RIFLE SHOOTING

Evening Star, Issue 22896, 2 March 1938, Page 2

RIFLE SHOOTING

THE KING'S PRIZE SOUTH AFRICAN IN THE LEAD ROOTS IN SECOND PLAGE (Per United Press Association) TRENTHAM, Mar. 1. The championship belt matches, from which 50 marksmen qualify to fire in the final match for the King’s Prize to-morrow, were completed at Trentham to-day and, as a result of his consistent shooting in these, the commander of the South African team, Colonel R. Bodley. has a lead of two points with an aggregate score of 439 out of a possible 500. Although he had to sacrifice five points in accordance with the executive’s decision to uphold a competitor’s protest against the time he took in one of his matches yesterday, D. Roots (Patea) is in second place with 467. Third place in the King’s Fifty is occupied by E. M. Wrigley (Opaki) with 465, and W. N. Masefield (Blenheim) is fourth with 463. The marksmen with the 50 highest aggregate scores in the championship matches already fired, will obtain a place in the King’s Fifty to fire 10 rounds at 900 yards in the final match for the championship. The competitor with the highest grand aggregate score after to-morrow’s match will become the _ winner of the King’s Prize. In addition to Colonel Bodley. seven of his fellow countrymen have obtained places in the 50. The long-range matches of the championship belt series were fired to-day. The early morning was calm, and the first men down at the mounds shot under good conditions. After a few details had been fired, a frontal southeasterly breeze commenced to blow, fish-tailing in and out down the range. This wind is regarded as one of the most difficult experienced at Trentham, and many marksmen were unable to gauge its strength and direction. There were an unusually large number of misses, and even men with long experience of Trentham conditions could not negotiate the wind changes. For most of the afternoon the wind blew directly across the range. There was a slight mirage running, but the conditions were easier than in the morning.

The following marksmen will fire in the final match for the King’s Prize: —

The last five competitors will fire one compulsory sighter and three rounds at 900 yards to determine the last/four places in the King’s Fifty. Results: — TRENTHAM AGGREGATE. (For highest scores in Canterbury Match, Otago Match, Hawke’s Bay Match and Wellington Match) B.S.A, Challenge Cup and £5.—L. Serfontein (South Africa) 284. £4.—R. Bodley (South Africa) 282. £3.—D. Roots (Patea) 282. £2 Each.—E. M. Wrigley (Opaki) 282, B. Taylor (Stratford) 281. £1 Each.—F. N. McVicar (Waipukurau) 281, A. R. Symons (Okawa) 281, W, Ekstein (South Africa) 279, F, H. James (Napier) 279, R. Congreve (Old Na' als) 279, A. H. O’Donnell (Petone) £7B, R. H. Nicholl (Petone) 277, H. A. Lumsden (Haulere) 277, P. R. Catley (Levin) 277, F. T. White (Taradale) 277. Thirty received 10s each. OTAGO MATCH. (Ten rounds at 300 yards). £5.—E. M. Wrigley (Opaki) 50. £4.—M. Jones (Wanganui) 49. £3 Each.—F. S. Hoed (Feathcrston) 49, J. H. Kearney (Napier) 49. £2 Each.—A. V. Barrow (Cheltenham) 48, R. H. Nicholl (Petone) 48, A. R. Symonds (Okawa) 48, G. G. Kelly (Karori) 48. Thirty-four received £1 eaco and 24 10s each. L. S. Hare (Karori) was the winner of the B grade with»4B. AUCKLAND MATCH. (Ten rounds at 800 and 900 yards) £5—S. Clegg (Waikopiro) 98, R. A. Jones (Ashhurst) 97. . £4 each —W. N. Masefield (Blenheim) 95, R. Bramley (South Africa) 95. £2 each —K. Harries (Christchurch) 95, D. Roots (Patea*) 94, H. R. Feast (Greytown) 93, C. H. Baxter (South Africa) 93. Thirty-four received £1 each, and 24 10s each. ~ J. Johnson (Featherston) won the B Grade with 94. He takes a cash prize of £3. A COUNTER PROTEST DECISION TO STAND IPek United Press Association ] TRENTHAM, March 1. Interest in to-clay’s shooting was almost completely overshadowed by the decision of the executive to uphold the protest against the tune taken by D. Roots (Patea) with ins shooting on the previous afternoon m the Otago Match (10 rounds at JUU vards), in which he made a possible. Nothing that has happened at the annual meeting of the National Ivino Association for many years has created •aj greater istir among riflemen, ana

throughout the day the whole circumstances of the incident were the main topic of discussion behind the mounds. The position was further complicated when a counter-protest was subsequently lodged by Roots against the action of the executive in .deducting five points from his score. His protest was based on the ground that he had received no warning from the range officer that he was exceeding the time limit. The non-observance of the tune limit of one minute per shot has been discussed by many marksmen for years past, but hitherto no definite action has been taken to enforce it rigidly. The protest lodged yesterday by a New Zealand competitor against the time taken by Roots brought the matter to a head. The fine record of Roots as a marksman, he having won the Championship Belt in 1911, 1922, and 1927, and the leading position he occupies iii the contest for the King’s Prize, and the presence of visiting South Africans close behind him added unusual interest to the incident. After a meeting lasting over two hours it was announced that the executive had rejected Roots’s protest, and that its decision was to stand.

On hearing the decision, .Roots informed Press representatives that he had protested against the action of the executive in making a deduction from his score, because he had received no warning that he was exceeding the limit in accordance with the rules of the National Rifle Association. He also considered he had been unfairly treated because all the other competitors had not been “ clocked.” It was impossible for the few range officers on cl-t- to do that. He also took exception to the fact that he had hot been given an opportunity to before the executive at its meeting in the morning .and to-stat© • his ease,;

R. Bodley (South Africa) .. 469 D. Roots (Patea) 467 E. M. Wrigley (Opaki) .. .. 465 W N. Masefield (Blenheim) .. t t 463 F. N. McVicar (Waipukurau) 462 J. Bramley (South Africa) .. 461 H. A. Lumsden (Hautere) ,. 460 F. Bowes (Auckland) .. .. 459 L. Serfontein (South Africa) 459 A. R. Simons (Okawa) .. .. 458 R. H. Nicholl (Petone) 457 R. Congreve (Old Navals) .. 457 H. J. Brehaut (Okawa) 456 P. R. Catley (Levin) .. .. 455 H. A. Cromie (Ashburton) 455 R. A. Jones (Ashhurfet) .. .. 45+ L. Braithwaite (Okawa) 454 L. Boxhall (South Africa) .. 454 C. H. Baxter (South Africa) 454 H. W. Feast (Greytown) 454 D. P. Donald (Opaki) .. .. 453 H. King (Masterton) .. .. 453 M. C. Ekstein (South Africa) 453 P. W. Congreve (Old Navals) 45.3 J. A. Munro (Mataura) 452 C. H. Whiteman (Old Navals) 452 P. S. Bapty (Indian Army) 452 F. J. Soler (Wanganui) .. .. 452 C. J. M. Clark (Auckland) 452 F. Whitehead (Cheltenham) 451 D. F. Keir (Christchurch) 451 K. E. Griffiths (South Africa) 451 R. F. Wakefield (Ashhurst) ■ .. 451 J. H. Kearney (Napier) .. .. 451 J. I. King (Karori) 451 L. S. Hare (Karori) 451 H. R. Hunt (Suburbs) ., .. 451 I. L. Ford (Wanganui) .. .. 450 S. A. Prunden (New Plymouth) 450 A. A. Ford (Invercargill) .. 450 G G. Kelly (Karori) .. 450 H R. Feast (Greytown) ., 449 V. E. Donald* (Opaki) .. .. 449 G Te Whaiti (Greytown) .. 449 T. Goodall (Suburbs) .. 449 H. Harries (Christchurch) ., 449 F. H. James (Napier) .. .. 449 J. Bryden (Kaiapoi) .. .. 448 A. H. O’Donnell (Petone) .. 448 A. E. Spradbury (South Africa) 448 H. K. Smith (Opaki) .. .. 448 T. H. R. Boon (Karori) .. ., 448