THE KING’S PRIZE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20673, 11 March 1937, Page 6

THE KING’S PRIZE

C. J. NIX THE WINNER POSSIBLE IN FINAL MATCH By leiegrapb—Prei>s Associanon WELLINGTON, March 10. Finishing with a possible in the final match for the King’s Prize, C. J. Nix, of the Featherston Rifle Club, won the Ballinger Rifle Champion Belt, gold medal and gold shield of the National Rifle Association, £3O and the rifle champion cup awarded for the highest individual score in the final 10 rounds at 900 yards. He received all the customary honours accorded to a King’s Prizeman. After the usual trigger test he was cheered, hoisted into the historic chair and carried shoulder high by his club mates to the Y.M.C.A. Hall, where he was presented with his trophies by Mrs F. Jones, wife of the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones. The runner-up was the over-night leader, W. N. Masefield (Blenheim) and H. A. Cromie (Ashburton) finished third. Fourth place was filled by D. J. Guiney (Petone) after a shoot off with H. V. Croxton (Karori). After their final 10 shots they each had an aggregate score of 510 out of a possible 553. The shoot-off comprised one compulsory sighter and five rounds, Guiney making 21 to Croxton's 29. The conditions for the final were good. There was a dull, even light and a light breeze from the left which inclined to strengthen and lull, but was relatively easy to follow. The King's fifty fired in two batches of 25. the last 25 first and the first 25 last. When they took their places at the firing mounds Masefield had a eno point lead over Nix with 473. They fired on targets in the middle of the range and behind them were grouped a large crowd of spectators. Shooting with superb consistency, Nix had possibles with his two sighting shots and went on to finish with a string of bull’s eyes. It was realised he was up against a tough proposition in having to contend against so experienced a marksman as Masefield. As shot for shot was fired, Nix gradually improved his position. Masefield appeared unable to keep In step with the wind changes, and before Nix had fired his last rounds it was a foregone conclusion that he would win his first King's Prize. He finished with a grand aggregate of 522 for his championship series of matches, involving five days of strenuous shooting, Masefield being unable to do better than 516. The fact that there was nothing else better than 48 shows the high standard of Nix’s marksmanship with his final 10 rounds. Winner's Career Since taking part in his first meeting in 1908, Nix has attended every National Meeting held at Trentham. For the last 18 years he has never been out of the final 50, and in 1931 he was runner-up for the rifle champion belt. Four years ago lie finished third, in the match for the King’s Prize, and on two occasions he has shot into fifth place. Nix, who is a sheep farmer it Tauherenlkau, has done all his shooting with the Featherston Rifle Club, of which he has been champion about 15 times. In 1931 he won the Wairarapa championship, the North Island championshin and South Island championship, and he has won the Wellington championship twice. Nix. who was a member of the New Zealand team which went to Australia in 1929, is 49 years of age. He does all his shooting with the old Martini Henry using a cut down barrel for his short range matches and a full length barrel at the long ranges. Nix hrs also competed with marked success In miniature rifle shooting. He has won the Wairarapa miniature championship several times, tied for the New Zealand championship on one occasion, and has frequently been well up in the Wellington championship. Results:—

King’s Prize Match. Ballinger Rifle Belt, N.R.A. gold medal and gold shield, Rifle Challenge Cup and £3O—C. J. Nix (Featherston), 50 522 N.R.A. silver star and shield and £l5—W. N. Masefield (Blenheim) 43 516 N.R.A. silver star and badge and and £lO—H. A. Cromie (Ashburton), 48 513 N R A. silver star and badge and £8 —D. J. Guiney (Petone) 45 .. 510 £5 Each. H. V. Croxton (Karori) 47 510 F. J. Soler (Wanganui) 45 508 £3 Each. R. N. Nicholl (Petone) 48 507 E. M. Wrigley (Opaki) 47 506 £2 Each. J. R. Hunt (Suburbs) 47 504 J. McKelvie (Karori) 45 503 R. F. Wakefield (Akarana) 47 .. 502 D. S. McKenzie (Opaki) 47 .. .. 502 £1 Each. F. H. Sharland (Nelson) 46 .. .. 502 F. T. White (Okawa) 45 502 H. K. Smith (Opaki) 44 502 S. H. Haraldsen (Napier) 43 .. .. 502 A. H. O’Donnell (Petone) 42 .. .. 502 R. Congreve (Old Navals) 47 .. .. 501 F. J. Jeune (Gisborne) 45 501 H. Harries (Christchurch) 46 .. .. 500 J. I. King (Karori) 44 500 J. Tansley (Invercargill) 44 .. .. 500 L. H. Profitt (Napier) 43 500 D. E Wilton (Whangarei) 45 .. .. 499 H. L. Mason (Christchurch) 43 .. 499 8., Lumsden (Levin) 46 498 C. A. Zohlers I Wangaratta, Aust.) 46 498 J. C. Feest (Greytown) 44 .. .. 498 J. 81m (Okawa) 44 498 H. King (Opaki) 40 498 P. G. Goldfinch (Karori) 45 .. .. 497 J. A. Munro /MataUra) 43 .. .. 497 A. R. Symons (Okawa) 48 496 F. Bolton (Opaki) 46 496 H. C. Percy (Alfredton) 46 .. .. 496 R. Ellis (Takapau) 43 498 L. Fetlingham (Suburbs) 45 .. .. 495 F. N. McVicar (Waipukurau) 45 495 M. Jones (Wanganui) 44 495 E. M. Castles (Walkopiro) 40 .. 495 A. J. Brown (Hautere) 43 .. .. ~ 494 J. E. Farley (Wanganui) 43 .. ~494 J. F. Fletcher (Dannevirke) 42 .. 494 N. Perkins (Westport) 42 493 F. Hickenbotham (Christchurch) 42 493 E. T. Haldane (Waipukurau) 42 .. 493 F. H. James (Napier) 43 492 W. Oakley (Christchurch) 44 .. 492 D. F. Keir (Christchurch) 39 .. .. 490 C. Whiteman (Old Navals) 37 .. 489 Champion Teams Match. (Teams of four men. seven rounds

each at 300, 500 and 600 yards District Challenge Shield and four miniature cups and £l2 Christchurch No. 2 (D. F. Keir, W. Oakley, F. Hiscock, E. R Truman) 405 £B—Akarana (D. R. Draffon, E. J. O. Beston, R. F. Wakefield. 8. A. S. Elliott) 404 £6—Wanganui No. 2 (R. Shaw, J. Christian, P. C. Hamilton, J. Paterson) 403 £s—Auckland City No. 1 (C. J. M. Clark, A. W. Harris, 8. C. Parkinson, F. Bowes) .. .. ..402 £4—lnvercargill City Guards (W McChesney, J. Tansley, W. J Murray, B. Broomfield) .. ..400 Rifle Club Champion Teams Match All scores in belt match except final 10 shots. Petone Rifle Club Champion Aggregate Shield and four miniature silver cups—Opaki No. 1 (H. King, H. H. Mawley, H. K. Smith. D. S. McKenzie) 1808