RIFLE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16722, 6 May 1925, Page 9

RIFLE CHAMPIONSHIPS.

THE KING’S FIFTY. Pr*«c ' ' TRENTIIAM, Inst night. Rain continued all the afternoon, so 1 that shooting could not be resumed in the Otago match. At 900 yards the ! executive decided to allow competitors who had fired the option of keeping their score if they desired to do so when the match is gone*on with. The day’s work, therefore, consisted of one rang 6 (ECO yards) of the Otago match. The first men down had to contend with elevation troubles owing to dull light, and heavy atmosphere. Then there was a brief ’ spell of brighter light, during which the fortunate ones had almost ideal conditions since the wind at no’ time caused any difficulty. After that rain fell with rapidly increasing weight until shooting was abandoned. Some got through even in the wet with good scores, but had to fight for every hit. The markers in the bulls had an unenviable time with the targets (becoming sodden, so that hits were hard to pick up, and quite a number of .challenges were sustained. Masefield, for instance, challenged'four times when his shots produced no response, and each was found to he a bull’s-eye. Out of the toil and travail two men— Hogg (New Plymouth) and West (RenwicK)—emerged with possibles, while Carter (Linton). Ilolmshaw (Christchurch), Keir (Ashburton), and Dcvnr (Akarana) only dropped one point. M. .1. t Anderson (Kaituna) got 48 on and kept, bis place at the bead of the nneue seeking admittance to the King’s Fifty. Carter moved up from fourth to second place, and Donald with a 46 dropped ■Kick from second to third. W. 11. Ballinger (Petone) put on 46 also, and went forward from seventh to fourth place. Hunt, with another 46. improved bis ■nosition slightly from sixth to fifth, while Holmshaw’s 49 bronchi him frohi4wentv-first to sixth. Franks’ 46 was very useful, pushing him up two places to seventh. Hogg’s possible lifted him from the thirty-first to the eighth place, and be was followed bv Kerr, who came from tuventv-seventh position. D. McKenzie (Onaki) had a good hit of 48, which nulled him up from twrntv-fonrth to tenth, while Masefield stenned hack one n’ore to eleventh. I’rvden (Kaianoi), like TTurnnty Dumnty, had a great, fall from eighth nlaee lari, nivlit. to twenty-seventh to-dnv, only managing, to eef .?9 on. and no doubt he was thankful it was not worse. Beaton’s 43 nulled him down from third A twelfth, while Guinov wiih 46 maintained thirteenth nlaee. TTe Ims no fears of nnv ill from the “Devil's lruritier.” West was outside the fifty Hast, night, hut to-dav’s possible makes him ai, present, nineteenth. Two or three men failed to score a single hit tc-dav. but if is best to rKw a veil over their identity. Suffice it to say that one at least was no tyro with the rifle, but the rain heat him. A strong southerly sprang up during tlio afternoon, so that the flags. though heavily weighted with water, blew out straight as hoards. Competitors who looked down the range from the shelter of their lints and drviwr sheds breathed sighs of content that, they, were where thev were.

Rein is still fadin'? heavily this evening. hut if. is hoped to-morrow may brine a slimn.se of the sun. whose chcerv disc some men aver thev have almost forgqthenJso lorn? it is since thev son- him. Following, are He' lenders for the Kink’s Fifty after the 800 yards of the Otago match : D, J. Anderson (Kaituna), 371. ,T. C. Carter (Linton), 356. H. H. Donald (Opaki), 365. W. 11. Ballinger (Retone), 326. H. Hunt. (Wellington Suburbs), 362. A. E. Halmsiiaw (Christchurch), 361. H. L. Frank (Sergt.-Maojr N.Z P.S4), 361. F/C. Hogg (New Plymouth), 360. . D. F. Keir (president Ashburton Club) 360. ; . D. McKenzie (Opaki), 360. W. N. Masefield (Capt. Marlborough Club). 360. ■ ■ • G. Reston (Akarana), 360. I). .T, Gainey (Petone), 359. A. G. Devore (Akarana),’ 358. - J. E. Harris (Linkwater). 358. C. Whiteman (Upper Hull), 358. D. Roots (Patea), 357. S. MeNabb (Dannevirke). 357. W. H. West (Rcmvick, 356. H. Trot man (Grevtown), 356. L. Timm (Kaiapoi, 356. T\, Lovell (Renwick). 356. H. T. Boon (Karori), 355. G. Bailey (Kirtibolton). 355. S, Mavbew (Linton), 355. W. 5.‘ Mills (Kiwi), 355. .7. Bryden (Kaiapoi), 355. No other shooting, was done to-day owing to the rain,

With the addition of the Otago match, 800 yards, the scores and positions of tlio leaders in the Rifle Cleh champion teams match are: Petone 1757; Christchurch 1752; Greytowii 1736; Linton 1736; Ashburton 1730; Opaki 1728; Kaiapoi 1728; Karori No. 1 1727; Featherston 1727; Wellington Suburbs 1721-