A BIG EVENT

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 11, 14 January 1928, Page 8

A BIG EVENT

N.R.A. MEETING

TO BE HELD NEXT MONTH AUSTRALIANS COMINGNext month will see the assembly at Trentham of many of the finest marksmen in New Zealand and Australia. Only one one occasion has Australia had a representative team competing at the annual meeting of the National Eifle Association. That was away back in 1910, but this year the assoeia- i tion has been successful in securing the presence of strong teams from both New South "Wales and Victoria. Special significance will attach to the match for the Gordon Highlanders' trophy, as in. this Victoria, New South Wales, and New Zealand will meet in a triangular contest. The meeting will commence on Thursday, 23rd February, and will continue for a week. Five or six days will be devoted to the struggle for the Ballinger Belt, and the presence of the Australians should make the contest one of the keenest in the history of the association. Already there are indications that there will be a record attendance of New Zealand marksmen. Entries have not yet closed, but it is practically certain that all of the leading riflemen, men who have played a strong hand at former meetings, will once again try their fortunes on the mounds. During the past few months, riflemen in all parts of New Zealand have been devoting close attention to practice, and if the weather is good and Trentham, ever a place of moods, is on its best behaviour, there should, be some great shooting. FROM NEW SOUTH WALES. The personnel of the New South Wales team has already been announced, and riflemen here are agreed that it will be a strong combination. Those who will make the trip are: A. B. M'Leod (Manilla) captain, B. L. Freak (Glen Innes), H. J. Dunne (Quirindi), iJ. J. Channon (Parramatta), G. Forge (Tamvrorth), H. G. Kershaw ((Chatswood), E. Boyd ((Murwillumbah), F. Stockbridgo (Tamworth), E. W. Wilesmith (Junee), A. S. Ferguson (Mosman), F. Nelson (Concord), H. C. Taylor (Queanbeyan), W. Fulton. Emergencies: A. K. Johnston (Queanbeyan), W. J. Fulton (Junce), A. W. Latimer (Lismore). A. Darcy, the Tamworth marksman, was originally chosen to make the trip, but he has since notified the association that he is not available, and his place has been filled by W. Fulton. The majority of the members of the team are from the country districts, but there are one or two city representatives. Recent Sydney files to hand show that these men have been performing with considerable success lately. In a recent inter-club contest at Anzac, Channon secured a 98 out of a possible 100 over 500 and 600 yards. His was one of the best performances of the day. In a grade match a week earlier he put on 62 out of a possible 70 (fourteen shots at 500 yards) when the conditions were far from good. This performance was bettered on the same day, however, by Ferguson, another member of the New South Wales team, who dropped only one point. In view of the fact that heavy rain was falling practically throughout the afternoon, and that proceedings at one stag© were held up by a severe thunderstorm, the .score was a remarkable one. On the same day, Kershaw, another member of the team, scored 63. Members of the New South Wales team are due to leave Sydney for Auckland on 10th February, and they should reach Wellington about six days later. This will give them a week in which to practice and accustom themselves to Trentham —if it is possible to ever become accustomed to Trentham. VICTORIAN TALENT. No information has reached New Zealand yet as to the personnel of the Victorian team. The only advice that has been received by the N.E.A. has been the acceptance of the invitation to attend. Melbourne papers show that steps are being taken to select a strong team to represent the State, and if the leading marksmen are available this should not be a difficult task. Victoria possesses many marksmen of cla"ss, and at recent trials held for the purpose of selecting three- representatives to attend Bisley later in the present year many fine performances were registered. Those who took a, prominent part and who are likely to be invited to make the trip to New Zealand included the following: G. E. Eobinson (Collingwood), L. E. Armstrong (Melbourne Cricket Club), E. W. Gunn (Post and Telegraph), P. A. Davey (Caulfiold), .E. Tyzack (Collingwood), J. Armstrong (Melbourne Cricket Club), D. E. Davies (Melbourne Cricket Club), L. A. Eighetti (Melbourne Cricket Club), W. W. Harris (Sunshine Harvester), and S. W. M'lntyrc (Yarraga). The above occupied the leading position in a two days' trial. Eobinson shot particularly well, and was regarded as a certainty to be selected for Bisley. It is to be hoped that he will be able to make the trip to New Zealand also. Others who were shooting well at the meeting were C. Mues, S. O. Ellis, H. H. Young, and W. Keyte.