DREARY DAY'S SHOOTING IN THE RAIN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 763, 11 March 1910, Page 5

DREARY DAY'S SHOOTING IN THE RAIN.

TEAMS AND SERVICE EVENTS. NAPIER GUARDS WIN CHAMPION TEAMS MATCH EMPIRE MATCH IN PROGRESS.

■Not. for, some i year's has\ the New Zea- . landV,vEifle-:J:Association , meeting; been visited: by such'atrocious weathW as, pre? yailed -at Trentham. yesterday.;-After'.a. . warm, -■ muggy night,, dawn disclosed low. hanging. rain;:mists,vdriven''. ; across..- the . range'byv'i.a : : hoftnerly,.-...breeze : which gathered' strength every:.hour; Occasion"Scotch':inist"{would"come across, brighiMip ; till: noon; " After,i';dinner,".-;however, ..the ■wind: freshened, to, a;hard;nor'-wester,'- a thick ; pall .overcast.,.the':.; sky,'-theV rain came down: in 'earne'stj ;ahd, 'as'-,it- rained, ■the wind veered round towards\the''south' till, "by tea-time, a. stiff southerly, with driving rain squalls was blowing across the range, arid more miserable-looking men than those unfortunate: riflemen who . still had; sbme.firing : to. do. would-hayc been hard to.find.', Ihe..range'-: : was slop-' ping: wet. underfoot,; and. the Tain got in under one's overcoat and-soaked its disagreeable way, to the;skin.':"As.; might be expected,: the change in-the weather;made "pie"' of the day's , programme,.: and. matters were more or less, in a half complete condition when • darkness -fell: ; ..'in' the'-morning,,'' the" Champion.; Teams' match- .was decided,!.the .honours of. first ■ and; second . place falling ; .to the Napier Guards' and the • Opaki.- Eifle", : Club; A team respectively-..; -The "iS'apiervmen, made' an• : escellent finish with- 472 points, while the Tunners^up,'who. won the event last-j ear, ■were .8.: points behind. An . .interesting event ..was the'contest betw.cen the Australians - and.the. New for' the possession of; the,; Gordon Highlanders' trophy,- the result being a: win for' the -New .Zealand- team -by- 7 points-, to ..-.4; The; United Service ■ match—a' three-range,. seven-shot contest , between teams of twenty men -aside, volunteers v.' riflemen —was; completed as far as; the 'first- two ranges, andpart of the-final. range. '.Some of, the-inen were fifing, in:'the' Empire match all the afternoon, arid will- get off their' "shoots" for the United- Service . match ; this : morning; '■'-. -The :first ■' three ,ranges;'of the Empire.match-^-a'big;coh-,'test. between Australia: and: New' Zealand * for teams of eight men: asider-were completed, the New- Zealanders returning to their, quarters with -a lead, of The,match will be completed to-day,- but what;the result will be is riot easy to fore,taU, for the most promising' prospects ' count for very: little, on a, rifle range — miari "crack up".-.mo6t : unaccountably. ."Another event., disposed- ,-of ■. was ;-.the 'Sentinel -Firing event, the honours:being awarded to the. Opaki Eifle Club. B:team. The ■ C.A;C match—a :teams'-. -, competitibn ■ under..: service - .conditions—resulted.: :in three teams l tying for. first place.. Another .trial. will- take place torday.-.,' '..-.;.■..,

■To-day-'will- be the'.busiest; and;;: by the-state and' prospects of i ..the'iweather at' the -time; of writing,-.the.-most .unpleasant day of the.meeting..lt:will a|so be the most important,: for J three weighty questions will -be settled—the rifle: chani'pionship■ of ■ New: Zealand,'' the rival claims of volunteers and. rifle, clubs,'; .and' the .finish--of the Empire match:-'. An early . start will., be made' -with' - some - '.61 ; 'the . minor events,' awaiting.'; .accomplishment, ..and all.ties will be disposed of by. 8 a.m. /—the C.A.C. tie, .;the; tie between Captains 'Ross' and: King 'for the premier •place in the "King's.Fifty," and'.tho ties -with - respect to several competitors who ■have, qualified for inclusion:inthe "King's ' "Fifty" -and 'the -second- fifty,'.'and for - all of whom- - room '.-.cannot- - be- -.found •at the. tail" end ;of ; either : list. '. In .the. . forenoon , ; there.. will; -; also ' be decided certain teams' service matches— the Snrprise Targets -match; .the.'.Cover match, the Special Service'rmatch (No. 16), the-competition for the Logan Campbell Shield,' the three final stages of the Empire match (at, 800, -900,. - and,looo yards), and the partially-completed United Service match.:.- .-■' :;' :At 1 p.m.. the: King's Fifty will -parade for insoection, and- after drawing for targets will be paired off, two .men to, each target, -and.marched, to the. lOOOyards mound: on the Seddon range, .where at 3 .p.m. sharp; the contest for the rifle championship and the King's Prize will commence. - , '~;'..- :',-'.'.' .-''.- A: special train, will leave Lambton- Station for,Trentham;at 1:50 p.m., to enable visitors from, town, to witness the event. Immediately after, the conclusion ,Lady Ward : will-present the prizes, -and after.,wards. Mrs'.. Barton will .entertain guests at afternoon tea on: the .range. .