TRENTHAM RIFLE MEETING.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10096, 13 March 1909, Page 1

TRENTHAM RIFLE MEETING.

■ Pee Pisess Association.) Trentham Rifle llange, March 12. ■• At a little after 3.3D to-day the light was all over for the shooting in connection with the eishth annual meeting of the New Zealand bisiey. Since the opening of the range the shooting at Trentham has never reached so high a stags of perfection as the meeting new closed, and the breezes, at times somewhat baming, were gentle and refreshing during the midday blaze of the sun. The competitors, by their splendid markmanship. taking the shooting in globo. demonstrated what they can do under favorable conditions from the mounds. The service matches shov.ea also that the rillemen of the Dominion are ranidlv fitting themselves to meet the foe, if "foe" should ever challenge. In every department of the meeting the arrangements of the Association were a. thorough and most gratifying success. . To-dav's shooting commenced m a llhii drizzle, "the first- rainfall of the meeting, but there was a dead calm, and the light was soft and clear. The match was the I'niicd Service Match (volunteers and rifle clubs). 20 men aside, 2CO, 500, and 6C3 vardsj seven shots at each range. Ihe competition was looked upon as the lest of supremacy between clubs and volunteers in markmanship, and the clubs through their representatives carried oil the honors of the day. The shooting was even more brilliant than in the '1 earns Champion Match on the previous day. There were eight possibles at 200 yards, nine at SCO vards, and four at 600 yaros. The match was won bv the rifle clubs with a marsiiu of 81 points. W. A. MasencW (president of the Sounds Rifle Club) got, on IC4 out of a possi'ole 105, establishing =i- record for New Zealand if not for any other coimtrv. At the lirst two ranges he ix-istered possibles, and the final range was ci edited with an -all-bat." '1 here were no fewer than three individual totals of 105. live of IC2, three of 101, and two of ICC. Each rifleman averaged over 97 points, while the volunteers averaged jsst ruder' 96. Maselield (Sounds), Henry ana King (Ojiaki), Mellow (Petone), King (Lmwood). and Drummond (Denniston) put ou a possible each at two ranges. The United Service Match was the last on a long and important programme, save the most interesting of all, the final lor the Championship. This was fixed to start at 5 p.m.. and. shortly before that hour visitors flocked to the ground. Lord Plunket. Sir Joseph Ward and Miss 1-bleen Ward, and I)r Findlay were present, and witnessed the matcii with deep interest Subsequent to the Champion Match being fired the spectators gathered around ihe stand for the presentation of the prizes. Colonel Collins extended thanks to Ins ICxceMeni-y and the premier for their presence and expressed regret at the absence of L.-.dv Plunket and Lady Ward. The Colonel" enthused upon the success of the meeting, which was a record for the Dominion. Mention was niadci of the number of possibles, but the Association did not object to paying for good shooting. Commenting on the'use. of fixed targets tlu Colonel said, in spite of the opinion ol the Home authorities regarding the utility of fixed targets, he still had a warm regard for them. He reminded rifle clubs of the dutv thev owed their country, and trusted thc-v -would recognise, as they had been allowed to shoot s;:;e by side with the volunteers, that they should assemble in strong force at the Kaster encampment. The Governor expressed great pleasure at attending the final stage of the meeting, lie was agreeably surprised at the excellent repcrt~of the success, and regretted the absence of Lady l'hmket,_ as she was actively interested in the welfare of the New Zealand volunteers. Personally ho was a rille shot before a good many present could carry a rifle, having competed against some of the best teams of Kndand. Since that day he had npt induced in much shooting. He was in favor"of fixed targets for their preliminsry

value. .Sir Joseph Ward also expressed his pleasure at being present, and was very pleased with "the success of the gathering. lie made special mention of t!ie shooting ijualitics 01 Lieutenant Dun-jau and Captain King, who accepted his dekal in such a gentlemanly \vay,_ also tu the markmanship of Captain Jlaseiiekl, who made IC4 out of a possible 105. It would be an agreeable surprise to marksmen to note that the Government were providing £SSC in order to send New Zealand marksmen to compete at the Australian championship meeting in (.L-toker next—.'applause),—as New Zealand should be represented as well as a Home team, and probablv when the Home authorities saw that New Zealand was to Le represented thev would again be ir.duicd to send a team, ile expressed the warmest thanks to Colonel Collins for the enthusiasm shown i:i the welfare of the Rille .Association, hi future they would reipnre to follow both the system of lixed and moving targets in order to produce efficient markmanship. Lieutenant Duncan was then presented witii the Belt and; gold medal by the Governor amidst greaf applause, The other successful marksmen also received prizes at the hands of his Excellency. Colonel Collins met the press representatives to tender thanks for their support during the meeting, and promised them better facilities for"next year. While addressing them he regretted he had overlooked'publielv to mention the long and valuable services rendered by the representative of the. United Press Association, the late -Mr George Humphreys. On innumerable occasions he had assisted the staff in. maiiv ways, and mn\c felt his loss more keenly than the Colonel himself. THE FINAL- SHOOT. , The Championship shooting started for the Kings Prize at 3 o'clock. Ihe weather was all that could be desired. The scoring was very close on the part of the leaders for the first five, shots, when it ran Duncan 474. King. Shaw, and Patrick 467, Guv and i'L'Connell 465. High scoring was" the order of the day, the great percentage of lute being bulls. With two more shots gone, King had pulled up level with Duncan,- who made a miss with liis sixth shot, while O'Connell, Shaw, and Patrick were only two points behind, and' Guy four- points. Duncan was first to finish, with 491, Patrick and Shaw being next with 490 and 489. M'Connell an<l Guy each finished: with 488. With his ' laat shot King had to make a bull's-eye to win, but just as he was going to aiirt a bull's-eye was rung up on his target, evidently" put on by another competitor, and he did not claim it. With his shot King missed the target, which left the victory with Duncan, and placed King in sixth place. \ James (Napier) won ihe cup for the highest score in the King's Hatch. THE KING'S PRIZE. Duncan (Millerton), £SO, belt, medal, and gold badge (5544503554), 40... 491 Patrick (Auckland). £25, silver star and badge (2434344555), 39 ... 490 Shaw (Auckland), £2O. silver star and badge (4545544554), 45 ... ... 489 Guy (Kaponcjn), £l2 488 M'Connell (Canterbury), £5 ... ... 488 King (Linwood). £5 ... ... 487 (Ohuvaj, £5 4So Cliing'"(Wellington),. £5 ... ... 481 Soper (T.iuinarina), £5 483 Murphv (Newton Riiles), £5 ... 481 filing "(Waimea Rilies), £3 ... ... 481 The remainder take £2 each. THE CHAMPION. Lieutenant Duncan, of the Millerton . Ratios, who is first in the aggregate, is better known as Color-Sergeant. Duncan, of the Denniston Rifles. It was whilo holding this rank that he wn runner-up -to Arthur Rallinger for tho Championship two years ago. He has been coming to Trcntham for seven years, but Hint was the first and only occasion on which he got into the fifty. Me was picked to re-in-csont New Zealand in" the team which went to Australia last, year to compete in tho Empire Match. He did not fire in the match itself, hut was a member of tho team (and finished third) which defeated the English team in a triangular match at IJathurst. The third team in the match was one representing Uathursl riiarkrimpn. ' Lieutenant Duncan has twice -won the Government medal awarded to the best shot in the South Island. ,