PIGEON SHOOTING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 61, 18 April 1914, Page 13

PIGEON SHOOTING.

NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIP.

A series of live pigeon matches were held at Auckland last week, and attracted very large entries, including eight from the South Island. The principal event was the "Championship of New Zealand, and-there were 55 competitors. Another match was for £IOO, and was a handicap event, the winner receiving a handsome silver cup valued at £2O, presented by the vicepresidents of the club. There were 64 competitors for this event. Mr James, of Wanganui, with his brace of setters, did all the retrieving, the dogs working perfectly.

The matches, held under the auspicos of the Auckland Gun Club, were shot at the Avondale racecourse. The catering and arrangements made for the competitors and visitors were on a most lavish scale, and every minute detail had been carefully planned by Mr Hayr and his energetic committee. For the championship event, 11. J. Nitz, H. ,J. Dyke, and L. Meads shot all their birds, and in the shoot-ofi\Nitz won after killing another 12 birds — making in all 33 kills without a miss, to win the championship medal —a handseme diamond one valued at 50 guineas. Of the South Islanders, G. M-'lllriek, of St. Andrews, and E. 11. Eccles, of Spring Creek, showed the best form, lulling 20 out of 21 birds.

In the handicap event of 15 birds, eight succeeded in killing them all. They divided the money, and in the shoot off for the cup, two dropped out that evening, then owing to darkness setting it, it was adjourned till next day, when F. Seccombe proved the winner of the cup —a popular win. As darkness was again coming on rapidly and all the competitors were fairly sot, concluding stages of the shoot-off were held with double rises. For the two days' shooting the best performance was put up by 11. J. Nitz, of Wairarapa, who fired at 74 pigeons and only missed his last bird—a creditable performance, considering it included several double rises, and was shot in xery changeable Aveather. In conversation with some of the returning competitors, a SUN representative was informed that on no previous occasion during various visits to-pigeon matches -had such hospitality been bestowed on the visitors. During the stay in Auckland the club provided the ferry steamer Osprey, and took the visiting shooters and friends, to the number of 150, for a harbour and fishing excursion, when a xery enjoyable outing was spent. Another event of interest that took place on the shooting grounds was a | presentation from all affiliated clubs of New Zealand to Mr T. 11. Bamber, presi- ! dent, and to Mr O. 11. Chavennes, | referee of the New Zealand Gun Club I Association. Mr 0. E. Shallcrass, of i Timaru, and Mr T. Parker, of Napier, | made the presentation on behalf of the i clubs.