BALLINGER BELT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26713, 6 March 1948, Page 8

BALLINGER BELT

MASEFIELD WINS AGAIN NATIONAL RIFLE MEETING GORDON DEFEATED IN FINAL P.A. TRENTHAM, Mar. 5. A New Zealand record was established when W. N. Masefield (Blenheim) won the Ballinger Belt at the national rifle meeting at Trentham to-day lor the fifth time by two points. The previous record of four championships was shared with Masefield by D. Roots (Patea). M. Gordon, the promising 21-vear-old Okawa shot, was runner-up with J. E. Bishop (Ashburton) third. Tricky conditions prevailed at the 900 yards when the final 50 shoot began,"the light-being fair and the wind variable. Masefield and Gordon, the joint leaders, began the best of the five top riflemen and the contest settled into a duel between the 66-year-old Blenheim veteran and the Okawa youth. The latter dropped three points in his first six shots in which Masefield was five down. The veteran, however, finished brilliantly with three bulls and a four, while Gordon encountered trouble, his last four shots being 4,4, 3, 4. . Gordon’s performance was a highly meritorious one in that it was his second national championship meeting and justified the great promise indicated when he finished in nineteenth place for the belt last year. Bishop had a difficult period after beginning with, a bull, dropping five points in his next four shots, but he fihished strongly with 5,4, 4,5; 5. F. J. Soler (Wanganui), with 46 and W. J. Burton (Gisborne), with 45, moved up to tie for fourth place, Soler winning the shoot off by one point. Burton had a particularly successful meeting. In addition to gaining fifth prize in the belt he won the service championship fired in the morning and also the grand aggregate and the Australian aggregate. The highest score in the final 50 shoot was registerd by D. F. Keir (Christchurch), whose 48 included three bulls. KING’S PRIZE MATCH £SO—W. N. Masefield (Blenheim), 455 44—499; £25—M. Gordon (Okawa), 455—42 —497: £ls—J. E. Bishop (Ashburton), 453 —43—496; £lO—F. J. Soler (Wanganui), 449 —495; £B—J. Burton (Gisborne), 450 £6—R. F. Wakefield (Akarana), 494; £5—M. Patmore (Okawa) 492, E. Ballinger (Onslow) 492; £4—A. H. Russell (Opaki) 492, R. F. Marshall (Westport) 492, J. W. Curtin (Opaki) 491; £3— H. King (Opaki) 490, W. M. Holland (Hoirton). 489; £2—L. Whiteman (Upper Hutt) 488 H. Simmonds (Auckland City) 488 H. G.Day (Nelson) 487, R. N. McVicar (Waipukurau) 487, O. W. Sandford (Karori) 487, H. K. Smith (Opaki) 487, A. H. O'Donnell (Fetone) 487, D. F. Keir (Christchurch) 486, J. N. Hansen (Ashhurst) 480, J. W. Johnson (Featherston) 486, W. A. Tritt (Christchurch) 485, R. H. Nichoil (Petone) 485, F. Bowes (Auckland City) 485 H A. Cromie (Ashburton) 485, r’ B Wood (Invercargill) 485, L. Hutchison (Westport) 485, C. J. Nix (Featherston) 485, M. H. Judkins (Auckland City) 484, E. M. Wrigley (Opaki) 484 F. J. Jeune (Gisborne) 484, R. C. Russell (Auckland City) 483, K. C. McLellan (Auckland -City) 483, K. Feast (Fetherston) 482, J. R. Keoghan (Westport) 482, A. Nielson (Okawa) 481, L. J. B. McKelvie (Karori) 481, L. Goodwin (Okato) 481, S J Mayhew (Cheltenham) 480, G. Rhodes (Featherston) 480, E. R. J. Poulgrain (Akarana) 480, D. A. Dunn (Okawa) 480. S. L. Lumsden (Levin) 479, A. A. Ford (Invercargill) 478, R. R- Torrie (Akarana) 478 N C Pirie (Okawa) 477, C. A. Whiteman (Levin) 476, H. Hunt (Suburbs) 476. SERVICE CHAMPIONSHIP £lO and Ross Carbine Belt—W. J. Burton (Gisborne) 273; £l— M- H(Upper Hutt) 264; £5—W N. Masefield (Blenheim) 260; £3—F. J. Jeune * G 1?" borne) 260; £2—A. Linney (Upper Hutt) 260- £l—M. Patmore (Okawa) 260, F. E. Sands (Kaitaia) 259, Henderson (Victoria University ) 259, A. Nichol (Sydenham) 258. J. R. Keoghan (Westport) 257. CHAMPION TEAM MATCH

(Seven Shots at 300. 500 and 600 Yards) £25 and five miniature cups— Opaki No. 1 286- £2o—Christchurch 486; £10 —Blenheim'4Bs, Opaki No. 2 483; £5-Upper Hutt' 482, Okawa No. 1 480.