BOY MARKSMEN.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 282, 22 August 1908, Page 5

BOY MARKSMEN.

EMPIRE HATCHES FOR BRITISH YOUTH. NEW ZEALANDER'S SUCCESS. INDIVIDUAL AND TEAMS CONTESTS. (BI TKLEGEArH—FItESS ASSOCIATION—COrTEIOIIT.) London, August 20. Tho Lord Roborts Trophy for British (Imperial) Schoolboys, not over sixteen years of ago —teams of eight boys,"; a sighter ' and seven rounds' nt 200 yds. and 500 yds.—is now being shot for. ' At present the Natal boys' team is leading with a scoro of 497. England scored 459. ; In the competition for the Lady Gwendolen Guinness Trophy—an individual competition for schoolboys of tho Empire, under sixteen years of age, fired at Bisley each year, same ranges as tho, Roberts Trophy— Colour-Sergt. Wm. Friar, of tho Onehung& (Auckland) Public School Cadets, was second. He was also second in tho Cheylesmore competition. Friar was introduced to Lord Roberts, who presented him with a ma.tch riflo in comihemoration of his visit and good shooting.' Copoland, an Australian cadet, was ninth in the Gwendolen Guinness competition.

ROBERTS TROPHY. NEW ZEALAND BOYS' TEAM. TO FIRE IN WELLINGTON ON THURSDAY. New Zealand has done excellently in winning second' : honours in tho individual boys' match, and it will be interesting to see how the Dominionfares in the teams' match (Lord Roberts Trophy). Under the rules of this competition, firing must be completed by August 31 next. The New Zealand representatives—who have now the task of overhauling the Natal boys' 497, or any higher score—will firo off at Polhill Gully on Thursday next, August 27. The members of the team are as follow: —

- 'Private P. S. Brent, Otago Boys' High School. Private L. J. Ivory, Otago Boys' High School. Private B." O'Connor, Rangiora Boys' High School. , Private WV Cowens, Rangiora Boys' High School.; ' . Private J. C. Williamson, Wellington College; Private J. H. Williamson, Wellington College. Private K. M'lntyre, Auckland Grammar School. ' ' , Private J.Hogan, No. 2 Company, St. Patrick's College.. ' '' Private J. Bennett, No. 2 Company, St. Patrick's College.' ; • Competing teams consist of eight members. Nino names appear in the above list, an extra boy, being added as the " waiting" man—i.e., as an omergency. The South Island representatives are coming up under the charge of Lieutenant-Colonel Cresswell, who, with Captain Mathoson, of the Wellington College Cadets, will supervise the preparatory practice, which will commence at. Polhill Gully on Tuesday next, August 25. ' v ' ' CONDITIONS. The conditions as to ranges (200 yds. and 500 yds.), number of shots (a sightor and seven rounds at each rango),- and. age (not' over 1G years), are the same _ both in the Roberts Trophy teams competition and in the Lady Gwendolen Guinness's'individual match. Tho Guinness must be shot for at Bisley; the Roberts is\ shot for all over the Empire. In order to, enable him to compete at Bisley, Colour-Sergeant Friar, of Onehunga, was sent Home at the expense of tho New Zealand Government,'and stayed in London with, tho hon. secretary of " Lord Roberts's Boys." The following are the principal conditions governing ■ Lord Roberts^,/Trophy competition:— ' 1 ."'f "r The entrance fee to be ,£1 Is. for each team, pa.vablo in England on or before October'3l in the same year, when'the register cards are sent Home. The Education and Defence authorities conjointly of each Dominion, colony, or dependency shall be' entitled to select and enter one teain of 'eight schoolboy marksmen (British boys). The ■ targets and scoring shall be. Bimilar to those in nse at Bisley in the first stage of tho King's Prize. . The rifle'sights shall bo conformable to the same regulations. No "orthoptics" to be allowed. . .. The National Rifle Association King's conditions, together with the special register cards, to be nsed in this mutch,, will be forwarded from Bisley early in each year for all competing teams., ■ . Rifle or carbine must be' of Government pattern, for the time being, and the sights must not be filed, nor supported adventitiously to the rifle itself, nor'painted any colour except black or white (not a mixture). The backsight bar may be reversed, used on either side of tho upright, and a wind gauge slide (Government pattern for the time being) may. be used. > Distances, 200 yds- and 500ydsi The team is to finish firing' at 200 yds. before any member thereof begins to fire at 500 yds. The number of rounds to: be fired by each member of the team is seven, and a sighter, at each distance. No preliminary practice at any distance by any member of the team is to take place, on the day. of the match; Government, ammunition is to be used. , The match to ■ take place at any convenient range, oxcept in the case of tho "England" team. . Ties to be. decided under National Rifle Association rules.. ■ The. competition shall be fired between January 1 and August 31 in each year, in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales, and the Colonies. In England the match shall, if possible, be fired at Bisley, in August, between the hours 9 a.m. and G. 30 p.m. ... . N.8.-The team to represent England shall be chosen, if possible, from boys present in camp- at Bisley in August (vide Lady Gwendolen Guinness Trophv conditions).