TRENTHAM RIFLE MEETING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 144, 12 March 1908, Page 5

TRENTHAM RIFLE MEETING.

SH'OOTINQ IN THE FINAL STAGES,

, DYDE WISS THE BEIT.

A GREAT MATCH. , - ' Tlio day of the great match for the Rifle Championship of- Now; Zealand' dawned dull and grey; great clouds, drizzling" drifted over" tho hills,, and the - wind sent flying showers over the valley. Tlio prospect was pot a: favourable ono, but as the day.woroi on" the sky-cleared,"the sun came, out, and gavo for the gusty northerly,' which, however, 'lost force as the hour of the match ;drew near, the day was a fair.' one from tho visitors'' point of viow. From the rifleman's point s of .view, however, it;was not -so.- The northerly buffettedaagainst tho hills behind, the targets, and_ whirled and eddied and twisted about the,-gullies-- and spurs. Trickv fishtails " gambolled across, the .f host of ■' "corkscrews" frolicked after t.~ -t' and the light was bad., '6 conditionsl were unquestionably. Able •• -for good 'shooting. l Shortly after 3 in the ■ afternoon, ,tha bugle rang out, and tho "King's Fifty" assembled in .two lines, fronting-each other,', at'.the squadding posts. The roll was called, and tho >, men thenmarched;off- to tho Seddon Range, and took np thoir positions : on the 1000 yards mound. The crowd' pressed against the barrier, and speculated,- in subdued . murmurs, von the prospects of tho various contestants. . .The scoring-boards,' oblong blackboards on easels, w<>ro; arranged in''a . row. rig' ,J ", along tho mound, behind each pair■ l of .-riflemen; Tliero were two men to each target; and tho names of. each pair, with their aggregate scores plainly, inscribed alongside,' appeared on the respective boards.' ; Then there were" spaces for each individual shot, so that it was possible to note the progress of the match. Each -pair ; was'in charge of 'a range-officer, and a Permanent Artilleryjiiaif stood at each* of, the boards. , The riflemen lay down on the mound,- the Prime Minister's'party, took their seats, ;and tho crowd waited./: Suddenly, from No; 18, a rifle cracked, .and.the report rever-berated-among the hills: Rifleman Cameron, of; Opaki,.,'had fired , the 1 first-shot for .tho • Championship,of 1908. Firing' then b'ccamo general,.-but there- was a deliberation - about eaph, shot . which betokened momentous purpose. Every movement was slow—the bullet was -picked up. and examined- minutely and slowly,- inserted in: the breach, the brcechblook was gently rammed'home, and a nervewracking. pause, ensued. ' 'Anon the: rifleman tfould take a deep, breath, then empty his lungSj his : body visibly, - subsiding; for a couple ;of seconds he would as still as a statue;-then came>the shot, tho nflo dropped back on the arm,? and the eye gazed expectantly, :on ithe distant target,, waiting for-the'result., SYNOPSIS OF EVENTS. • Match. (No. 12)— Won by ; Captain W. S. - King, Llnwood Rifles, with go points. ' i . : Rifle Clubs Match (No. 13)— Won by . .Rifleman W. Franklin, Weber, with, 96 points. y . . Auckland • Matoh' (No, . i) —V/'on- by - Rifleman R.-Hawthorne, Petone, with 95., points., , 1 i Otagcr Match (No. 3>—Won by Rifleman L. Kitchen, "Upper Hutt, with \BO points. .', I . ; , Rapid-Firing Match (No. 7)— Won by... Rifleman ■ Wilton, . Mauncevillei- with 33 points.

. Rapid-Firing Match (No.-B)—Won by , Rifleman Craw, Chorlton,' with 29 points. . .. . Nelson Match (No. Rifle- . • man H. Maivley,.Opafci, with 97 points. Wellington Match (No.-2)— Won by , Lieut. Fi; Bolton, Pahiatua,. with 97 points. ■. . .Canterbury Match (No.. 4)— Won vby • Lieut. White .with an aggregate of 81 ■' points. i ; . Union!. Company's , Cup—V/on by Capt. , ,Yi. S., King, Linwood. Rifles, .with an ■ ; aggregato score -ofi 268. ./ • , ,Carbine' Cup. (Final)— Won by Cap- . tain ,W. S. 'King,- Linwood, with a score Of 24 points. Kynoch Cup (Final)— Won by Private Pearson, Tirnaru, with a score of 28 points. , , 1 - Teams Championship and District '' Challenge Shisld—Hawke's Bay .Mounted , Rifles; aggregate score, 456 points.. ■ New Zealand Rifle Championship and Bal' linger Belt for. 1908—Rifleman C. • Hyds, Opakl. Grand Aggregate, 431. ■ ; Mew Zealand'Rifle.Chaiianse Cup—Sergt, J • V.'. Chlng,- V/aimea" Rine3.Score, 43 paints,