RIFLE SHOOTING WESTPORT CLUB RETAINS THE ELITE CUP

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 March 1949, Page 3 (Supplement)

RIFLE SHOOTING WESTPORT CLUB RETAINS THE ELITE CUP

The Westport' Defence Rifle Club retained the Elite Cup when the annual competition for the cup between the Westport, Greymouth, and Brunner clubs was held on the pakihi range, Westport, on Sunday. Conditions for the shoot were good. The Mayor of Westport, Mr J. M. Robertson, presented the prizes to the following successful riflemen:— Elite trophy (for highest individual score), L. Hutchison (Westport); run-ner-up, R. Marshall (Westport). Sutherland trophy (for highest visitors’ score), W. Duncan (Greymouth). Other prizes were presented to L. Hutchison, R. F. Marshall, and G. Julian (Brunner). Scores in the Elite Cup competition were as follows (conditions, two sighters and seven shots at 300, 500, and 600 yards, teams of 10 men, the eight highest counting):—

avoidable. 1 “Docility, intelligence, and gameness are features to be desired. As a rule a highly-strung mare is difficult to handle and control under stud conditions, and is likely to transmit this character to hei pio extent to which docility is a valuable factor in any racehorse can be best appreciated by those owners who have high-class performers who lack this aspect. “When mares which have raced aie retired to the stud before sufficient time has elapsed to ensure the relaxation of muscles they sometimes piove difficult to get in foal, and when they do the resultant foal more often than not is undersized. . , “In selecting the sire with whom to mate the mare the above-mentioned points apply to the horse with equal force. If the mare has raced it is necessary to determine whether her performances show her to have been a sprinter, intermediate, or stayer. Having classified her in this respect, it is next necessary to select the sire who offers the best prospect of siring a sprinter, intermediate, or stayer as a result of the mating.

In-Breeding Successful “Studying the pedigrees of the best English racehorses and sires has convinced me that the English thoroughbred of today owes its 'excellence, apart from the influence of its natural environment, to the persistent and discriminating in-breeding to great individual performers. “In no other way could rhe law oi reversion have been successfully checked and the progressive development of the racehorse as such have been maintained. “A careful study of the pedigree of a mare about to be mated should enable her owner to decide what individual sires in her pedigree should be in-bred, and then select a suitable stallion whose pedigree sheet shows the same individuals in those removes where the best results may be reasonably looked for.” '

Westport 300 yds. 500 yds. 600 yds. Tl. L. Hutchison .. 34 32 33 99 R. F. Marshall . 32 34 32 98 J. R. Keoghan .. 33' 31 31 95 N. Perkins .. 32 33 30 95 D. Marr . . .. 32 34 29 95 N. Palmer .. 28 29 32 89 E. Russell . . 29 31 29 89 L. Mitchell .. 28 33 28 89 1 II ■ - — — Totals .. 248 257 244 749 -1 1 — — — - C ireymout h 300 500 600 yds. yds. yds. Tl. W. Duncan .. 29 35 31" 95 F. Bell .. .. 31 33 30 94 S'. Davy .. . . 32 31 30 93 R. Boddy .. .. 29 32 31 92 J. Efford .. .. 30 29 27 86 G. Eder . . 25 31 29 85 M. Garth .. .. 30 26 28 84 W. Jackson .. 27 30 26 83 ■1 — — Totals .. 233 247 232 712 - • ■ Brunner 300 500 600 yds. yds. yds. Tl. C. Buckman .. 32 31 31 94 A. Varco .. .. 29 31 29 89 R. Boustridge .. 28 28 30 86 J. Morgan .. 28 29 29 86 G. Wylie .. .. 30 26 28 84 J. Harper .. .. 29 32 23 84 G. Julian . . .. 25 29 27 81 0. Black .. * .. 23 29 27 79 — ■ 1 1 • 1“ ■ ■ — Totals .. 224 235 224 683 —- —