PIGEON MATCH.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 235, 14 March 1885, Page 13

PIGEON MATCH.

On Wednesday afternoon the pigeon match between Messrs F. Newell, and J- J. Donovan was fired on the old Epsom race-course. The conditions of the match were : 100 yds boundary, 32^-yds rise, 10 birds each; and the stakes £10 a-side. The shooting was very good indeed, and, though beaten, Mr Donovan was far from disgraced, as he had very bad luck. One bird which fell to his first barrel got up and waltzed out of bounds while he was recovering it ; and then when he badly wanted a lazy bird to help him, he had a regular demon of a blue rock that went straight out of the trap at the rate of 60 miles an hour, and was over One Tree Hill before he could get a sight on it. These two shots of bad luck put Mr Donovan off, and he missed his last bird. Mr Newell shot very steadily all through, and won by real honest '* staying," as in spite of his bad start, Mr Donovan went to the front at the sth bird and got a lead of 2 points. This did not seem to affect Mr Newell, however, and he pulled it up, favoured by easy birds. At the end the scores stood : —

Newell —2212012221=15. D0n0van— 0222222000=12.

A sweep of half-a-sov. per gun, 6 entries, for 5 birds each, was well Avon by Mr Newell with 8 points, Mr li. T. Chatfield being second with 7. A second sweep, "first miss out," was won by Mr P. Chatfield. And a match at glass balls (same conditions) was won by Mr Donovan with the splendid score of 7 out of 7. The Sporting Editor of the Observer was referee, stake-holder, and timekeeper, and at the conclusion of the match paid the stakes over at Watties Hotel, where the healths of winner and loser were drunk in bumpers.