TRAP SHOOTING

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27987, 6 June 1956, Page 20

TRAP SHOOTING

CANTERBURY TITLES AT LEESTON On two days during the week-end three Canterbury trap shooting championships were decided on the ground of the Ellersmere Gun Club at Leeston. Competitors from all parts of Canterbury attended and others came from points as far apart as Southland and the Hutt Valley. For the first day the weather was dull, but otherwise favourable. The first of the big matches was the provincial single rise, at 25 targets, which drew 69 contestants. With possibles, J. F. Parkin. P. Matheson, A. A. Greenwood, F. L. Graham, C. Stott, and A. W. Fraser shot off. Most of the shooters dropped out early, but a battle between Greenwood (Ellesmere) and Matheson (Hutt Valley) went to the fortieth round, when Greenwood ran out the winner, Matheson taking the trophy for runner-up. Parkin was third. All six divided the sweep money. Possibles in a 10 bird eye-opener, contested by 66 shooters, were scored by R. W. Wright, R. Mcllwrick, D. Dalton, P. Matheson, C. W. Sctott, B. A. Begg, A. L. Watson, G. M. Scott, T. D. Harrison, J. McKenzie, and A. W. Fraser. In a 20-bird sweepstake, L. Kerr, D. Dalton, C. Stott, H. Walker, L. Robinson. F. E. Kelly, and H. A. Cromie shot all their birds. There were 69 entries. S. H. Anderson, with nine breaks, won a double rise sweepstake at five pairs, L. Kerr, with eight, being second. Next came S. Marston, J. F. Parkin, and D. S. Harrison with seven breaks. Cold, squally conditions, with heavy rain at times, made the second day difficult, when the provincial skeet and double rise championships were held. The skeet event, the first to be held on the club’s new skeet course, attracted 38 shooters, each of whom fired at 25 targets. With the only possible, P. Matheson (Hutt Valley) won and P. Kidd was run-ner-up with 24. Shooters with two down were C. Stott, R. Mcllwrick, D. Davison, S. Geddes, F. E. Kelly, and K. D. Smith. Forty-three took part in the Canterbury double rise championship at 10 pairs. D. Dalton (Methven) was first with 17 breaks, while A. A. Greenwood, K. D. Smith. P. Kidd, I. Smith, and D. Harrison each broke 16. A shoot-off between these five ended with Greenwood taking the. trophy for runner-up. Dalton secured first money in the sweep. Possibles in a 10-bird sweepstake were gained by I. Smith, P. Kidd, S. Holmes. G. M. Doyle, F. L. Graham, and M. D. Bailey. Forty-seven competed. In another 10-bird sweep, J. F. Parkin. I. Smith, G. B. Hayes, P- Kidd, G. M. Doyle. F. L. Graham. G. Nairn, and D. Harrison were all on. There were 34 shooters. The last event was a first-miss-out. At the twelfth round, D. Dalton, K. O’Connell, A. A. Greenwood, G. Nairn, and L. H. Greenwood shared part of the sweep, the final winner being Nairn, with Greenwood second. Referees during the two days were Messrs R. G. Allan, E. G. Amyes, L. J. Eden, and L. Kerr.