The Queen's Medal for Champion Shot (French: Médaille de la Reine pour tireur d'élite) is a Canadian medal instituted on 28 August 1991 to honour one member each of the Canadian Armed Forces (CF) Regular Force and either the CF Reserve Force or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) who obtained the highest aggregate score in stages one and two of the Queen's Medal Competition. It replaced its British counterpart, the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces, after 1992. In respect of the Canadian Regular Force, the British medal could only be won by Army members, whereas the Canadian medal can be won by members of the Canadian Forces.

History

The Medal for the Best Shot in the British Army, Infantry, was instituted by Queen Victoria in 1869 and awarded from 1870 to 1882 to the best shot of the annual army shooting competition. In 1923, the medal was re-introduced by King George V and designated the King's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces. It could then be awarded to the champions of army marksmanship competitions, held under battle conditions, at annual central meetings in the United Kingdom, the British Dominions, Colonies, and India.

The first King's Medal competition in Canada was held for the Canadian Regular Force in 1923 and one King's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces was awarded annually from that year. Beginning in 1963, two medals were awarded in Canada annually, the second to a member of either the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or the Canadian Reserve Force. A distinct Canadian version of the medal, the Queen's Medal for Champion Shot, was instituted in 1991 and the British version of the medal ceased to be awarded in Canada the following year.

Design

The medal was designed by Bruce W. Beatty, taking the form of a 36 millimetres (1.4 in) diameter disk with a raised edge. On the obverse is a crowned effigy of Queen Elizabeth II circumscribed by the Latin words ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA • CANADA (Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, Queen • Canada), symbolizing her roles as both fount of honour and Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces.

The reverse shows the winged mythological goddess Pheme, with a trumpet in her left hand and rising from her throne to crown a warrior with a laurel wreath. At left is the naked and cloaked warrior, with his left foot on the throne dais, a bow and a quiver of arrows in his right hand and supporting a target with three arrows through its centre on his left knee. The design, by Sir Edward John Poynter, was first used on the reverse of the 1869 Medal for the Best Shot in the British Army, Infantry.

Prior to 2002, the medal was joined to a straight suspender by a single-toe claw. After that date, the medal is suspended from a straight slotted bar with a fleur de lis decoration. The medal is worn at the left chest, suspended on a 32 millimetres wide ribbon coloured with a central vertical band in dark crimson, bordered on both sides with 9 millimetres wide black bands, each with a 3 millimetres wide beige band in the middle. The date the award was won is marked on a silver bar worn on the ribbon. The medal can be won multiple times, with each subsequent award indicated by an additional bar displaying the year in which it was won. Since 2002, the bars have been sown centred onto the ribbon, whereas, before 2002, they were riveted to the medal's suspension, in roller chain fashion. When medals are not worn, the award of second and subsequent clasps are denoted by silver rosettes on the ribbon bar. As no more than four rosettes can fit onto a ribbon bar, for those who have won the award more than five times, gold rosettes were introduced.

Eligibility and receipt

All medal contenders have to be actual serving members of the armed forces or Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Two medals are awarded annually, one to the member of the Canadian Regular Force and one to the member of either the Canadian Reserve Force or the RCMP who obtains the highest aggregate score in stages one and two of the Queen's Medal Competition.

Regular Force Unit of Formation Winners

Year Rank Initials Surname Regular Force Unit or Formation

• 1992 M Cpl F.J. Snow 2 Bn, The Royal Canadian Regiment
• 1993 Pte B.E. Walker 1 PPCLI
• 1994 Cpl C.G. Arevalo Canadian Airborne Regiment
• 1995 Cpl J.A.R. Bergeron 1 Bn, Royal 22e Régiment
• 1996 Sgt M. Messier 1 Bn, Royal 22e Régiment
• 1997 Sgt M. Messier (2) 1 Bn, Royal 22e Régiment
• 1998 Sgt M. Messier CD (3) 1 Bn, Royal 22e Régiment
• 1999 Cpl J.R.M. Turcotte-Sorbonne 3 Bn, Royal 22e Régiment
• 2000 Cpl S. Deschesnes CD 1 Bn, Royal 22e Régiment
• 2001 M Cpl M.R. Wood 1 PPCLI
• 2002 Pte T.D. Vanderlinden 2 Bn, The Royal Canadian Regiment
• 2007 Sgt G. McKillop The Royal Canadian Regiment
• 2008 Cpl J. Grondin EME branch, Land Forces Atlantic Area
• 2009 PO 1st Class M.D. Cashin, C.D. Canadian Forces Naval Engineering School
• 2010 Pte T. Hiscock 1 Bn, The Royal Canadian Regiment
• 2011 Capt K. Barling RCAF Aerospace Eng Support Sqd
• 2012 Capt K. Barling (2) RCAF Aerospace Eng Support Sqd
• 2013 Capt K. Barling (3) RCAF NORAD Colorado Springs
• 2014 Cpl J.C. Bolvin-Couillard 2nd Canadian Division

RCMP or Reserve Force United or Formation

Year Rank Initials Surname RCMP or Reserve Force Unit or Formation

• 1992 Cpl E. Chwastyk Royal Hamilton Light Infantry
• 1993 Cpl T.H. Krahn Princess of Wales Own Regiment
• 1994 Sgt T.G. Irving 4th Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment
• 1995 M Cpl S.J. Baker Cameron Highlanders Of Ottawa
• 1996 Lt K.E. Ferguson CD (6) [a] 1st Battalion Nova Scotia Highlanders (North)
• 1997 WO M.L. Gray CD Princess Louise Fusiliers
• 1998 WO J.R.A. Surette CD (6) [b] 2nd Battalion, Royal New Brunswick Regiment
• 1999 Lt K.E. Ferguson CD (7) 1st Battalion Nova Scotia Highlanders (North)
• 2000 Sgt J.C. Carew CD 1st Battalion The Royal Newfoundland Regiment
• 2001 Sgt J.C. Carew CD (2) 1st Battalion The Royal Newfoundland Regiment
• 2002 M WO M.L. Gray CD (2) Princess Louise Fusiliers
• 2003 Sgt S.P. Gagnon The Governor General's Foot Guards
• 2004 M WO M.L. Gray CD (3) Princess Louise Fusiliers
• 2005 M WO M.L. Gray CD (4) Princess Louise Fusiliers
• 2006 M WO M.L. Gray CD (5) Princess Louise Fusiliers
• 2007 WO G. Desroches Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)
• 2008 Capt S.P. Gagnon (2) The Governor General's Foot Guards
• 2009 M Bdr W. MacKeigan 5th BC Field Regiment, Land Forces Western Area
• 2010 Cpl D. Ferguson 1st Battalion Nova Scotia Highlander (LFAA)
• 2011 M WO F. Duchesneau 2 Canadian Ranger Patrol Group
• 2012 Cpl D. Ferguson (2) 1st Battalion Nova Scotia Highlander (LFAA)
• 2013 Cpl E. Ferguson 1st Battalion Nova Scotia Highlanders
• 2014 Cpl J. Palmer 5th Canadian Division

Notes

[a] Lieutenant K.E. Ferguson won his first five medals, the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces, in 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985 and 1990.
[b] Warrant Officer J.R.A. Surette won his first five medals, the Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces, as a Regular in 1981, 1983, 1984 and 1985 and as a Reservist in 1989.