Fencing DOMINION TITLES

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30274, 29 October 1963, Page 17

Fencing DOMINION TITLES

Wellington Is Top Team

With decisive wins yesterday in the sabre teems' event, which ended the New Zeefccd fencing championsbps held in Christchurch during the last four days. WeMfngton wrested over-all teem supremacy from Auckland. Caipt.n’ned by R. Brmrrtg who f;r several years has been the covn’ry’s ieadng sabreur. Wellinsjtca beat Auckland by 11 bouts to five and the South Island by nine bouts to two. Auckland came second a 9-7 victory over the South Isltnd. In the men's and women’s fciil team events. Auckland was not seriously chal’eniged. The Auckknd women, especially, ouTclawscd Wellington and the South Island. South Island foil teams were runners-up in berh the men’s and women's team events.

Wellington’s flrsit team success was gained on Sunday, when it won the epee marches. Two of its members, T. A. Bell and A. A. T. EWis, defeated the Aucklander. B. A. Pickworth, who th- day before wen the individual epee title. In the individual contests, the most nrmWtus result wan the winnrng cf the women's fell chansponehip by M'ss P. Satiterthwaote (Auckland). Last year's champion. Mrs J. Fenton (Auckland) was second, and Mrs R. Sherfe (Auckland) was third. This was Miss SriiWhwscite’g first national title. With good technique and a penetrating attack, she will be a formidable defender of the title and may well keep it for seme years. Pick worth, who won the men’s foil championship for the eighth time, also won the epee, a title he had not held before. Pickworth has held the national sabre title, rnd so has now held New Zeatemd titles in all weapons Pickworth was awarded the Maitre d’armes trophy f r general excellence in all weapons.

The individual sabre title was won by R. Binning (Wellington), with Pickworth second and P. Potter (Auckland) third. The former Canterbury fencer. R. O'Driscoll, now of Australia, gave an outstanding performance. Although he began badly im all weapons, he regained form in the foil and epee contests afler the preliminary bouts and came second in both events. He was unfortunate to be eliminated in early pools of the sabre championship.