FICKLE FORTUNE

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 56, 7 March 1923, Page 9

FICKLE FORTUNE

MORE SHOOTING SUR-

PRISES

CRACK'SHOTS BREAK DOWN

CONCLUDING CHAMPIONSHIP

EVENTS,

The ups and downs of fickle fortune Jrere well illustrated in the .vicissitudes Of some of the leading marksmen in yesterday's shooting at Trentham. Interest in the progress returns showing the leading men in the progressive competition for the final fifty positions from which the championship is to be decided was keyed up to a high pitch when the list* were posted outside headquarters last evening, and there was much comment on the wavering luck of the leaders, and speculations as to who would shoot into *ho coveted positions. In the earlier stages of the meeting greater enthusiasm centres in the winning of matches than in the progress towards the championship fifty. With only one match to go to complete the programme, bo far as the main objective is concerned, however, all hands discuss with keenness the chances of the men they fancy. Many were the expressions of surprise and disappointment heard around the notice board last j night. The failure of J. L. Turner (Suburbs) to maintain the satisfactory posit) on he occupied at the beginning of the day ■was the greatest surprise of all. When he went out to shoot in the morning he was running second with 311 points, only 2 behind F. H. James, of Napier. He lost a little ground in the Otago match at 800 and 900 yards, and by reason of his utter collapse at the 1000 yards mound in\the Taranaki match, he wa3 eliminated altogether from the leading fifty. His failure was as puzzling to him as to hia sympathisers, his total of 15 out of a 50 possible, which included five misses, being a most unac-' .countable thing. F. H. James seems i to have " cottoned onto" the tricky atmospheric conditions with greater success, for he remained in one of the leading positions, only surrendering his place at the top of the list to Captain Nielson, of Napier, who went up from third place. J. Bryden (Kaiapoi), who has been shooting well right throughout the meeting, dropped,from fifth place to thirty-seventh by reason of going a little off form, and Captain W. N. Masofield (Sounds), another reliable shot, made a similar- fall. Almost as great a surprise as in Turner's case was caused by the ■" crash " of F. J. King (Okawa), who had a day off with 68 and 27 in the two matches, a collapse which wiped him also out of the fifty. Curiously enough, hia namesake, R. J. King, of Opaki, struck form with 84 and 46 respectively, and gained a place fifteenth on the list. The wonderful veteran, W. H. Thomas (Linton), showed his mettle, despite his adj ;vancing years, by leaping up three rungs 'on the ladder, while C. Whiteman, the Suburbs exponent, made still greater progress. The Maori rifleman, J. Te Whaiti (Tuhirangd) was ' another who cracked up at the long ranges fired at during the day. The fifty, as ported up last evening, with only one match to. affect the. positions, was'as follows:—': •"" ; .? j Captain A. Nielson (Napier) 431 F. H. James (Napier) 429 ,B. C. Barkle (Suburbs) 429 (H, V. Croxton (Karon) 429 C. Whiteman (Suburbs) 428 S. |J. Mayhew (Linton) „,...-.. 426 Wy H. West (Blenheim) 425 tL.|G. Loveday (Linton) .„ 423 \W.j H, Thomas (Linton) 423 I /G.:A. Eyles (Napier) 421 ;iW % J. Green (Okawa) 421 iJ. F. Thompson (Greytown) ........ 419 \3. C. Carter (Petone) _... .. 419 ,O. Hood (Opaki) ......t. 419 E, J. King (Opaki) 419 J. ,F. Sunnex (Flaxbourne) 418! ,W. Mills (Kiwi) :.... 418 I lEi E. Hester (Suburbs) 418 'C. J. Nix (Featherston) <„ 418 •IT. Needham (Linton) 417- ---' A. J. Henderson (Linkwater) 417 T. Ore (Greytownj 417 D.j J. Anderson (Kaituna) 416 iE.'Vennell (Te Wharau) 416 fW. E. Aston (Old Navala) 416 'A. V. Swanson (Karori) ..• 415 'A. Harris (Suburbs) 415 J. W. Paynter (Blenheim) .'.. 415 P. J. Nicholls (Greytown) ..„ 415 H. C. Jones (Okawa) 414 U. R. Smith (Kaponga) ...; 414 P. O. Veale (Akarana) „.. 414 J. A. Munro (Wyndham) 414 H. C. Trotman -(Greytown) 414 A. S. T. Butler (Karori) 414 'A. J. Green (Westport) _ 414 J. A. Bryden (Kaiapoi) ;.. 413 S. ,Higgs (New Plymouth) 413 H. Frankland (Foston) 413 ' W. N. Masefield (Sounds) 413 J. H. Cheesman (Blenheim) 411 L. Pask (Linkwater)' 410 W. J. Feast (Opaki) 410 R. Gillick (Kiwi) 410 P. B. Goldfinch (Old Navals) ...... 410 E. T. Haldarie (Waipukurau) 409 W. H. Ballinger (Petone) 409 AY. K. Williams (Ohura) 409 J. H. Ross (Suburbs) 408 W. Feast (Greytown) -. 408 THE IMPERIAL AGGREGATE. The total of the scores made in the Maryborough, Canterbury, Otago, Taranaki, and Dominion matches revealed W. J. Green (Okawa) as the winner of the Imperial aggregate. The winners of prizes in order of merit .are as follow:— £10— W. J. Green (Okawa) ......... 392 £B—L. G. Loveday (Linton) 384 £5—H. V. Croxton (Karori) ;. 383 £5—A Nielson (Napier) 382 £4—T. Orr (Greytown) '.'.. 381 £4—J. W. Paynter (Tuamarina) . . 381 £3—P. O. Veale (Akarana) 381 £3—H. H. Moss (Riverton) 379 £2—W. H. West (Blenheim)' 379 £2—A. R. Barker (Linkwater) ... 377 £2—W. J. Feast (Opaki) '.....-. 376 £2— G. Hood (Opaki) 375

£1 each-r-H. T. Boon (Karori), 375; A. V. Swanson (Karori) 374, R. C. Barkle (Petone), J. A. Munro (Wyndham), A. J. Henderson (Linkwater), 372 each; H. Griffiths (Westport), A.- S. T. Butler (Karori), J. P. Thompson (Greytown), 371 each; R. J. King (Opaki), F. Sharland (Blenheim), E. Vonnell (Te Wharau), F. H: James (Napier), W. N. Mascfield .(Sounds), 369 each; P. J. Nichols (Greytown), C; Whiteman (Suburbs), W. J. Crimp (Kiwi), 368 each; H. Simmonds (Wanganui), 367; S. J. Mayhew (Linton), G. A. Eyles (Napier), 366 each; E. T. Haldane (Waipukurau), W. E. Aston (Old Navals), 365 each; A. W. Soper (Blenheim), 364; J. C. Carter (Petone); L. Pask (Linkwator), 36S each ; W. Mills (Kiwi), F. Needham (Linton), W. J. Swaysland (Napier), J. H. Ross (Suburbs), 362 each. Four competitors were counted out. >s CHAMPION RIFLE TEAM. The Champion Teams Match, open to teams of five men) and fired at distances of 300, 500, and 600 yards, subject to certain time-limit restrictions, attracted eighteen entries. The match resulted as follows, the winning team taking the District Challenge Shield :-- -£lo—Greytown Rifle Club (H. Trotman 97, J.. F. Thompson 88, T;

Orr 94, W. Feast 84, J. C. Feast 94) 457 £7—Petone Defence Rifle Club (D. J. Guiney 89, J. C. Carter 89, R. C. Barkle 97, T. W. Warburton 84, W. H. Ballinger 95) ... 454 £s—Christchurch Rifle Club (H. Harris 89, R. Piper 97, G. W. Logan 88, A. Halmsliaw 91, L. Pirn 88) 453 £3—Karori Rifle Club No. 2 453 £2—Hawera Rifle Club 452 £2—Napier Rifle Club 449 £2—Kaponga Defence R.C 447 EXTRA MATCH. An extra match fired while the teams match wan in progress was won by P. Jack, of Christchurch, with. 23, G. 11. Taylor (New Plymouth) being beaten on the count,back with the same score, and H. Cromie (Ashburton), with 22, being third. All drew prizes of £1. H. H. West and G. Cromie were counted out.