Bowes Wins King's Prize

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 55, 7 March 1935, Page 7

Bowes Wins King's Prize

Eight Points Ahead of Next

Riflemen

five tie for second

PLACE

I’cr Press Association. TRENTHAM, Last Night.

Youth, triumphed over experience at Trontham to-day, when the Ballinger Rifle Championship Belt, gold incdai and gold badgo of the National Rifle Association, and the King's Brize of £3O were won by F. Bowes, of the Auckland City Rifle Club, who is 27 years of age. An extraordinary feature of the final was that five tied for second place. As a result of the subsequent shoot-offs, this was filled by R, Congreve, of Old Navals Club, Wellington. Congreve is 21 years old, and both ho and Bowes competed at the national meeting this year for the third time. W. N. Masefield, who was run-ner-up for the belt last year, finished third.

Conditions were tricky for the final match for the King’s Prize, a variable south-east wind blowing across the range. The King’s Forty fired in two batches, the last 20 firing first and the first 20 shooting last. When the 40 went down at the mounds for the final ten rounds at 900 yards, A. R. Wills (Invercargill) had a three-point lead over Bowes. Sixtyeight years of age, this veteran marksman could not master the conditions. Wills shot on target No. 15 and B'owcs on target No. 16, and it was around their scoreboards that the majority of the spectators gathered. Bowes was by a long way the first of the leading men to finish, and with his 46 in the final match he had an aggregate of 469 out of a possible 500. His performance was a brilliant one, for there was a margin of eight points between his and the next highest scores. The rapidity with which he got his shots away was an outstanding feature of his shooting. Shoot-Off to Decide Tic

Wills could not do better than 37, to share an aggregate score of 458 with Congreve, Masefield, F. H. James (Napier) and L. G. Benton • (Featherston). A shoot-off was, therefore, necessary among these five, one compulsory sighter and five counters being fired. This also resulted in a further tic between Masefield, Congreve and James, who each made 22. Benton, with 19, took fifth place and Wills had to be content with sixth position for 10. Misfortune had again dogged Wills, for in his shoot-off ho put a shot on the wrong target. The second shoot-off was on the basis of shot for shot. Congreve had a u bullsoyc, ! ’ Masefield four and James three, which gave them second, third and fourth positions respectively in the King’s Prize. For the highest individual score in the King’s Prize Match the Rifle Challenge Cup is awarded and a shoot-off w r as also necessary to decide this. Congreve, Bowes and L. H, Proffitt (Napier) each had 46. Five shots were fired, Proffitt making the best score with 24 and winning the cup.

The Championship Belt is returning to Auckland after an absence of 43 years, the last King’s Prizeman from that city being Sergeant Doughty, who won the championship in 1892. Since Bowes first came to Trentham three years ago, he has competed with marked success. Bowes is the holder of the South Auckland championship and the Auckland miniature rifle championship. Congreve has been a member of Old Navals Club for the past four years. He made his first appearance at the national meeting at Trentham four years ago, when he shot as a tyro. He missed two meetings, but competed last year as a B grade shot,, and this year as an A grade compctitoi. After his success Bowes was “‘chaired’’ and carried shoulder-high by his club-mates to the Y.M.C.A. hall, where the prizes and the trophies were presented by Licutcnant-Coi'onci E. Puttick.

Twenty-five teams competed in the champion teams’ match, which was fired in the morning. The teams consisted of four men, who each had to fire seven rounds at 300, 500 and 600 yards. A variable light and rapid wind changes made sighting difficult, but in spite of these conditions there

were some good individual scores. The New Plymouth No. 1 team were the winners, with, a score of 388, out of a possible 420. The service championship, the Anal match of which was also fired during the morning, was won by R. H. Nicholl (Pctone). With his final ten rounds application at 600 yards, Nicholl made 41, this bringing his aggregate up to 200, out of a possible 265. F. A. Hiscoclc (Christchurch), who had a one-point lead in the Service Forty, could not do better than 38 in the final match and finished second, with 108.

Ki:*tfs Prize Match. The results of the King’s Prize Match aro as follow: Ballinger Belt, gold modal and gold badge of tho National Rifle Association and £3O: P. Bowes (Auckland City) 46 —464. N.R.A. silver star and badge and £ls: R. Congreve (Old Navals) 46 —458. N.R.A. silver star and badge and £10: W. N. Masefield (Blenheim) 43 —458. N.R.A. silver star and badge and £8: F. H. James (Napier) 42 —458. £5 each: L. G. Benton (Fcathcrstan) 42 —458, A. R. Wills (Invercargill) 37 — 458.

£3 each: J. G. Carter (Pctone) 44 456, L. 11. Proffitt (Napier) 46—454.

£2 each: G. J. Nix (Featherston) 43 454, A. H. O’Donnell (Petoue) 3S —454, H. Simmonds (Auckland City) 43 —151, F. J. Soler (Wanganui) 42 —453. £1 each: C. Whiteman (Upper Hutt) 44—152, R. Nicholson (Napier) 43 — 452, F. H. Sharland (Nelson) 43—451, K. Grigsby (Morrinsville) 40 —451, H. W. Feast (Greytown) 43 —450, 11. V. Croxton (Karori) 42—450, F. C. Hogg (New Plymouth) 44—449, W. Johnson (Featherston) 44—445, D. McKenzie (Opaki) 44—448, D. Roots (Patea) 39 448, J. H. Thompson (Woodville) 41 — 447, A. R. Elgar (Okato) 40—447, L. E. Braithwaito (Okawa) 41—446, R. H. Nicholl (Pctone) 41—445, W. N. Kummer (Opoki) 40—445, W. H. Ballinger (Pctone) 39—445, J. C. Feast (Greytown) 38—445, I. J. Spry (Auckland City) 40—444, P. W. Congreve (Old Navals) 40—413, B. B. Jones (Nelson) 39—443, Ballinger (Petone) 39 —443, J. McKclvic (Karori) 36—440, F. N. McVicar (Waipukurau) 36 —440, H. King (Opaki) 34—439, F. Booking (Cheltenham) 32—439, It. C. Anderson (Invercargill) 30—435, W. Norris (Whangarei) 29—434, H. C. Percy (Alfredton) 26—430. Service Championship. (Aggregate Scores in all Service Matches.)

Ross Carbine Champion Belt, N.R.A. gold medal and £5: R. H. Nicholl (Petone) 200. N.R.A. silver medal and £3: P. A. Hiscock (Christchurch) 198.

N.R.A. bronze medal and £2: W. N. Masefield (Blenheim) 196. £1 each: F. J. Soler (Wanganui) 192, H. R. Hunt (Suburbs) 191, C. J. Nix (Featherston) 190, G. G. Kelly (Auckland city) 190, J. E. Farley (Wanganui) 189, S. C. Parkinson (Auckland City) 188, C. H. Gower (Wanganui) 186. Champion Teams Match. (Teams of four meu, seven rounds at 300, 500 and 000 yards.) District Cnallenge Shield and four miniature cups and £l2: New Plymouth No. 1 (F. G. Hogg 96, A. R, Elgar 100, O. P. George 94, C. B. Benton 98. £8: Opaki No. 1 387. £6: Wanganui No. 1 356. £5: Wanganui No. 2 385. £4: Invercargill-No. 1 352.