MARLBOROUGH DISTRICT PRIZE FIRING.

Marlborough Express, Volume XIV, Issue 1124, 12 April 1879, Page 7

MARLBOROUGH DISTRICT PRIZE FIRING.

Pressure on our space has prevented us from giving a detailed account of the above event, which we briefly ref erred to in our issue of the sth inst. The contest commenced on the previous Wednesday at the Tua Marina range, and was concluded on the following day. Several very important changes have been effected since the meeting of last year, notably the addition of a third target. The range has also been much improved by shifting the firing points further to the south, the targets being thus brought into a better light. Altogether the volunteers have much reason to thank the officers who superintended the improvements, and for affording them an admirable range, and especially Major Baillie, for his indefatigable exertions to make the meeting a successful one. The weather on Wednesday was most magnificent, calm, and the sky almost cloudless, too nearly so, we have heard, considering the position of the sun at this time of the year, to favor very good shooting. Shortly after the arrival of the 10 o’clock train from Blenheim, the volunteers, mustering some 70 odd, were assembled on the ground, and then the handsome uniform of our Blenheim company was conspicuous from its scarcity, the scarlet of Spring Creek and the blue of Picton completely obscuring our riflemen. The men being told off into three squads, Major Baillie read over the conditions under which the firing was to be conducted. The targets having been drawn for, the men were marched to their respective positions, and the business of the day commenced at 300 yards. As to the shooting, it cannot be said that any very brilliant scores were made, but altogether, on examination of last years work on the same range, will shew a decided improvement all round. Upon Thursday morning shooting was resumed about 11 o’clock'. The weather having changed considerably, the sky was overcast, and threatened rain, while the wind was puffy and changeable, but upon the whole the light was more favourable to good scoring. With the exception of a very short break for luncheon, the firing was continued, and brought to a conclusion about 2.30 p.m. It has been suggested, and we think very properly, that the system of fixing the prizes requires revision. The amount of the grant (surely small enough) is spread over so many prizes, that even the highest is so very small that little interest is inspired. Were the number of prizes (22) to be curtailed, so as to offer something worth winning, more interest would be taken and spirit shewn than appeared at this meeting. The following is the score:—

Prizes,—Heberly 4th prize, Philpotts oth, Smith 9th, Blizzard lot'll, Nealo 10th, Preeth 17th, Gilchrist 18th, Martella 21st.

Prizes.—Sutton Ist prize, Soper 3rd, Sutton H. sth, Sutton A. 11th, Gifford C. 14th, Sutton C. 19th, Soper F. 22nd. A contemporary gives the following as the average shooting per man at each range, exclusive of those who retired:—

eenwickJcompany. 300 400 500 600 yds. yds. yds. yds. Tl. Moore 23 23 16 14 .. 76 Woods 20 21 16 17 .. 74 Thompson 21 22 19 12 .. 74 O’Sullivan 15 22 15 15 .. 67 Gee .. .. 17 20 13 12 .. 62 James .. 21 16 19 2 .. 58 Miles .. 18 17 2 0 .. 37 Tunnicliffe 18 14 Eetired Freeth 16 14 Eetired Prizes.—Moore 8th prize, Woods 10th, Thompson 12th, O’Sullivan 19th. PICTON COMPANY. 300 400 500 600 yds. yds. yds. yds. Tl. Heberly, Jos. .. 20 26 13 '20 .. 79 Philpotts :. 19 22 20 16 .. 77 Smith 19 21 17 18 .. 75 Blizzard, Jno. 20 19 19 12 .. 70 Neale, E. 15 22 14 17 .. 68 Freeth 11 18 16 16 .. 68 Gilchrist 18 19 15 16 .. 68 Martella i . 17 25 14 11 .. 67 Lambert 13 22 16 11 .. 62 Madden 16 23 9 9 .. 57 Heberly, Jno. .. 15 19 15 5 .. 54 Lacey.. . .. 18 16 9 7 .. 50 Avis .. 17 18 4 5 ..,44 McCormick .. 9 19 4 10 .. 42 Neale; C. v 10 12 15 3 .. 40 Blizzard, E. ' 10 18 Eetired

IU.KNHKIM COMPANY. 300 400 500 000 yds. yds. yds. yds. Tl. Turner 21 25 23 12 . . 81 McKenzie 19 22 18 17 . . 70 Griffiths 21 20 18 13 . , 72 Rogers 21 24 10 0 . 07 Carey 15 23 14 14 . 00 Jellyman 20 23 17 0 . 00 Waller 1(5 8 10 17 . . 57 Ghing 8 17 12 11 . 48 Parsonage 12 18 17 0 . 47 McArtney 0 17 0 7 . 24 Leckner 12 22 Retired Carr .. 11 12 Retired Fanner 7 Q Retired Hood .. 18 1<) Retired Beauchamp .. •1 Retired Prizes, — Turner 2nd prize, McKenzie 7 th, Griffiths 13th, SPRING cur: 3K COMPANY. 300 400 500 000 yds. yds. yds. yds. Tl. Sutton, F. . .. 21 25 20 ‘lO . 82 Soper W. 20 21 24 15 . . 80 Sutton, H. .. 18 25 17 19 . 79 Sutton, A. .. 17 24 20 13 . 74 Gifford, C. .. 22 25 9 14 . 71 Sutton, C. 19 1(5 16 10 . 07 Gifford, W. .. 10 19 19 3 . 07 Soper, F. 18 23 18 9 . 07 Gifford, A. 11 1(5 17 15 . 02 Stag" 15 21 18 17 . 01 Squires, C. .. 15 19 17 8 . 59 Maher 11 18 14 15 , 58 Neale 4 22 20 11 . 57 Jellyman, W. 18 20 11 0 . 55 Soper, B. 18 20 14 2 . 54 Hnmffreys .. 8 12 10 7 . 43 Hunter, F. .. 11 10 15 7 . 43 Soper, W. L. 0 19 4 19 . 42 Kinzett 10 12 14 0 . 42 Gibson 15 13 5 8 . 41 Bubh 11 14 8 7 . 40 Maher, Jos. .. 0 10 10 9 . 35 Squires 4 10 10 2 . 32 Mudford 9 2 10 8 . 29 Hunter, W. .. 11 4 8 5 . 28 Robinson 13 2 0 4 . 19 Stark 11 .10 3 Retired Wilkins 12 21 Retired Clack 10 14 Retired Beeves 10 12 Retired Law .. 9 11 Retired

300 400 300 GOO yds. yds. yds. yds. Tl. Blonhoim 15*3 10-7 15-1 0.7 59-8 Berwick 19-2 20-1 14-4 10-3 G4-0 Picton 16-2 20-1 13-4 11-9 Gl-G Creek 13-4 10-2 13-8 10-0 53-4 Table showing the shooting this year ■ as against last year;— Tl. 1878. Tl. 1879. Blenheim aver age ., 38-0 .. 39-8 Eemvick ,, ,. 32-5 .. 04-0 Pieton ,, Spring Creek „ ., 34-0 .. Gl-G • • 33-3 .. 33-4