KING’S PRIZE CONTEST

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 12 March 1934, Page 6

KING’S PRIZE CONTEST

SUCCESS OF R. H. NICHOLL MARGIN OF SEVEN POINTS. TRENTIIAM SHOOTING CONCLUDES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, March 11. The Ballinger rifle champion belt, gold medal and gold badge of the National Rifle Association and the King’s Prize of £3O were won at TrentKam on Saturday by R. H. Nicholl, of the Petone Rifle Club. Rarely has the King’s Prize been won by a competitqr with such consistently good shooting, for there was falling away at one range and retrieving lost, ground at another.

Winning the championship for the second time within two years, Nicholl has set a seal on his reputation as a marksman. With his final ten rounds at 900 yards Nicholl made 44, this bringing his aggregate to 471 of -the possible 500. He finished with a sevenpoint. lead over the runner-up, W. NMnsefield (Blenheim). The final ten rounds, the King’s Prize match, is -reserved for the 40 marksmen with the highest aggregate scores in the championship belt matches fired earlier in- the meeting. The practice was followed and the King’s Forty fired in two batches, .the last twenty firing first and the first, twenty shooting last. Conditions were not by any means easy. In front of the targets there was a fairly heavy mirage which varied in its run from left to right while ail occasional left breeze added to -the difficulties of the marksmen.

When the King’s Forty W'ent down at the mounds Nicholl had an aggregate of 427, and next- came Masefield with 420. In third position was last year's Prizeman, 11. V. Croxton (Karori), with 41S. These three drew targets in the middle of -the range and after the final ten rounds their relative positions were unchanged. Nicholl was the first of the leading men for the King’s to finish. After his success and the usual trigger test he was ‘chaired’ and carried by his clubmates shoulder-high and trophies were presented by Commander P. B. R. W. Williani-Powlett, R.N., of HJM.S. Dunedin. FAST ON THE MOUNDS.

Nicholl is exceptionally fast on the mounds and the rapidity with which he gets his shots away is the admiration of his fellow-marksmen. No one knows more about the technique of rifle-shoot-ing. He is 35 years of ago and modestly gives credit for his success with the rifle to the sound coaching ho receive/! when at Wellington .College from Major Matheson, formerly a master -there but now of Tauranga. Nicholl’s first experience of Trentham. was in 1911, w T hen he wras a member of the New Zealand team which fired for the Earl Roberts Imperial Trophy for service shooting by cadets. In 1924 Nicholl went to Bislcy and of 900 competitors shot into the second stage for the King’s -Prize and missed a place ip the King’s Hundred by two points. He also competed in the British miniature championship and lost second place :by putting a shot on the wrong target. He was the first New Zealander to obtaip a place in the final of this championship. With his win on Saturday Nicholl has won 32 championships in miniature and .303 rifle shooting.

The service championship was fired on Saturday morning. This called fpr ten rounds application at 600 yards. The winner wras E. Earley (Wanganui Rifle Club), who receives the Ross Carbine belt, the gold medal of the National Rifle Association and £5. His score in the championship wras 191 of the possible 240. R. L. Jordan (Wes.tport) and A. G. Devore (Akarana) each finished with 184 but the subsequent shoot- resulted in second place being taken by- Jordan. Considerable interest, was taken in the champion teams’ match, 27 teams competing as against 24 last year. The teams consisted of four men, who each 600 .yards. 'Wanganui No. 1 team won with' 395 of: a possible 420. The members of the team were F. J. Soler, E. Farley, J. Paterson and E. -S. King.They take the district challenge shield and miniature cups for the members of the- team and £l2. -Greytowu was second with 393 ana Petone No. 2 third with 390. AGGREGATE SCORES.

For the highest individual score in the King’s Prize match a rifle challenge cup is awarded. F. IH. James (Napier), H. A. Cromic (Ashburfon) and P. B. Goldfinch (Karori)'; all rnad.c a 47 and after the match the recognised tie-shoot wras fired to determine the winner. This resulted in a win for Cromie. -Scores made in the final match for the King’s Prize, together with the aggregate scores for all matches in the championship series, are:— -Ballinger Rifle Belt, gold medal and gold badge of National Rifle Association and £3O: It. 11. Nicholl (Petone), 44, 471. N.R.-'A. -silver star and badge and £ls: W. N. Masefield (Blenheim), 44, 404.

N.R.A. silver star and badge with £10: 11. V. Croxton (Karori), 43, 4CI. N.R.A. silver star and badge and £8: L. Fellingham (Suburbs), 45, 459. £5: F. 'H. James (Napier), 47, 454.

£3 13s each: LI. A. Cromie (Ashburton), 47, 453; D. Roots (Pat.ea), 46, 453; E. T. Haldane ■(Waipukurau), 36, 453.

£2 each: P. 43. 'Goldfinch (Karori), 47, 452: J. C. Feast (Greytown), 4-5, ln2: T. Goodall (.Suburbs), 44, 442; F. A. Ballinger (Pctone), 44, 440. £1 each: T. Warburton (Betone), 43, 440; ir. TK Hunt (.Suburbs),’ 40, 449; C. Whiteman (Upper Ifutt), 41, 448; .T. 11. Kearney (Napier), 41, 448; R. C. Barkle (Petoiie), 42, 447; R-. Ellis (Takapau), 44, 444; C. J. M. Clark (Auckland City), 44, 444; 11. W. Feast (Greytown), 44, 443; F. .1. .Tonne (Gisborne), 40, 443; K. Inwood (Nelson), 39, 442; IF. N. iMeViear (Waipukurau), •12, 441; J. I. King (Karori), 35, 441 ; L. G. Benton (Featherston), 35, 441; N. H. Burton (Olcawn). 44, 439; E. M. Wriglev (Opaki), 41, 438; B. Waterland (Pa lea), 38, 438; R. Congreve (Old Navftls), score missing, 437; ! R. F. Wakefield (Akarana), 39, 437; F. .S. Hood (Featherston), 41, 436; H. C‘. Percy '(Alfredton), 33, 436; S. A. S. Elliott (Akarana), 38, 435; P. Berry (Tararua), 28, 435;: D. Brunton (iPatea), 37, 434; W. 11. W r cst (Blenheim), 37, 434; E. J. C. Reston (Akarana), score missing, 434; F. C. Hogg (New Plymouth), 36, 434; J'. Austin (Nuhaka), 35, 432; 11. K. Smith. (Opaki), 34, 431.