At the age of 13, young Jess Varley is anything but average. A Form Two student at Oundle School, she is best known for her sporting talents, which are just astounding.

At the age of 5, Jess got her first pony, and from then on, her passion for riding grew. Her talent for running was discovered when she was at Stamford’s Copthill School where she amazed everyone with her talent. Her other talents in shooting, swimming and fencing followed suit. She started to compete competitively in tournaments at the age of 11 in 2006.It was the same year she was enrolled in the Burghley Pony Club. She has now done more than eight events ranging from cross country, biathlon, triathlon, tetrathlon and pentrathlon. Having a personal best of three minutes seven seconds for 1000m, at the age of 13 shows signs that she might just well be a successful athlete in a few years time.

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Despite three times having her first event delayed, Jessica Anderson, 8, started the competitive ski season in style while racing in the Inter-Schools Challenge in Les Houches, Chamonix in March and carried her form on throughout the summer.

Representing Warmington Primary School, Jessica, competing in the Mini 1 category, achieved first position in both the Slalom and the Giant Slalom, whilst setting the fastest times for both the girls’ and boys’ competition. Continued…

Despite the responsibility and professionalism shown by members the Oundle Rifle and Pistol Club, and in all shooting clubs across the country, shooting ranges are becoming more and more of a Health & Safety nightmare. In a world where police cannot be trusted to save drowning children without “training,” how can an eight-year old be trusted with a lethal weapon, amongst many other people? If shooting were not such an established sport and so far-rooted into the fundamentals of British culture, would it exist at all in the wake of safety concerns?

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