RIFLE CHAMPIONSHIP

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 46, 24 February 1922, Page 5

RIFLE CHAMPIONSHIP

EXIT TRENTHAM-ENTER

PAPAWAI

EX-KING'S PRIZEMEN COMPETE

AT WAIRARAPA MEETING.

(prom oob special reporter.)

PAPAWAI; 23rd February.

The sequence of declining prices, slump, financial stringency, and retrenchment has brought about in New Zealand few stranger events than the exit of Trentham as the competing ground for the Dominion Bifle Championship and the entry of Papawai—the Wairarapa range near Greytown. Trentham has been an institution in rifle shooting for a generation, and had come to be known, reasonably enough, as the "Now Zealand Bisle}'." Since 1902, there have been no breaks except for the four .years, 1915-1918, of the war. The championship meetings were resumed in 1919, and in 1920 and last year the. meetings were in full swing. Trentham justified itself as one of the best ranges, and the annual D.R.A. meeting, as one of the best seen in Australasia. Then came the slump and the call for economy.' The Dominion Rifle . Association Executive, looking ahead for a big meeting in March, 1922, had made its preparations even to the extent of getting out a provisional programme. Then the bomb-shell, as Colonel R.. J. Collins described it to-day at Papawai—the Government could not furnish the assistance customary at Trentham meetings and Trentham had to be abandoned, for the D.R.A. (Dominion Rifle Association) is dependent on Government support, and without it, succumbs.

PAPAWAI A WAY OUT.

In this emergency the Wairarapa Association offered its services—it has always been a preliminary training ground for Trentham, because the Wairarapa ■ Rifle Meeting was always held the week before Trentham, and ambitious marksmen always liked to get their eye in at Papawai before coming to Trentham. ■ Colonel Collins, who had bidden rifle shooting farewell at Trentham in 1921, was called back, and answered the call, and, with President H. T. Marshall, of the D.R.A., managed to. arrange that the competition for the Championship . Belt should be fired in conjunction with the Wairarapa matches at the Wairarapa E.ifle Meeting at Papawoi. Thus it is a case of "exit Trentham and enter Papawai." Probably the occasion will be unique, probably Trentham will'l come back to its own ne.xt year, but it is a very interesting occasion, and will be remembered as such, by. the many riflemen competing for the Belt this year at Papawai. Quite probably the opportunity will be taken in the interval to put the D.R.A. on such a footing that it will be able in future to face emerjreiicies like the present without such drastic changes of location. •

POPULAR MEETING GROUND.

The Wairarapa Rifle Meeting has always been popular with riflemen, both for the excellence of the range itself at Papawai, far. less tricky, and difficult than Trentham, • and the abundant prize money offered by the enthusiasm of riflemen and their patrons in the Wairarapa. The inclusion of the championship belt series of matches has given the meeting an additional fillip, and the entries/are already between 250 and 300. Shooting men have been coming from all sides—literally from North Auckland to the Bluff—during the last couple of days, and, as there is no camp at Papawai to accommodate the marksmen, every available bed was taken in Greytown last'night. The picturesque little town —the oldest in the Wairarapa—was crowded with shooting men, the most unconventional in costume of all sportsmen. The one-coach train pulled in from Woodside Junction along the branch line full of men carrying their guns carefully wrapped up against wind and weather like delicate infants, and motors and motor 'buses brought men last night and this morning from the adjacent towns. ASSEMBLY IN DULL WEATHER,

The assembly on the range, which is »h.:tit- two miles from Greytown towards the. eastern foothills, at the base •of which flows the Ruamahanga River, took place before 8 o'clock this morning in dull, soft, and showery weather. Many old marksmen were in attendance, including former belt-winners—Arthur Ballinger (1893,. 1897, 1907), George Hyde (1902 and 1908), and R. J. King (1903 and 1919), of Opaki Rifle Club; D. Roots (1911), Kaponga Club; W. Duncan (1909), Millerton; W. J. Milroy (1905), Nelson; H. V. Croxton (1920), Karori; F. H. James (1913), Napier; W. H. Maseßeld (1914), Marlborough; E. E. Vennell (1921), Te -Wharau. Among other old marksmen present were: Saridford and Reynolds (Christchurchb West (Blenheim), George Loveday and two of his sons from Ohura, Wood (Harniltop), Elliott, Ashley, and Atkinson (Auckland). Colonel R. J. Collins came up from Wellington last night with Captain Davies, who is acting as chief range officer, and in general the gathering may be said to be thoroughly representative. At about 8.30 the men assembled at the squadding posts, and were there addressed by Colonel Collins, as for years past at the opening of the Trentham meeting. \ COLONEL COLLINS SPEAKS.

"Before shooting starts." said Colonel Collins, "I wish on behalf of the Association to extend a very hearty welcome to you here at Papawai. When I bade you farewell, you know, at Trentham last year, when I said good-bye, I little thought I should be at Papawai .on this occasion to welcome you again to a rifle meeting. I thought I had done with active work,, and was going to be a looker-on. But once a man is interested in shooting; well, that interest liiste lor a long time. I felt, when I was asked By the committee of the Wairarapa Rifle Association to join with them in this meeting, I could not refuse. With the thought of the cordial kindness extended to me throughout my experience in rifle shooting and my recollection of many friendships made, it came like a bomb-shell—with the committee appointed—to hear that the Dominion: Rifle Association Meeting was abandoned. We were very lucky to be able to get a range like Papawai for the competition for the Dominion Rifle Championship. It would have been disastrous to! hare allowed the championship to have lapsed. Onder the conditions, it was absolutely necessary to continue the championship, fir else the Bplt would have srone back. Tt was desirable and the donor was anxious that tho Belt should be retnined for shooters and handed on from meeting to meeting."

BETTOR LUCK NEXT'TIME.

Colonel Collins referred then to the efforts made by President Marshall to get the Government to assist, if possible, to carry-on the meeting at Trenthani. In these times of financial stringency the Government could not see its way to assist. They all knew the value of I'ifie uhcotiug ua a national sport and a national asset,' but the grants and privi-

leges customary for past meetings had all to be sacrificed. Perhaps next year they, coulj look forward to a return to the old ground at Trentham, when the clouds rolled by and conditions improved again. The Colonel stressed the fact that this was not a B.R.A. meeting, but the Wairarapa Rifle Association's Meeting at which the programme had beeri extended to include the competition for the championship of New Zealand. The programme had been based on an entry •of 300, Snd the actual number to date was 265, which! was very satisfactory in view of the present conditions of t}ie Dominion. Competitors had to pay their own. expenses, without assistance from the Government; they had,, .lome .to Papawai to carry.on the good old sport of rifle shooting. The Colonel concluded with a few words of advice to riflemen to help carry 'through the meeting successfully. He- was loudly applauded.

Mr. R. J. King, deputy-president of the Wairarapa Eifle Association,, called for three cheers for Colonel Collins, and they were heartily given. Captain Davies, range officer, then gave the order to march down to the range, and soon after shooting commenced. • '■ ■

THE BIDWILL MATCH.

The first match of tho meeting, the Bidwill.. Match at 300 and 500 yards, ten shots each, distance, with 60 prizes totalling £100, then commenced. There are twenty targets on the Papawai' range as compared with 75 at Trentham, and, consequently, progress is much slower. The first range was concluded in the morning, and the best performances as far as could bo gathered were half a dozen 49's out of the possible 50. There were,. no possibles. The conditions were fairly good, the light dull, and fresh left breeze' from the northeast. . •'••''

Altogether the shooting at the short range, with its '.'all huts," must be considered well above the standard of Trentham. The "bull" at 300 is only Bin diameter, and when seven men get nine bulls out of ten shots, and the other is an inner, it is good shooting. In the afternoon the longer range of the Bidwill (500 yds) was fired off, and none of the seven "all buts" achieved the premiership. It was left to Roots, of Kaponga, and West, of Blenheim, to tie in the actual score—96 each—for the first place, but in the count back West won, with 554 as against Roots's 454. Their: scores were each" 48, 45, 48 —96. Piper (Christchurch), and Hunt (Suburbs) were each 96—49 and 47 each. Eyles (Danneyirke), ' M'lver (Christchurch),' and Palmer (Patea), 95 each, with a 49 at 500yds—the best shoot at that distance—shot into next places. There were thirteen 94's, arid .several 91's were counted out. Conditions were favourable for good shooting—a clear, grey light, obscured only occasionally by showers, and a steady breeze from the left, easily calculated. Following is the prize-list:—

BIDWILL MATCH.

■ ' Ten sliots at 300 and 500 yards. £10— W. H. West (Blenheim) 96 £7—D. Roots (Hawera) 96 £5-*-H. R, Hunt (Wellington) 96 PA— P. Pipei' (Christchurch) ......... 96 £4—G. A. Eyles (Dannevirke)' 95 £3—W. M'lver (Christchurch), 95 £2—P. Palmer (Patea) 95 £2—S. Meyhew (Lintpn) ,95 £2—-J. Bryden (Kaiapqi) '. 95 £2—M. M'Leay (Te. Kiiiti) 94 £2—H. C. Loveday (Ohura).... 9t

Thirty-three scores ranging from 9i down to 91 took £1 each, and seven were counted out.

AUCKLAND MATCH.

Later in the afternoon the first stage of the-Auckland match was passed. It was impossible to put the 268 entrants through 10 shots at the 500, so, to keep the conditions fair to everybody, everybody shot five out of hisiten shots. There were several scores of 25 for the five shots, including West, the winner of the Bidwill match, who is in great form, Barlow, Guinea, M'Donald, Swanson, Fraser, and Wilton. The weather is still, dull, but the rain has ceased, and the wind abated.- Everything points to a successful meeting.