THE BALLINGER BELT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1383, 8 March 1912, Page 6

THE BALLINGER BELT.

"WO-N BY A YOUXGSTER." In the afternoon the graad~iTnalo, the shoot-off for the- Ballinger Champion Belt, was fired in the worst weather experienced throughout the day. There was a fairly good attendance of spectators. among whom were present the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward), Mujor-Gcn-eral A. J. Ciodley, C'.U. (Cnmmamhnt of the New Zealand Porccs). with his staff officer (Captain C. F. Thornton). Colonel A. "W. Pobin, C.M.G. (Adjutant-General of tho Forces). Colonel E. S. Heard (Director of Stall' Duties), Colonel .1. P. Purdy (Director-General of Medical Services), Colonel E. W. C. Chaytor (Officer Commanding the District), Lieut.-Colonel H. V. Knox (Quartermaster-General), Major J. K. Cochrane (General Staff Officer at District Headquarters), and other officers of the General Stall". Having drawn lots for targets, the King's Fifty were marched to the firing point at llie 1000 yards mound, on the Sommerville Pange, and took up their positions. Behind them wero the official scorers detailed from the Koyal New Zenland Artillery, and beyond that again were the spectators. The bugle-call for (he commencement of firing rang out, and as if in response, a huge grey cloud came up from the north-west, ami literally flooded the range. I'mbrellas went up in all directions, coats were bulloned, and for a few moments the spectators tried to weather the downpour, and watch the efforts of the marksmen who lay soaking in the mounds, but only the sterner members of the gathering' lasted through the ordeal. The ladies lied lor shelter. Of the shooting, there is little to be said, and that in a dismal strain. If the weather was vile, (he marksmanship was infinitely worse. The • highest possible score iii'the match, a lon-shot contest, was 50. I.oveday made a!! He opened with a miss for his sighting shot, and followed with two !l's, n miss, a bull's-eye, and then another miss. Then came two more It's—"magpies," birds of ill-omen—a miss, «j"l a buUVwra for th« teuth shot, Xor-

man Wood, tho runner-up, did verv ra\ich better, scoring 34—■iofl.teiiH, but with a previous aggregate of 411, fifteen points lie- i low .Loveday, ho could not hope to beat him. -Must-field, »f the Sounds Rifle Club, was only (i points In-hind Loveday, hut ho could do no better than 20, and dropped from the second to the sixth place. Wilkio. of the Upper Hull, was fifth in the King's Fifty, who inarclifd lo the mound la contest the final honours. He made 2—(KIOOiKIOai, and dropped to the thirty-eighth place in the prize list. Nearly every man opened lire with a miss for Ms sighting shot. Une man. \rav so non-plussiil bv the result of ln'f first shot thai ho challenged three times! A most creditable nerforinance was that, cf young Caldwell, of (he Karori Rifle Club, who not up 8.1, tied with the veteran Maselield for fifth plaee, and won on the shoot-off. Verily, if was the youngsters' day out. Behind the fence, union;; the spectator.", were, several ex-champions who had failed to get into the King's Fifty list. For the rest, the detailed scores tell their own story. The Rifle Challenge Cup, presented to the highest scorer in this match, was awarded to Rifleman N. 'Wood, of Christchurch, who topped the dismal scores ■with 31 out of a possible 50.

Private h, Loveday, of the AVoodville Rifles, winner of the Ballinger Belt, is barely 21 years of age. He is a son of Ueo. Loveday, a veteran marksman at Association meetings since 1596, and a. member of tho Wolville Rifles team which established a world's record for five men. at son and GOO yards with the Mar-tini-Henry rifle at the Federal meeting at Oamaru in IS9G, when the team beat tho crack trains of Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales. Leslie LoV'Eilay, this year's belt winner, was a member of tho last llisley team, shooting brilliantly at Home, and winning a place as the Dominion's sole representative in the- Prince of Wales' competition, one of the most select, and keenest coute-ted mutches fired annually at Hisley. He won several big prizes at Bisley, getting a place in the final stage of the King's Hundred. At the Xt-w South Wales and Victorvm meetings last year he also did well, winning several prizes. Young Loveday is regarded by competent judgps of shooting as the finest marksman New Zealand has yet produced. He first competed at Trentham four years,, ago, but without much success. Since then, however, ho has taken a prominent position in the shooting world. Loveday is tho youngest Melt winner in the history of the D.R.A. meetings.

THE KING'S MATCH. iOpen io tiie fifty highest aggregate scorers in tho fixed target series—bull'seye matches. Ten shots at 1000 yards, Bisley targets. Tho scores made in this match were added to tho aggregate scores in these matches, and tho highest grand aggregate scorer awarded tho first prize and tho Ballinger Champion Rille Belt of 1!)12. Prizes:—First prize, £35, the Ballinger Belt, a gold medal presented by tho Defence Minister, and tho gold badge of the association; second, .£2O, a silver star, and the U.K.A. Badge; third, .CIS, r silver star, and the R.K.A. Badge; fourth, 4112, a silver star, and the D.fi.A. Badgeeight prizes of .C 5 each, and D.R.A. Badges; thirteen prizes of £2 each, and D.TC.A. Badges; and twenty-five prizes of £1 each and JJ.R.A. Badges. Results:— Iving's Grand Prize. Agg. 1. Pte. L. Loreday, Woodville ("Ballinger" Belt, gold medal, gold badge, and .£35)-459-Os, 3340503305 26 495 2. Kitlpinmi _\. Wood, Christchureli (silver star, and badge and J:20) 414-os., 1503522541 34 478 3. flllman. A. AY. Cawood, Apiti (silver star, badge and J.'ls)— -■118-Os., 0210522352 27 475 4. Lieut. A. Xeilscn, Uauuevirke (silver star, badge and J.-12)— li\)-S<„ 0132331120 ... 2G 474 5. Rflmn. A. Caldwell, Karori (badge and JKi)~44O-35., 5342033415 33 473 C. Rllmn. U". X. Masefield, Koiimls (badge and £:>)— 4s3— I :U., 2202000553 20 473 i 7. Rllmn. D. Roots. Kaponga I (badge and J!5)-41S-35., 3320023353 24 472 | 8. Rllmn. J. \V. Hilrov, Nelson , (badge and X5)-IIS-os., •1303522004 23 471 , 9. Rllmu. \V. Banks, Kimbol- . ton (badge and .V.5)-151-25., (1000503055 IS 409 ' 10. Rllinn. O. Hyde. Opaki ; (had*- and J?5)--ilO-fls, 330- ,' 5150333 20 4G9 ; 11 .Sorgt.-.Mujor Jlaingay, 4th Jltd. Rcgt (badge and .£5)- ' 438-Os., 3030J45514 32 4«S 12. Rllmn. X. P. Willoughby, ' Karori (badge and J.'5)—437 (Is., (1133311325 31 463 * 13. Lt. .1. F. Atkinson, Auck- ) laud litd. Rifles (badge and ' J.-2)—150-os., 00041122424 18 4GS | 14. Rllmn. G. Clark, Rangilikoi ' (badge and i.'2)-13!)~0s., ' 3400325133 27 400 ' 15. Kflmii . E. F.' Samltord, » L'hristchurch (badge amL£2) ' -VIO-Os., 3320025234 24 4G4 c 10. Rllmn. \V. A. Kenning, Xel- '■ son (badge and .t2)—M-os., 'J 2510020222 1!) 4G3 1 IT. Corp. T. IT. Carter. 12th I liegt. (badge and £2)— 430- < oa.. 3555435UQ0 50 i(!01 «

18. Rflmn. W. West, Blenheim 'badge and £2)— 131-532035-2240 26 460 19. Rflmn . A. Henderson, Sounds (badge and JC2) —-135 Us.. 0203345404 25 160 2D. Rflmn. C. Williams, Ohura (badge and .£2)—l2S-2.5., 330•1311550 31 459 21. Rifleman i'. James, Okawa badge and .<J2)~J3(i-35., 5-12 0130005 23 459 22. Sergt. .1. A. .Monro, Jlnriliiku Mounted Rifles (badge ami .C2)-i37-(K, 50311)00235 22 159 23. Pte. (.1. Woolk-v, Auckland Highlmd Rifles' (badge and £2)— 134-0-., :H012")0lli4 24 458 21. Lieut. V. Ilnrtnell, Taranaki Rifles (badge and £1)— 133— ' _ Us., 23331)1)3331 24 457 25. Jiflmn. ]•'. Needlia-u, Lincoln vba.lgo and £2)- 131—1022105 042 23 457 20. lillina. A. Sliiekhouse, Kimbolton, i.l-135-Os., ;.ii032043 (Kb 22 457 2". Rlluin. J. Burns, ICarori, £1 -141-o=., 0000033331 16 457 28. Rilmn. F. Mills, Lincoln, J:l —423-5300533025 2G 455 29. Lieut. C. J. Hollnrd, OtU Regiment, X1—132-Os., 5302 131U20 23 455 30. Rllmii. W. H. Williams, Ohura, .£1—142-os., 0020122 003 13 455 31. Rllmn. J. M'Lachlan, Fctono Jil-428-Os., 2532210310 25 453 32. Rilimi'. H. Cutlilievtson, Tna Jtariua, .£l-432--Is., 5520000 045 21 453 33. Trooper S. Marenzi, 9th Hegiment U.K., .£l-431-o=., 0023055040 19 453 34. Gunner 13. Ballinger, Garrison Artillery, .£J-131-35., 5031303003 21 452 35. Pte. S. Jlavhcw, 7th Kegiment, .£l—Mli-Os., 4200200233 16 452 30. Lieut. 1). Jr. Jl'lntesh, Waitohi, .21-437—2*., 2300020350 15 452 37. Rflmn. H. C. .Tones, Opaki, XI- 135-os., 2000202313 16 451 38. lillinn. F. Wilkio, Upper Hutt, .£l-419~05., 0000000020 2 451 •39. Rflmn. .T. Smart, Wellington Suburbs, Xl-129-Os., 35024 20032 21 450 40. Rflmn. S. Elliott, Akarana, i,'l-138-35., 3330D03000 12 '450 41. Rflmn. H. .f. Billfold, Karori, A'l-431—25.. 0000432342 18 449 42. Col.-Sergt. H. 11. Jloss, .Bluff Guards, Jil-429-ls., 4142000 050 19 4iS 43. Rllmn. A. H. Guy, Kapongu, JJl—l29—os., 0533323010 19 448 44. Lieut. Butler, 9th Regiment, Jil—J3l-os., 002510301)3 17 448 45. He. .1. E. Hunt, Wellington Brigade Signal Corps, .£1 — 432—35., 3004400005 10 448 46. Itlliim: A. Browne, Rangitikei, .£l-437—05.. 0200500002 9 44C 47. Bllmn. H. Hunt, Wellington Suburbs, Xl-430-Os., 300004 0024 13 443 48. Captain. ,T. Potter. sth . Jlounted Regiment, -El —130 -os., 0202263004 13 441 49. Sergt. Brvden, Kniapoi, £1 v -137-Os., 3000000002 5 44! 50. Rflmn. F. Bolton, Opaki, £1 -429-5300000032 10 43!