A CHAMPION RETURNS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 57, 8 March 1923, Page 10

A CHAMPION RETURNS

A MARKSMAN BORN

L. Gi LOVEDAY AGAIN WINS THE BELT

FINAL »AY AT TRENTHAM.

The concluding day of the annual New Zealand Rifle Championship Meeting has something of the same significance, for the competitor as "breaking up" day has for the schoolboy. It is a day of anxiety in the first place—of anxiety as to who shall be the fortunate fifty to shoot in the final match for the King's Prize; and secondly a day, to be remembered as that on which, the champion for the en-; suing year is chaired, according to the time-honoured custom, from his place on the range-to'the dais. ; from .which the prizes are presented. Although the championship gathering is now conducted by the National Rifle Association in place of the defunct Dominion Rifle As sociation, which died last year, there was no departure from the usual form of ceremony when the 1923 meeting closed at Trentham yesterday afternoon. Half an hour before the time for the commencement of the championship match a. large' crowd of spectators had assembled behind the 10CO yards line on the S!edd|on Range. The fifty competitors sprawled in pairs along the mound, and shooting commenced a. minute or two before 3 o'clock. This was the' final match of eight counting for the championship, and was the severest test of marksmanship yet made in the competition. A 36-inch bull's-eye target, coloured black and white, was the objective. The weather had improved considerably since the morning match, a fate breeze from the southwest blowing straight down towards the butts, but the air-currents continually changed, and the seven range flags not infrequently were all flapping in different directions —conditions which one competitor described as abominable. Watching the direction of; the' wind currents as indicated- by the flags, the marksmen had to adjust their sights according to theiv idea of the amount of deflection of the bullet and fire before a puff came from ■ another quarter. This is where the science of marksmanship ; comes in. The man who does well modestly says his score is the result of good luck rather than good management, but something more than luck is required to keep on the target under euch conditions, and at such a range. Misses were numerous, and were usually followed by a. challenge and an inspection of the target. One unfortunate competitor, who would doubtless prefer to remain unnamed, "sighted" with » three,', but thereafter completely lost his target, his ■ score after ten shots being 0.- .The.-variable wind, told its tale at every target. Some of the best riflemen fired a four or a five and then went wide, sometimes to fhid the objective with the next shot, sometimes to' fire three or four shots before again finding the inner ring. The wind went half around'the..compass, after. half an hour, but by that time .most of the fifty, had completed their shots. As soon as the result was beyond doubt, the President, Colonel R, J, Collins, , announced Leslie Loveday, of the Linton Rifle Club, as the champion rifle shot of. New Zealand, and while the final shots were discharged the winner was. surrounded by the centre of ...a small crowd of friends tendering their congratulations. Tha match over, Loveday Wii£ "chaired" amids.t cheers and marched shoulder high to the platform, where cups and shields flashed brilliant-! ly in the sunshine. It was apparent that the win was a- popular one. and there was not one present who would deny that Loveday ha,d proved himself, that day and in previous contests both in New Zealand and ■ abroad, the best rifle shot in the Dominion. After an interval, .-the champion mounted the. dais and had placed around his shoulders the coveted Ballinger Belt. _ Addressing the gathering. Colonel Collins referred to the interest and enthusiasm in rifle shooting as evidenced by the numbers present. His first duty, he said, was to apologise for tlie^absence of the Governoi'-General, patron of the asseociation, who was not in Wellington. The Prime Minister and other Ministers of the Crown were engaged at a Cabinet meeting, and so were also unable to attend, but the Minister of Defence had visited the camp in the morning and had expressed appreciation of the conduct of the meeting, and his best wishes ■ for the future welfare of the association. The first meeting of the National.Rifle Association, said the president, had been" a capital one.: Glorious sunshine had favoured them throughout, and had it not been for the baffling winds for which Trentham was notorious, the markitnen would have produced better results. . Larger entries had been anticipated, but when one considered that the travelling and other expenses of many of the competitors amounted to between £15 and £20, it was surprising that there wera us many as 260 members present. The entries were much larger than might have been expected under the circumstances. Many of the competitors wera young riflemen who were- attending a championship meeting for the first time, and he noted with pleasure that many of them had done well. The .association, he continued, did not receive now the assistance from the Government that it hud had in years goae by. but they could not expect very much in the present bad times, "and could only hopo that the Government would be more. sympathetic in the future, .and that it would remember the debt the country owed to the old association. Reverting to the future success of the association, Colonel Collins impressed upon members the need for encouraging rifle shooting in every hamlet and town, so that ;i greater spjrit oi keenness would be bred in the sport. If every member could bring one man to the next ehasipionship meeting, the 'success of the association would be assured. With proper internal support the association would become a live organ isation._ and would remain one of the most .patriotic bodies in the Dominion, The president then presented the cups, shields., and medals to the prize winners, briefly congratulating each man as he came forward to receive his trophies and the applause of the crowd. NOTES ON THE MATCH. Keen interest was taken by the onlookers in the progress of the match. One of the first to finish in a high position was Captain A. Nielson, of Napier, who opened fairly successfully, but performed less consistently with his final shots. A cheer further' along the mound a few minutes later heralded Loveday's success with nine, points more than Nielson, his- score shot by shot being 5434----334345, a total of 38, second best in the match. ' A. S. T. Sutler (Karori), as the top scorer with 39, secures the Rifle Challenge Cup for twelve months. His total of 496 put him into second place, but his comrade at the same target, H. V. Croxton, was still firing, and was running him close. Taking plenty of time in judging the puffy wind, the wellknown Karori marksman finished with a 5 and a 4, amidst applause, his total of 32 placing him runner-up for tho

championship. C. Whiteman (Suburbs), who was the highest scorer in the aggregate before the final match, made only 16, and so dropped to eleventh place. S. J. Mayhew (Linton) made 18, and fell similarly. The complete failure of J. W. Paynter (Blenheim), who had occupied eighth position, was an unaccountable thing. The names and scores of the prizewinners, in order of merit, are as under. The winner, in addition to the Belt, receives a gold .medai, a gold badge, and £30; the runner-up, silver badge and £15; third prizes, badges and £10; fourth prizes, badges arid £7; the remainder receive prizes of £3 downwards : — Grand Agg. Agg. L. G. ." Loveday (Linton), ■ 5434334345—38 465 503 H. V. Croxton (Karori) ■ 2405252354—32 465 - 497 A. S. T. Butler (Karori) 2453554335—39 457 496 A. Nielson (Napier) 053450----2243—28 466 494 J. C. Carter (Petone), 0035----225453—29 464 493 W.- H. Thomas (Linton), ; 5445044340-33 458 491 D. J. Anderson (Kaituna), 0353044255—31 .......: 454 485 G. A. Eylea (Napier), 4552- ---' 302005—26 458 484 J. A. Munro (Wyndham), 0034335504—27 456 483 J. F. Thompson (Greytown), 4450305403—28 455 483 J. C. Whiteman (Suburbs), 2400002422—16 467 483 H. C. Jones (Okawa), 4454----034200—26 457 483 R. Gillick (Kiwi), 4230432----44—26 457 483 G. Hood (Opaki), 3034233----350—26 457 483 H. Barlow (Linton), 033452----3453-32 450 482 H. C. Trotman (Greytown), 5445502432—34- 448 482 S. J. Mayhew (Linton), 305----0233002—18 464 482 C. J. Nix (Featherston), 54----40232405—29 452 481 R. J. King (Opaki), 3300----542300—20 460 480 W. Deller (Upper Hutt), 0244430542—28 451 479 F. Needham (Linton), 204----5350032—24 455 479 W. E. Aston (Old Navals), 2225334304—28 450 478 W. J. Feast (Opaki),- E043----505403—29 :.... 449 478 T. J. Causley (Thames), 0532525342—31 447 ,478 ,W. H. Ballinger (Petone), 3004535333—29 448 477 R. C. Barkle (Petoue), 4333302233—26 450 .476 A. J. Henderson (Linkwater), 5500000433—20 ... 456 476 T. Goodall (Suburbs), 3434----433303-30 445 475 W. K. .Williams (Ohura), . 3545302203—27 „..448 475 P. 0. Veale (Akarana), 4244045003-26 449 475 F. H. James (Napier), 5423----004303—24 451 475 G. ft. Smith > (Kaponga), r : 0520022334—21' '...... 454 475 T. Orr (Greytown), 42530- ; 02043-23 ;....;'....■.....;.:.;. 451 474 F. Clark (Ashbur.ton), 4233- ' 040522—25-: ;...• 447 472 W. J. Green (Okawa), 033- "" 2034304—22 .' 447 469 R. -B.- Hester (Suburbs), i 2534332000—22 447 469 J. Bryden (Kaiapoi), 3000- . • 340522—19 450 469 H. Simmonds (Wanganui), 2030403324—21 447 468 L. Pask (Linkwater), ■ 233----2003020—15 452 467 ■ Also competed: J. F. Sunnex (Flaxbourne), 14, 463, 467; P. B. Goldfinch (Old' ft avals), 16, 449,- 465; 'T. W^'War-" burton (Petone), 19, 445, 464; D. J. Guiney (Petone, 17, 447, 464; F. W. Ching (Karori), 23, 449, 462; A. J. Green (Westport), 17, 444, 461; W. J. Swaysland-(Napier), 14, 447, 461; W. J. Crimp (Kiwi), 12, 449, 461; A. V. Swanson (Karori), 7, 454, 461; W. J. Payntor (Taumarina), 0, 459, 459; W. Mills (Kiwi), 10, 445, 455. A SHOOTING FAMILY. ; " The name of Loveday is. one of the best known in the Dominion in its association with the rifle. Tho male members of the. family have been prominent rifle shots for many years past. Leslie Loveday, the present champion, held the Belt previously in 1912 as a boy, and shortly after the war won the King's Prize at Bisley—the first and only occasion on 'which that trophy has been secured by a New Zealander. Les. Loveday is 31 years of age, and was born at Woodville. He took to the rifle at the age of 18, and won the Belt two years later. He was then selected as a member of the team which represented New Zealand at Bisley in the same year, and he succeeded, in winning the Prince of Wales Medal. On the ' way back from England he competed nt Randwick; in Sydney, and won the "Referee" Match. After, three years, of war service,, partly as a miifiietry instructor at Trentham and at Sling Camp, and during which he received'the Military Medal for _ gallantry on the field, he won the King's .Prize at Bisley in 1919. He has not competed iii the New Zealand championships since 1920. A brother, H. C. Loveday,- who was also a competitor in this year's meeting, has several times been high up in the championship honours, while two younger brothers. Cyril and Clarence, have also distinguished themselves at vary-as meetings. The father of the champion, who resides at Ohura, represented 'New Zealand at Bisley in 1902, and was on one occasion third in the- New Zealand championship. CHAMPION BELT WINNERS. 1861—-Lieutenant Brighton, Auckland. 1862—Private Holt, Nelson. 1863—Lieutenant Owen, Wanganui. 1864 —Lieutenant Morse, Nelson. 1865—N0 competition. 1866—Sergeant Christie, Otago. 1867—Sergeant Chisholm, Otago. 186S—Sergeant Taylor, Otago. 1869—N0 competition. 1870—Lieutenant Goldie,. Otago. 1871—Captain Wales, Otago. 1872—Captain Wales, Otago.*----1873 —Lieutenant Hoskin, Thames. 1874 —Captain Hamlin, Waiuku Rifles. 1875—Captain Skinner, Auckland. 1876—Private J. Wilcocks, Clutha. 1877 —Lieutenant Paynter, Nelson.. 1878 —No competition. 1879—Corporal W. Ballinger, .Wellington. 1880—Sergeant. Okey, Taranaki. ' 1881—Lieutenant Paynter, Nelson. 1882—Corporal Hutchinson, Dunedin. 1883 —Sergeant Kennedy, Dunedin. 1884—Private W. Churton, Wanganui. 1885—Lieutenant Lucas, Thames. 1886—Sergeant Remington, Wanganui. 1887—Captain White, Gordon Rifles. 1888—Hon. Major Purnoll, N.Z. Volunteors. 1889—Sergeant Parslow, Auckland. 1890—P.0. Williams, Wellington Navals. 1891 —Private C. Kruse, Wanganui Rifles. 1892—Sergeant Doughty, A Battery. ' 1893—Private A. Ballinger, Wellington Guards. 1894— Captain E. R. Smith, Dunedin City Guards. 1895— W. -H. Ballinger, Petone Rifle Club. . 1896—Sergeant Wakelyn, Honorary Reserve Corps, Christchurch. 1896—Private .A. Ballinger, Wellington Guards. 1898—Private J. M'Gregor, Oamaru Rifles. 1899—Bandmaster W. S, King, Oanmru.

1900—No competition. 1901— W. H. Nelson, Woodville Rifle Club. 1903— G. Hyde, Opaki Rifle Club. 1903— R. J. King, Opaki Rifle Club. 1904—Sergeant J. W. Ching, Waimea Rifles. 1905— W. J, Milroy, Nelson Rifle Club. 1906—Colour-Sergeant R. M. Irvine, Nelson. 1907—A. Ballinger, Petone Rifle Club.* 1903— G. Hyde, Opaki Rifle Club. 1909—Lieutenant W. Duncan, Millerton Rifles. 1910— G. Halliday, Karori Rifle Club. 1911—D. Roots, Kaponga Rifle Club. 1912—Private L. Loveday, 9th Regiment. 1913— F. H. James, Okawa Rifle Club. 1914— W. H. Masefield, Sounds Rifle Club. 1915—N0 competition. 191(5—N0 competition. 1917—N0 competition. 1918—No competition. 1919— R. J. King, Opaki Rifle Club. 1920— H. V. Croxton, Karori Rifle Club. 1921— T. E. Vennell, Te Wharau Rifle Club. 1922—D. Roots, Hawera Rifle Club. 1923—L. G. Loveday, Linton Rifle Club. *Belt won outright.. HOLDERS OF TROPHIES* The winners of the various cups and other trophies in connection with the annual championships are as follow:— King's Prize and Ballinger Champion Rifle Belt, gold medal, and gold badge of the association; winner, L.. G. Loveday (Linton). wSecond (silver star and badge), H, y. Croxton (Karori). Third (silver star and badge), A. S. T. Butler (Karori). Fourth (silver star and badge), A. Nielson (Napier). Rifle Challenge Cup (to highest scorer in King's Prize match), A. S. T. Butler (Karori). Service Championship (Kynoch Cup, presented by Kynock's, of England, when the Snider rifle ammunition was in use; gold medal) —Winner, C. M. Moss (Dunedin). , Second | (silver medal), H. T. Boon (Karori). Third (bronze medal), R. E. Hester (Suburbs). Grand aggregate (gold medal presented by the president), G. Hood (Opaki). Trentham aggregate (Carbine . Cup, given by association when the carbine was in use, and now used in this competition), F. H. James (Napier). Imperial aggregate: W. J. Green (Okawa). Bisley aggregate (B.S.A. Cup, pr» sented by J. B. Clarkson and Co., of Wellington), A. S. T. Butler (Karori). . _ Islington Cup. (presented by' Lord Islington when Governor of New Zealand)' Wanganui Rifle Club. Dawson Shield (presented by 'Dawson whisky firm), Karori Rifle Club. Club coffee cup, Opaki Rifle Club. Sir John Logan Campbell Shield (presented by the late Sir John Logan Campboll, of Auckland), Wanganuj Rifle Club. District Challenge Shield (subscribed for and formerly given to winning team in the interprovincial match, now given to winning team in champion teams' match), Greytown Rifle Club, _ C.A.C. Cup (presented to the association by the Colonial Ammunition Company), Karori Rifle Club (Team No. 1). C.A.C. .Shield (presented by the Colonial Ammunition . Company), Karori Rifle Club (Team No. 1).