Competition For King's Trophy

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 15117, 28 October 1949, Page 5

Competition For King's Trophy

Coveted Rifle Shooting

Prize

The Queen's Prize for rifle shooting was first given by Queen Victoria in 1860 and has been shot for each year since then, excepting the period of the two world wars. It was originally shot for at Wimbledon but in 1890 the contest was moved to Bisley, a small Surrey village which has now become one vast rifle range.

All subjects of His Majesty the King are eligible to compete for this coveted prize of £250, now of course, called the King's Prize, and the only woman to win it so far is Miss Marjorie Foster. In the first of the three stages the competitiors shoot at two, five and six hundred yards, in the second at three, five and six hundred and in the third and final stage, at nine hundred and a thousand. There are more than a thousand competitors and only the best marksmen who have survived the two first stages compete in the third one. Georgie Henschel, broadcasting in the B.B.C's. Overseas Service in "In Britain Today," added an amusing note about this year's prize winner, Captain E. W. Brookes. When reporters asked him to what he attributed his success Captain Brookes said, "I practise aiming in the sitting room at home!" This is not as fantastic as it sounds for much of the art of rifle shooting lies in assuming a comfortable position for firing and practice need not always entail actual shooting.