On 23 September 2024, a 50 year old Australian Record was broken with one Western Australian replacing another Western Australian’s name on the Youngest Winners Honour List.
In 1974, Elizabeth Kerr (then Libby Felton) won the WARA Queens Prize at 30 years of age and by doing so became the youngest Australian female athlete to win an Australian Kings/Queens Prize. She went on to win the 1975 QRA Queens Prize. In 1976, Elizabeth would contest a three-way shoot of for the NRAGB Queens Prize in Bisley.
Fast forward 50 years, the record is overtaken by 22 year old Jessie Craigie from Yarloop Rifle Club (WARA) when she won the 2024 WARA King’s Prize six centres in front of Rob Sandlant with Molly Craigie (Jessie’s sister) finishing 4th. A remarkable achievement from one of Australia’s young shooting female athletes – congratulations Jessie!
Incredibly Jessie did not break the 94 year old record for the youngest winner of a WARA Kings/Queens, in fact Jessie now ranks as the 3rd youngest winner in WA.
The Schlam Family have a strangle hold on the top two WARA Kings/Queens winner positions. Winston Schlam, at age 21 years and 3 days, won the 1930 WARA Kings while grandson Barry Schlam, at age 21 years 11 months, won the 1982 WARA Queens.
Remarkably all three winners, Jessie Craigie (2024), Barry Schlam (1982) and Winston Schlam (1930), were all members of the Yarloop Rifle Club when they won their respective WARA Kings/Queens Prize. A very significant achievement for a small country town rifle club – congratulations Yarloop Rifle Club!
Jessie Craigie is a worthy new entry on the Australia’s Youngest King’s/Queen’s Prize Winners list which has been published separately.
Click here for Australia’s Youngest King’s/Queen’s Prize Winners list.
