SOUTH AFRICAN WAR TROPHY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20334, 16 February 1928, Page 13

SOUTH AFRICAN WAR TROPHY

COMPETITION FOR RIFLEMEN,

{Pee United Peess Association.) WELLINGTON, February 15. When the South African war came to a close in 1902 the First Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders presented a handsome trophy to the Australian and New Zealand military farces in recognition ot their associations' together during the campaign. The trophy is of solid silver, and represents a typical scene ” >e African veldt with a New Zealander standing beside his charger conversing with a private of the Gordon Highlanders. It was allocated for competition among Commonwealth and Dominion riflemen, and nest week it will bo competed for at Trentham by teams representative ot New South Wales, Victoria, and New Zealand, this being the second occasion on which ttie holders of the cup have been decided in this country. The conditions of the soft are that the trophv has to be fired tor in the Australian States. Tasmania, and in New Zealand in rotation irrespective of who the holders might be, and that teams it eMit fire 10 shots at 21in circular targets, with three seconds exposure for each shot. The trophy was first competed for in 1906, when the New South Wales team was the winner. It was won at Randwick by New Zealand in 1909, and the Dominion repeated its success at Tienthani the following year. In 1919 the Victorians were the winners, the trophy being competed for at Perth that year. The present holders are the Western Aus tralian team, who won the trophy on the Liverpool range, near Sydney, in October * aS On the trophy is engraved the followlowing: —“Presented to the military forces of the Commonwealth of Australia and the military forces of New Zealand by the First Battalion Gordon Highlanders in commemoration of services together in South Africa.—-1899, 1900, 1901, X9o2.’’