RIFLE SHOOTING

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 117, 15 February 1928, Page 6

RIFLE SHOOTING

NATIONAL MEETING

ARRIVAL OF AUSTRALIANS To compete at tho annual meeting of the National Rifle Association at Treutbaui next week, members of tho Victorian team arrived iu Wellington by the Manama yesterday. Tho visitors were met on the whart by Mr. H. T. Marshall, chairman of the executive of tho National Rifle Association; Mr. W. G. Bellingham, secretary, and members of the N.K.A. ■ executive; also members of the Now Zealand Rille Club’s executive, together with the chairman of the Wellington Rilie Association, Mr. W. J. U. Haase, and members of its executive. The visiting marksmen will make their first appearance in match shooting at Trentham next Saturday, when they will compete against teams representing the Wellington and Wairarapa Associations. On the conclusion of this match, they will proceed to Papawai to take part in the annual Wairarapa championship "meeting, which will bo held on Monday ami Tuesday of next week. They will then return to Trentham to compete lor the Ballinger Belt. At the conclusion of the Belt matches, a triangular contest will be held for the Gordon Highlander trophy. The team is under the captaincy of Mr. 11. W. Reseigh, who represented Australia at Bisley in 1910. Be lias represented Victoria in several iuter-State Commonwealth matches, and is a member of the Victorian Rille Association’s Council, and of the Donald Rifle Club. Mr. W. Sproat, a member of the team, is captain of the Donald Rifle Club, and chairman of the North-Western Council. He has captained Inter-State teams in Commonwealth matches, aud shot at Bisley in 1911, and also in 1926. Mr. W. W. Harris is an emergency for the Australian Bisley team iu 1928. A member of the .Sunshine Harvester Works Rifle Club, he has represented Victoria in intcr-Statc teams on several occasions. He was a King’s Prize winner in South Australia in 1923, and filled fourth place for the King’s Prize at Brisbane in 1927. Mr. W. J. Harris, another member of the team, has slioWn very good form during the last two years. He tied for first place for the King’s Prize at Victoria in 1927, and at Sydney last year was third in the long field aggregate. He is a member of the Wodonga Club. Mr. L. A. Righetti is first emergency for tho Victorian team to go to Bisley this year. He won a match at 300 yards in Tasmania, at Launceston annual meeting in 1927, and was in the first ten for the King’s Prize at Melbourne. He is a member of the Melbourne Cricket Club Rifle Club. Mr. F. Earle is an ex-New Zealander, and is the oldest member of the team. Ho left New Zealand for Victoria a number of years ago, and has a fine record extending over 40 years of shooting. Ho belongs to tho Hawthorn Rifle Club. Other membars of the team who have performed well with the rifle are G. A. Bruce (Yarrawonga Rifle Club), C. Henderson (Footscray Club), A. Preeco (St. Arnaud Chib), IL Hancock (Donald Club), and E. Ashby (Trafalgar Club). Air. Ashby won the junior aggregate at the Victorian Rifle Association meeting at Melbourne in 1927. Mr. A. Preece won the third stage of the King’s Prize at Liverpool in 1925. The team is accompanied by Mr. H. Gregor, who is travelling ns an independent member. Tie is a young shot, and has competed with sucess at tho Victorian Rifle Association matches at; Melbourne. NEW SOUTH WALES TEAM ARRIVAL AT AUCKLAND. Dominion Special Service. Auckland, February 14. Twelve riflemen from New South Wales arrived from Sydney by the Maunganui, and will take part in the New Zealand rifle championship meeting at Trentham, commencing on February 23. The team is a very strong and representative one, and hopes to give a good account of itself. Members of the team, who all live in Now South, Wales, are as follow:—Captain A. R. McLeod, who is captain of the team, Messrs. E. Boyd, A. W. Latimer, F. Stockbridge, R< Freak, G. Ferge, W. J. Fulton, F. W. Wilesmith,. E. J. Shannon, A. S. Ferguson, H. Taylor, and A. K. Johnston. Messrs. Shannon and Boyd have both been members of representative Australian team which have been sent to Bisley. Captain McLeod said he felt nothing but good could come of an interchange of visits of this sort. Their present visit was really the result of the recent visit of the New Zealand rifle team to Australia, the New Zealand team asking the National Rifle Association of New South Wales to send a team across. While the visitors were not used to New Zealand conditions, he felt they would soon adapt themselves. For one thing the type of cartridges to be used would be different.