RIFLE SHOOTING,

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 14, 30 September 1908, Page 14

RIFLE SHOOTING,

Boya at ißaley. LONDON, August 21. The young New Zealand cadet. Coloursergeant W. K. Friar, who came 13,000 miles to compete at Bisley for the Lady Gwendolen Guinness Cup, had the misfortune to lose it by a single point. Ho scored 61 out of a possible 70, tieing with F. W. Candler for second place. Tlie winner, Ernest Barltrop, scored 62. Friar also got second place in the contest for the Cheylesmore Cup, on the miniature range. The shooting took place last Saturday, August 15th, at Bisley, where a company of city schoolboys, under the charge of Dr. R. J. E. Hanson, had been in camp for a week. Colour-sergeant Friar went into camp with the boys. The weather on Saturday was beautifully fine, but the wind, was puffy and rather awkward for shooting. The only condition attaching to the Guinness Cup was, it should bo competed for by boys actually camping at Bisley on the day of the competition. This condition was strictly complied with. The competitions, indeed, assumed an Imperial aspect, for among the. boy competitors were an English public school boy, a boy representing Australia, a boy from Natal, and the lad sent over and financed by New Zealand. The ranges were 200 and 500 yards, one sighter and seven shots at each range. .Service rifles were used. The young New Zealander’s sighting shot at each range was a bull’seye. At 200 yards his seven shots were 4,4, 4,5, 4,5, s—a. total of 31 out of a possible 35. At 500 yards he scored 5,4, 4,5, 3,4, s—a total of 30. It will be seen by his scores that the boy shot really well, and had bad luck in not pulling off the prize. Dr. Hanson informed me that he himself would present a second prize to Colour-sergeant Friar, so that, although he missed the Cup by a point, he will not return empty-handed. The winner of the Cup was a boy of between 14 and 15 years, from the Sir John Cass School (London), whose aggregate of 62 out of a possible 70 was distinctly good. The leading scores were as under: — The Guinness Cup, 200 and 500 yards, seven shots at each range: E. Barltrop (Sir John Cass), 30, 32—62; F. W. Candler (King Edward VI.), 28, 33—61; W. R. Friar (New Zealand delegate), 31, 30—61; A. T. Ellis (Cambridge County), 30, 30—60; W. Hawthorne (Natal delegate), 27, 31— 58; J. C. Taylor (Gresham), 29, 28—57$ H. Groves (Sir John Cass), 30, 27—57: W. Gardner (Neal’s Foundation), 29, 26 —55; R. Copeland (Australian delegate), 27, 26 —53; A. L. Carter (Christ’s Church, Southwark), 23, 29—52. The afternoon competition on the miniature range for the Cheylesmore Cup produced even better shooting. The conditions were 10 shots at 25 yards, to be given in a time-limit of 100 seconds; A half-inch bull was used. Twenty-four boys competed, and five of them, including the New Zealand boy, tied for first place with a score of 41. out of a possible 50. Friar fired his ten shots in seventy seconds. The five boys who had tied shot off for first place, and C. Knight, a London boy, of 134 years, won the Cup with the splendid score of 45 points out of n possible 50. Friar came second with 42. The leading scores in the match were:.— The Cheylesmore Gup, rapid firing, 1(1 shots at 25 yards; time allowance, 100 seconds: C. Knight (Sir John Cass), 45; W. R. Friar (New Zealand delegate), 42; V. Wormaid (Swan-street) ; J. 0. Tyler (Gresham), 38; A. Blanche (King Edward VI.), 38; E. Lambert (King Edward VI), 36. Young Friar told mo tliht he had hadl no practice at miniature rifle shooting

before coming to England a week or two ago. Under the circumstances, his performance in the Cheyleeniore contest was distinctly good. It is a pity he had to be content with second place in each match, but he had no reason to be ashamed of his scores, which would have been creditable to a marksman of mature years. And, although unsuccessful in the main object of bis visit, he has had a good time in London and in the camp, and his tour will not fail to be of considerable benefit to him. During the next couple of months he intends to see something of the United Kingdom, before setting his face homewards again. The Now Zealand cadet was presented to Lord Roberts at Bieley on Wednesday, after the shooting for the Roberts Cup, and received from the famous FieldjVfarshal a match rifle inscribed: “Presented by Field-Marshal Lord Rolierts to Col.-Sergt. William Robert Friar, of the New Zealand Publie Schools Corps, 1908.” The gift serves the double purpose of commemorating Mr Friar's visit to the Motherland, and of rewarding him for his fine shooting made in the Guinness and Cheylesmore competitions last week.