TRENTHAM RIFLE MEETING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8373, 7 March 1907, Page 5

TRENTHAM RIFLE MEETING.

CHAMPIONSHIP WON BY A. BALLINGER. By Telegraph—Press Association. TRENTHAM, March 6. During the afternoon the Championship was decided, and was the only event fired. Arthur Ballinger, of Wellington, who had a lead of six points as they went down for the final stage, maintained his advantage, and now holds the Belt as his private property. The late Captain Wales, of Dunedin, won the Belt outright in 1872, first scoring a win in Napier, and followed this up with a victory at Auckland in the following year. The following is the result of the Championship:— A. Ballinger, Wellington ... 461 Duncan, Denniston ... 453 Drummond, Dannevirke ... 451 Mills, Dunedin 447 Hadfield, Blenheim 446 Cooper, Palmerston North ... 446 W. Ballinger, Wellington 446 Breingan, Gisborne ... ... 446 Cameron, Opaki 446 Mostyn, Kaeo 445 Marenzi, Eketahuna ... ... 444 Perrin, Linton , 444 King, Opaki 444 Wilkie, Upper Hutt 444 A. Ayson, Murihuku, 444; Milroy, Nelson, 443; Willoughby, Gladstone, 442; Masefield, Sounds, 439; Purnell, Wanganui, 437; Higgins, Timaru, 436; Kyle, Linton, 435; Winslade, Opaki, 435; Hyde, Opaki, 434; Kemp, Christchurch, 431; Thomas, Petone, 429; Collett, Waipawa, 429; Frank, Nelson, 427; McNaught, Wanganui, 427; Martin, Waikouaiti, 427; W, Speck, Huiroa, 427; Kimpton, Franklyn, 427; Jones, Wellington, 426; Brighting; Masterton, 426; J. Franklyn, Weber, 426; Pickering, 425; McDonald, Dunedin, 424; Harrison, Wanganui, 424; C. S. Bryce, Kaitangat.i, 423; McLeod, Hastings, 423; Wickens, Wellington, 423; James, Napier, 422; R. Hopkins, Waipawa, 421; Hawthorne, Petone, 418; C. Craw, Chorlton, 418; Banks, Feilding, 418; Rennie, Christchurch, 417; Tombleson, Wairoa, 416; W. Cox, Auckland, 405; Skelley, Wellington, 406; W. Crimp, Green Island, 393. Drummond, Cameron and Breingan tied for the Rifle Challenge Cup, which goes to the highest scorer in this stage, and in the fire-off Drummond won.

The Hon. W. Hdll-Jones, who was present, congratulated the winners, and said that New Zealand would be represented in the match against the Englishmen in Australia. Messrs R. McNab and J. Carroll also addressed the men, the latter hoping and expressing the opinion that the colony should be represented each year at Bisley. s The following is the result of the Teams Match:—-Waimea Rifles, 468; Wanganui Rifles, 464; Opaki No. 1, 463; Dannevirke Rifles, 463; Karori No. 1, 460; Christchurch Engineers, 460; Linton, 456; Weber, 455; Nelson, 453; Petone No. 1, 451; Hawke's Bay Mounted Rifles, 450; Green Island, 447; Blenheim, 446; Taranaki, 445; Opaki No. 2, 440; Waipawa, 439; Te Wharau, 439; Upper I-lutt, No. 1, 439; Timaru Rifles, 438; Karori No. 2, 436; City Rifles, Wellington, 432; Victoria Rifles, Auckland, 432; Gisborne Rifles, 430; Post and Telegraph Rifles, Wellington, 429; Petone No. 2, 426; Palmerston North, 425; Chorlton, 447; Taranaki Rifles, 420; Upper Huit, No. 2, 415; Queenstown, 408; Karori, No. 3, 401; Whakataki, Tinui, 378. The Championship was robbed of considerable interest, as it was generally believed that Arthur Ballinger, who had in 1895 and 1897 won the Belt, and held the lead, was capable of holding *his own J The weather conditions were perfect. Duncan had a slice of bad luck in the match. He rang on four, and had a shot to go,. and it looked as if he would shake up the leader, but he got off the target with his last shot, winding up with 40. Ballinger, strangely enough, had also 40 to his credit. With a shot to go he got almost over the target, shot being in the outer ring and high/ When this shot had gone it was apparent that no one else who was down could catch Ballinger, and the triple winner of the Belt was heiulJed with popularity.