KING’S PRIZE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 12200, 12 March 1934, Page 5

KING’S PRIZE

WON B i B-. H„ NICHOiiL, PESTONE

CONSISTENTLY GOOD SHOOTING

(Press Asspciatiou)

WELLINGTON!, March 11

The Ballinger rifle champion belt, gold medal and gold, badge of the Naional Rifle Association and) "tho King’s Prize of £3O was won at Trentham on Saturday by R. H. Nicholl, Petone. Rarely lias the King’s Prize been won by a competitor with such consistently good shooting, for there was no falling away at one range and retrieving lost ground at another. With his final ten rounds at 900 yards, Nicholl made 44, this bringing his aggregate np to 471 out of a possible -'JO. He finishd with a seven point lead over the runner-up, Captain W. N. Masefield, Blenheim. The final ten rounds of the King’s -Prize-match, at 900 yards is reserved for the forty marksmen with the highest aggregate scores in the championship belt matches fired earlier in the. meeting. The usual practice was followed and the King’s forty fired in two matches, the last twenty firing first and the first twenty shooting last. The conditions were not by any means easy. Nicholl Was the first of the leading men for the King’s to finish. After his success and the usual trigger test, lie was { ‘chaired” and carried by Iris club mates shoulder high to the Y.M.C.A. Hall, where the prizes and trophies were presented. Nicholl is exceptionally fast on the mounds. In 1924 he went Home to Bisley and of the 900 odd competitors shot into the second stage for the King’s prize and missed a place in the King’s 100 by two points. He also competed in the British miniature championslip and) lost second place by putting a shot on the wrong target. With his win on Saturday, Nicholl has won 32 championships in rifle shooting.

The Service championship was fired on Saturday morning. This cal) ed for ten rounds application at 600 yard's. The winner was E. Farley, Wanganui, who receives the Ross Carbine Belt, the gold medal of the National Rifle Association, and £5. R-. L. Jordan (Westport) and A. G. Devore (Akarana) tied for second place and in tho subsequent shootoff the former won. Considerable interest was taken In

the Champion Teams match, 27 teams competing as against 24 last year. Wanganui -Njo. 1 team were the (winners with 395 out of a possible 420. Greytown were second with 393 and Petone No. 2 team third with 390.

Stores for the King's Prize wer^: Ballinger Rifle Belt, gold- rnedal and gold badge of the National Rifle Association and £3O: R. H. Nicholl (Petone) 44—571.

N.R t A. silver stai and badge and £ls: IV. Masefield (Blenheim) 44 464.

N.R..A. silver star and badge and £lO : H. V. Croxton (Karori) 43—461 NJR..A,. silver star and badge and £S: L. Fellingham (Suburbs) 45 — 459. £5: F. H. James (Napier) 47-454. H. A. Crombie (Ashburton) 47-453; D. Roots .(Patea) 46-453; E. G. Haldane (Waipukurau) 37-453, took £3 12s 4d each; .four collected £2 each and 28 £1 each. MORE GTSKOENE SUCCESSES Competing at the N.R.A. meeting on Friday, R. 0. Bull (Gisborne) won £1 with a score of 46 (against the winner’s 49) in the Taranaki Match, and he also won the B. Grade of the Witcombe and Caldwell Match, scoring 45, and taking £3. In the same match, J. Johnstone won £1 with a ncore of 40. In the B Grade aggregate, J. Austen (Nuhaka), finished sixth (scoring 397 against the winner’s 40S), and Bull (Avith 389) 14th., each taking £l. F. J. Jeunc, with a score of 45 in A Grade of the Witcombe and Caldwell Match, won £2, missing fourth place on the count back: The winner’s score was 48. >• In the ’ King’s Fo'rtyp F. J. Jcune stood in 21st place with 403 and J. Austin in 25th place with a score of 397. '