NEW ZEALAND BISLEY TEAMS

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 71, 21 September 1905, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND BISLEY TEAMS

RECENT COMPETITION. SOME INTERESTING COMMENTS. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— l have just returned from Bisley, the rifle range of the world, where our team has been to defend the Kolapore Cup, and not being a member of the official team I had the pleasure of looking on. It is said that lookers-on can always sco more points in the game than the participants, and as the sending of the different teams has done a good deal to advertise the colony, a short resume of the teams will, I know, be excused. The first team sent was chosen on the provincial qualification — i.e., the best men from different towns. This was a very poor system indeed, and will always be so unless carried out on a different principle, such as 1 propose to explain later as part of a scheme I have for selecting the team to represent the colony. This team, however, did remarkably well, considering their weakness, and only lost the Cup to the great Australian team by three points. The second team sent was most certainly the strongest, taking the colony's shooting at the time. Included therein was the champion, four ex-champions, three runners-up, and, with one eiccption, the remainder had been in our first fivo at the championship meetings. It is the only occasion in the shoot-off at Bisley that the champion failed to get a placo in the eight, and though doing well in other competitions, we did very poorly against the other teams in tho Kolapore Cup contest. Of course, it must be remembered that this was a record shoot for the Cup, and our men were stale through practising too hard and too long, which the next team profited by, and, I am pleased to say, won, but, strange to say, with the lowest score on record with tho .303 rifle, although the conditions were easier than those of the previous year. The team was splendidly coached by Mr. Willoughby, the Victorian shot, who shot right through with the team in- practice and gave them invaluable assistance Every team should have a coach, who should be an up-to-date shot with the rifle on issue and acquainted with all its tricks. It is useless asking a man who has only shot fairly well with a Martini to coach a team armed with a .303 rifle, as both rifles and ammunition for each are so widely different. A coach, to be of any good, must be a present-day shot, as, of course, the gentleman referred to was, and a first-class one at that. The man behind the gun, however, must not be forgotten, for the team won the Cup and havo received the colony's congratulations. V / The next team, our fourth, should havo repeated the performance, and but for the ABC method of selecting the men, both at home and abroad, >t would have been our Cup for the second time. To explain the defect in the method of selection : The men heie are picked practically from the results of about two or three shoots at Trentham over the ranges of the Kolapore Cup, which leaves any amount of room for weak men to get in. They may shoot a little beyond themselves when abroad, and put a good man or two out of the team, which actually occurred in the case of Sergt. Drummond, he being put out by one point only. Any coach or officer in charge should be al lowed the privilege of putting suc^a man in, thereby strengthening the team. Take my own ca&e. In firing for the Prince of Wales' Medal I had the opportunity of going right through tho shoot for the places for the eight for the Kolapore Cup, and although I finished up very close to the lead, I was only allowed to take whatever place was vacant to take my shoot, and this after making a decent public performance at Darnley. Ido not think it ever crossed the mind of the officer in command whether he should include me in the eight or not, but surely my long service behind the rifle was known to him, and had Sergt. Drummond and I been included in the team instead of the two last men I do not see what would have stopped our winning the Cup for the second time. However, we should endeavour to provide against the same thing occurring again. If the places in the team are to be given to those shooting well at one particular timo, then let it be a very severe test, »o that there can be no possibility of a weak man or two. getting in. As tie selection of a team is not before us at present my mode of selecting same can be left for another occasion. With regard to the shooting in England, I found it had improved very much since I was there last, three years ago. Being anxious to have a shoot at Bisley, Mr. F. W. Williams, of Napier, and myself joined the North London Rifle Club, the strongest organisation of its kind in existence, having amongst its members Instructor Wallingford, of the British Army, who is reputed to be the best shot in the World. The officials of the Club asked ma to allow myself to bo included in a team to tour Birmingham and other towns to fire friendly matches, but on account of the dates of the Darnley meeting interfering I had to decline. Their team under ordinary circumstances were able to average 97 for ten men. The Club was extremely kind to us throughout. Mr. Williams and 1 competed at Darnley, where we witnessed some very fine shooting. Mr. Williams made 34 at 600 yards, securing a prize of £2. I only got into the first match, getting fourth place, winning £4 with a score of 66 out of a possible 70 at 500 and 600 yards. In addition 1 waa twice counted out, and my shooting through the meeting was 39 over inneis, and I was then two points out of their aggregate prize list. We experienced the same kindness at the hands of the Scots as we did amongst the Londoners, and I hopo to have the pleasure of yet another competition with them in the future. — I am, etc., W. H. BALLINGER. Wellington, 14th September.

Mr. A. Leigh Hunt, who has since its inception held the position of Secretary of the New Zealand Farmers' CoOperative Distributing Company, Ltd., has been appointed to tho position of Manager. A meeting of Northland residents will bo' held to-morrow evening as per advertisement. Mr. D. Norman PuTdie, only son of Mr. D. R. Purdie, of Wellington, was married at Opotiki yesterday afternoon by the Rev. T. Anson Cato to Mi6B Maud M. Lambert, eldest daughter of the lato Mr. C. C. Lambert, of Opotiki. The Hinemoa will leave for Onehunga to-morrow morning with a party of forty-five- hmat.ics from the Wellington ana Porirua asylums. A. Rugby enthusiast raced up to the Evening Post window this morning, scanned it, and departed joyfully. Going up town, he told 'his friends that New Zealand liad put up against Cornwall 400 points, and tliat Devonshire was lucky in getting off ,U 55. He is a porfeotly temprate man, only he had read in mistaken application the figures of the Mdrose loan poll. Tho Carterton Public School, the scholars of which aro at present undergoing their annual examination, is to bo raised to a District High School. It is probable that the new status will begin with the new quarter, next month.