THE KING'S PRIZE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 59, 8 March 1912, Page 8

THE KING'S PRIZE.

WOJT IT LOTXSAT. SHOOTTNG TN THE BATS'. MERRILEES WINS SERVICE MATCH. (By Telegraph.—Frew AfixJaOoo.) TRENT-TAM, Thnnday. Boisterous weather greeted the final day of the Dominion Rifle Association's meeting. All that had been left to finish was the service championship (a feature of the programme) and the king's Match for the Ballinger Championship Belt. At 8.15 a.m. when the 50 mustered to decide the service championship it was ! raining smartly, and - the wind was com-1 ing across the range in great 'boots. The! Service Championship' Match was dr-rided I into three parts, which practically cover- j ed all that a man might be asked to do j in the service with the exception of taking cover. In the first portion the oen i •had to fire at dodging targets at 300 yds. The next was at 500 yds, rapid fire, a first-class target. This was followed by the most sensational feature in which each man had three wooden figures to fire at, one standing, one kneeling, and one prone. The men had to advance from 600 yds to 300 yd*. firing at five intervals, Swo shots at each. When the first 2J

' went away there was a steady rain fall- | ing. and the mist was lying well down on the hills. This made the targets exceeduigly difficult to pick up. The second squad had a better chance, as the weather brightened and the rain kept off. I Finally all hands had to fire five rounds I at disappearing targets at 800 yds. Captain Merrilees. of Tararairga. was the most successful, and although well down in the 50 he scored so well that bje led Duthie. of Christchurch. the second man, by 11 points at the close of the servica champ i onship. At 2.30 the King's fifty were paraded, and after the targets were allotted were marched off to the 1000 yds mound, Somerville range, where the championship was to be decided. { Shooting started just after three o'clock. The first shot was fired, and almost directly the rain came down in a deluge, the wind bursting in with great j force from the rear. Most of the com- j pet i tors stopped shooting altogether, for i there is no time limit in the Xing'! Match. Loveday got a couple of threes for his first counters and Masefield two outers. Roots got two threes and Mflroy a four and a three- In the meantime the bril- ' liant young Christchurch clnb champion, j Norman \vood, who had distinguished : himself by piling on 49 at 900 yds the ■ day before, was scoring steadily. He got four and five with his first counters, i which knocked off three of the 15 point* I he was behind Loveday.

While several of the leaders waited for the worst of the shower to pass Wood plugged away, and missed his next shot. Loveday got four and Masefield, who struck a vei y bard gust, a miss. Roots got two and Milroy a miss. Woods, who was shooting much faster than the others, got tehree. five and two with ha next three bits. In the meantime Loveday got 0. 5. 0. and Masefield 0. 0. i. Mawvneld's r-hanee was now practically gone,* and he drop"ped out of the running. He had made a plucky fight, but with oat success.

Cawocd, who started fonr point* ahead of Wood, was scoring steadily, his first five shots being 0. 2, 4, 0. 5. Wood bad almost finished, his next three shots being 2. 5. 4. Loveday got a couple of threes, and Cawood 2. 5. 5. Wood planked on a four, which made his range total 34, and his aggregate 485. Cawood finished with a two, and a total of 29, which left him three-points behind Wood. Loveday now had the belt won. with two shots in hand. Loveday's last two shots were O. 5. which left him with a lead of seven* points over Wood. This ended the most boisterous and stormy championship ever fired on the Thenthain range, and only approached 5n the history of New Zealand rifle shooting by the champion*hip of 1898 at Oamaru, which had to be postponed, and 'Was then fired in a howling storm. Private Leslie Loveday is the youngest man who has ever won the championship. He is hut 121 years of age, and 1 is the son of that sterling rifle shot, President George Loveday. of the Ohura Rifle Club, of -which the present champion was one of the first members. Loveday is the most brilliant shot New Zealand has, ever produced. He is good at all distances, but favours the long-ranges. He is at present a member of the Woodrille Rifles. He was a member of the last Bislay team, and was New Zealand's representative in the Prince of Wales match at Bssley. All his family shoot •well, and hie- father and brother were both shooting at the present meeting. Woods wins the Rifle cup for the est score in the lying's match. Merrilee* takes 'the Kynoch cup for the highest aggregate scores in the service championship. : Sir Joseph Ward, who was aocanied a very hearty reception, congratulated all concerned, particularly Colonel Collins, on the success of the meeting. No better arrangements, he said, could have been made-. As to Colonel Collin;;, he had an enviable record in connection with the rifie. shooting'. This was the 45th year in wtoich he bad been engaged in connection with riflej shooting, and he had been nine years j in control of the championship meeting He was very glad, indeed, Colonel Collins ' I had reconsidered his decision to retire from • control, ss he was the right man iin the right place. Sir Joseph Ward I said the Government endeavoured to help ' The meeting in a practical way. Equipment, transport. markers and £750 in cash was provided by the Government. He hoped his successor would provide £IOOO towards the meeting. Tie conference which had been held between the presidents of rifle clubs and General Godley was of great import to the country, and the presidents were to be congratulated on the decision they had. come to. They would now be working hand' in hand with the territorials, and would be the second line in the defence of tat country. It was well known the people of New Zealand were permeated with the desire to be efficient far tire defence of thir own country, and thy were becoming as well trained as any body of men in the world.

Lady Ward then presented the prises, Champii- Loveday receiving an especially hf ovation. Colonel Colline also ar. .ioed that Mir. Whitney, manager of tlie Company, had offered to present another cup to replace that won outright by the Kaxori Club. Captain Roach, secretary of the Dominion Rifle Association, was presented' with a handsome gold watch, subscribed for by the whole of the competitors. Cnie—l Collins and Cajtain King testified to the good work and popoiscrty of tb»««ejpi-

The gnthwrrng lumiisilei with cheers for the Prime ifinistor. Lady ■eral <Sodley, and Colonel Goffihm. The soUowiag is the prise list:— KING'S PRIZE MATCH, 10 shots. £35, BkUiager Chsanpion Belt, Gold JaedaJ, Gold Badge of D.K-A. L. Loveday (9th Regiment) 459 26 485 £2O, Sirrer Star, and DJUL Badge. K. Wood (Christchurch).. 444 34 478 £ls, SBver Star utd D.R.A. Badge. A. W. Cawood (Apiti) .. 448 27 479 £l2, Silver SUr Badge. A. Neilson (9th Regiment) 449 25 474 The following woa £5 sad badges-: CsJdtoell (Ksxori) .- 473 1 MseasssM (Sounds) 47& 1 Roots (Kapongfc) 472 'iMilroy (Nelaon) ' Banks (Kimfaolton) 460 (Hyde (Opaki) 469 ! Maingav (4th Regintent) .'. 468' jWiUonghby (Karori) 468 The following -won £2 sad badges:— : Atkinson (Auckland) 468 jdark (Bangitikei) 465 ! Saadford (Christchurch) 464 j Kenning (Nelson) 463 Carter <l2th Regiment) 460 West (Blenheim) 460 Henderson (Sounds) 460 Williams (Okura) 459 James (Okawa) ..._ 458 Monro (Murihiku) .„....-..__. 459 WooHev (Aneklaad) ~—.. 458 Hartneil (Taranaki) —... 457 Xeedham (Lincoln) „....-„-.... 4571 The following won £1 each. etackhonse (KimboHon) 457 Burns (Karori) 457 Hill (Linton) 455

Bollard (9th Regiment) _. 4551 Williams (Ohura) 4551 McLachlan (Petone) 453 | Cnthhertson (Tnamarina) .■. 453 { Mavhew (7th Regiment) 452 BsQinger (9th GJL) 452' Mayhef (7th Regiment) 452; Mcintosh (Waitohi) 452 Jones (Opaki) - 451. | WHkie (Upper Hott) . 451; Smart (Wellington) ..■_. 450 Elliott (Akarana) Bulford (Karori) .^-............ 449 Moss (Bluff) 448 jGuy (Kaponga) ..... —. 448; Butler (9th Regiment) ..«. 448 Hunt (Brigade Signal Corps) .... 448, ! Browne (Bangitikei) ... 446 i ; Hunt (Wellington) ...» 443' Potter (Auckland) 443 Brydon (Kaiapoi) ........*....... 442 Bolton (Opaki) ... 439 i SERVICE CHAJMPIQNSHTP. I Mernlees (G Company 6th Regiment ! £HO 277 ! Dnthie (Christehnrch R.C.), £8 .. 256! Russell (Petone RC). £5 263 Maybew (FeiHing), £4 264, Less- (Oannevirke R.). £3 . . 256 King (Opaki B-C.l. £2 256 Speck (Stratford RC), £2 252 Guy (Kaponga), £2 .._ 252 Balk (Feilding). £2 .».. 249 Moss (BinfT). £2 248 Erickson (Lincoln), £1 ... ... 246 Sinnnonds (12th Regiment), £1 .. 246 H. Evans (Suburbs), £1 .. ... 245 Maeefield (Sounds), £1 244 Elliot (Akarana). £1 Ml King (Christchurch). £1 - 240 Wilson (Christehnrch). £1 ...... 239 Monro (Murihiku). £1 . . 238 James (Oksasm), £1 237 Saadford (Christehnrch), £1 .... 237