. This left him down in 27th position. On Day-2, his score slightly improved, 68 from 75, which moved him up into 20th position.^[11] But on the final day he hit only 38 from 50, giving him a final score of 169 from 200 targets. Overall, he finished 28th.^[12] However, Jenkins fared better, finishing 18th, with a score of 177. All three days at the L’Acadie Range were marred by very strong winds, especially the last day when shooters were faced with near gale-force conditions. American Don Haldeman won the gold medal with a score of 190. Due to the events of the Munich Games four years earlier; heavy security was in force for all athletes, but especially the shooting teams. But Boden, was not impressed with some of the security arrangements. During the games he said that every journey from the Olympic Village to the shooting range they had a police escort with a helicopter hovering overhead. Ironically, on every trip so far, the security guards on the bus, have fallen asleep – and one day we had to wake one of them up, to tell him we had arrived!  He added that we spend about 10 hours a day getting to and from the site, and of that we were shooting for about 80 minutes.^[13]

Boden had to wait until 1980, to get his hands back on the 'Rolex' trophy. But once again it was decided by a shoot-off, this time he fended-off Canadian, Edward Shaske, a former Olympian of the 1968 Summer Olympics.^{[14] [15]}

In 1981, Boden had to settle for second place at the 'Rolex' with a score of 189. He was two targets behind Dutchman, Bean van Limbeek.^[16]

At the 1981 World Olympic Trap Championships, Boden came away with a bronze team medal at the San Miguel de Tucuman Shooting Range, in Argentina. His GB teammates included: Peter Croft, James Young and John Tennison. Croft was the highest placed British shooter on 193.^[17]

With qualification for the following year's Olympics high on his priorities, 1983 would turn out to be a good year for Boden. He won the 'Rolex' Grand Prix for the third time, a feat not achieved by many shooters since it began in 1958. Boden had finished level with Kevin Borley on 194, so a shoot-off was required, and what a shoot-out it turned out to be. After two rounds of 25, they were still level - on 50 each. In the final round, Boden missed a target to finish on 24. Borley was going straight, but missed his final target to take the title outright. It was decided that they should share the title.^[18]

Even away from the shooting range in 1983, Boden was winning prizes. In recognition of his achievements at the previous years Commonwealth Games, he was awarded the 'Sporting Personality of the Year' by Nuneaton & Bedworth Sports Council. Unfortunately he was not present at the ceremony to receive his award, as he was away in Canada, shooting in the World Championships.^[19]

Boden's good form continued in 1983 at Loch Ness Gun Club, near Invermoriston, where he won the Scottish Olympic Trap Grand Prix, which also was a GB Selection Shoot. His score of 194, narrowly beat teammate Peter Croft, by just one target.^[20]

At Garlands Shooting Ground, near Tamworth in 1983, he won The English Open Olympic Trap Grand Prix with a score of 195, two ahead of second placed Kevin Borley. This was the final GB Selection Shoot before the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Boden's victory ultimately secured his place at the games. The event at Garland's was sponsored by a Cuban cigar company. Boden walked away with the 'Punch Cigars Challenge Trophy'.^{[21] [22]}

Back at Loch Ness Gun Club In 1984, Peter Croft was in unstoppable form, with a score of 198, outscoring Boden by five targets.^[23] But in the 1985 staging of the event, Boden regained the title, scoring 195, two targets clear of Ian Peel.^[24]

In November 1991, Boden picked-up three medals at the World Championships in Perth, Australia. He became the Individual World Champion at Double Trap, scoring a total of 173, two targets ahead of American, Bret Erickson.^[25] He then won the team gold medal; also in Double Trap with GB teammates, Peter Croft and Kevin Gill. Boden and his two teammates also picked-up the silver medal in the Olympic Trap competition. Boden was the top British shooter on 191.^[26]

In September 1993, Boden was a member of the winning England team at the Home Countries International Olympic Trap Competition, at Chatcombe Estate Shooting School, near Cheltenham. With a total score of 1,131, England won by 16 targets from second placed Scotland, 20 ahead of Wales and 27 clear of Ireland. Boden was the third highest English shooter on 190, one behind James Garland and two behind Peter Croft. High Gun of the event was Ireland's David Evans with an excellent score of 194.^[27]

At the Famous Grouse Birmingham Grand Prix at Garlands Shooting Ground, near Tamworth, in July 1994, he shot the perfect 100-straight. For his efforts he won a car - a 15,000ドル VW Golf Gti.^[28] This was the biggest ever prize achieved in domestic competition. Shooting only 95 on the first day of the 2-day event; he still managed to overcome the other 115 competitors with a score of 195, two targets clear of second placed, Andreous Kalekas.^[29]

Boden was an engineer by trade and during the 1970s/1980s worked for the now defunct, Wickman Wimet, (later Sandvik) in Coventry. Here, he was a highly skilled Diamond Turner of tungsten carbide hard metal. After leaving Sandvik, his hobby became his livelihood as a shooting coach at Garlands Shooting Ground. He later became an employee of cartridge manufacturers, Lyalvale Express .^[30]

• 1947 births
• Living people
• British male sport shooters
• Sportspeople from Newcastle-under-Lyme
• Olympic shooters for Great Britain
• Shooters at the 1976 Summer Olympics
• Shooters at the 1984 Summer Olympics
• Shooters at the 1996 Summer Olympics
• Shooters at the 2000 Summer Olympics
• Shooters at the 1982 Commonwealth Games
• Shooters at the 1986 Commonwealth Games
• Commonwealth Games gold medallists in shooting
• Commonwealth Games silver medallists in shooting
• Commonwealth Games gold medallists for England
• Commonwealth Games silver medallists for England
• Medallists at the 1982 Commonwealth Games
• Medallists at the 1986 Commonwealth Games
• British sport shooting biography stubs

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