SHOOTING AT TRENTHAM.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15465, 9 March 1921, Page 7

SHOOTING AT TRENTHAM.

WEATHER SPOILS. GOOD MARKSMANSHIP. TRENTHAM M.C., last night. Trentham has just about seen the full gamut of weather possibilities. The visitors have sampled every climate from the equator to the roaring 40’s assembled and . advanced in intensified form across the space occupied by Trentham camp and range during the past week. Yesterday’s rain and wind gave way at night to a spell of quiet, and the morning broke, calm and cool, with a clear atmosphere. No time was lost in starting the day’s work on the Otago match, ten shots at 800 and 900 yards, counting for the Belt. As a set-off to the really fine weather conditions, a brisk south-easterly breeze came along from the right front and began to play hide-and-seek with the flags down the range. The effect of this was very quickly apparent, and quite dependable shots got. up from the mound humbled in spirit or vehement in language. They had been completely nonplussed by the vagaries of the wind that required alterations from shot to shot amounting to nine feet. A colder atmosphere and a half front wind also affected the elevation in a manner that taxed the marksmen’s skill to the utmost. Going back to the 900 yards, the wind had, if anything, increased in strength, while, for trickiness, it had Bret Harte’s Chinaman done to a turn. Men whose names are household words among riflemen sent in cards that were heart-breaking. Men came back with scores of 40 or more from 800 yards, and got on strings of misses at 900, and gave up the struggle in despair after a few shots. It is kinder to draw the veil over the scene as far as these are concerned. "The match was won by Trolove (Marlborough), with 44 and 39 ; total 83, and he deserved it. The afternoon was occupied with the first stage of the 600 yards, fifteen shots, of the Australasia match, which does not count for the Belt. The wind has eased off in velocity, but was as full of unreliability as ever, and the men found the strain of fifteen rounds in competition with it almost too much for them. Anything over 60 was good. O’Leary (Trentham) with 65 out of a possible 75) was the best among the early finishers. The match will he completed on Thursday. Following are the principal prizetakers in the only event completed today, the Otago match, ten shots at 800 and 900 yards:—£s, S. Trolove (Marlborough), 83; £4, It. A. Sangsten (Stratford), 82; £3, Lieut. 11. Donald (Opaki) 82, W. E. Pearce (Itangjtikei) 82, J. Broden (Kaiapoi) 82, A. S. Barnett (Wakapuakn) 81 ; £2,~ H. Mawley (Opaki) 81, A. 11. Dixon (Akarana) 81, N. Priestley (Akarana) 80, J. C. Reston (Akarana) 70. Scores down to 72 got .into the list of fifty winners of £l. The order of the procession which leads to the crowning of the victor next Friday brings many changes from day to day. Following'are the best fifty''to date: W. Moselen (Kaeo) .436, Capt. Nielson (Napier) 435, A. H. Dixon (Auckland) 433, H. A. Donald (Opaki) 431, A. Patrick (Auckland) 429, D. MeLeay (Te Kuiti) 429, E. E. Vennell (Tewharau) 427, H. V. Croxton (Karori) 426, J. C. Carter (Petone) 426, N. Wood (Franklin) 423, J. C. Reston (Auckland) 423, Ballinger (Petone) 422, H. Reynolds (Christchurch) 422, R. Piper (Christchurch) 421,1 R. C. Barkle (Petone) 420, H. Mawley (Opaki) 420, C. Whiteman (Suburbs) 420, J. H. Manssen (Nelson) 418, M. N. Masefield (Sounds) 418, R. Barker (Linkwater) 418, H. C. Jones (Okama) 416, H. Hunt (Suburbs) 416, Sergt. IT W. Ching (Wellington) 416, M. 0. Franklin (Dannevirke) 415, D. . Roots (Hawera) 415, A. Govenlock (Linton) 415, H. T. Boon (Suburbs) 414, E. F. Sandford (Christchurch) 414, C. O. Nix (Featherstou) 413, W, H. Thomas (Linton) 413, S. E. Elliott (Auckland) 412, L. G. Loveday (Linton) 411, S. McNab (Dannevirke)' 411, D. Armstrong (Tahora) 411, W. E. Pearce (Rangitikei) 411, A. R. Shove (Auckland) 410, J. Scott (Petone) 410, A. 'B, Swanson (Opaki) 410, C. J. Engstrom. (Opaki) 410, *W. R. Kells JLinton) 410, W. J. Morgan (Auckland) 469, D. P. 'Guiney (Petone) 409, Capt. H. Simmonds. (Eketahuna) 408, J. Bjryden (Kaiapoi) 407, T. H. Marshall (Karori) 407, F. Bolton (Opak : ) 407, H. C. Loveday (Hawera) 407, ‘W. Tate (Wanganui) 407, 11. G. Day (Nelson) 406, A. S. Barnett' (Wakapuakn) 406, W. Powell (Auckland) 406. The last two ranges qualifying for the King’s fifty will be fired to-morrow. Complete returns for the 600 yards stage of the Australasian match show the present leaders as follows: Masefield 67, C. Whiteman 66, Belk 66, O’Leary 65, E. A. Ballinger 65, Roots ,65, W. K. Williams 64, Milley 64, Bryden 63, Day 63, Elliott 63, Pitt 63, Storkey 63, Burns 62, Gledhill 62, A. Allan 62, Major Potter 62, Capt. Simmonds 62, Nix 62, Atkinson 62, R. Smith 62.—Press Assn.