LOVEDAY WINS!

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 214, 8 March 1912, Page 8

LOVEDAY WINS!

THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOR 1912. THE YOUNGEST. TO ACHIEVE THE HONOR. BEASTLY WEATHER CONDITIONS. MERRILEES WINS THE KYNOCK CUP. Bj Telegraph—Press Association. Trentham, Last Night. To-day was the final day of the championship meeting, two championships being decided, <viz., "the Service and the Ballinger Challenger Belt. The Service Championship, m which the highest fifty in the aggregate took part, occupied all the morning. The afternoon was devoted to the King's Prize. When shooting started in the morning it was raining heavily and blowing a gale, truly; service conditions, but several of the I men put up good scores, notably the winner, Merrilees (Tauranga) and Duthie (Christchurch). During the interval between the two championships the Rifle Club delegates held a conference with General Godley, in. which several matters pertaining to [ rifle clubSj as well as to future meetings of the Dominion Rifle Association, were' discussed. At 3 o'clock the King's Match, ten shots at 1000 yds, by. the highest fifty aggregates in the championship aeries was commenced. The match was fired in a heavy storm, rain pouring down at times, while the wind blew from the rear in great gusts. As a result the scoring was very poor. The championship was won by the youthful Woodville rifle shot, Les" 11 Loveday, who is only 21 years of and the youngest man who has ever won the New Zealand championship. Loveday's score was only 26 out of a possible SO, but as all the leaders suffered badly by the gale, his low score did not harm his chance of victory. The second place went to that brilliant young Christchurch shot, Norman Wood, who piled on 34, which was the highest individual score made, and also secured him the Rifle Cup. The championship weather was the most boisterous ever experienced at Trentham, and, is only equalled in New Zealand shooting history by that at Oamaru in 1898. Pollowing arc the principal prize winners:—

SERVICE CHAMPIONSHIP. Merrilees (6th Regt.), £lO 277 Duthie (Christchurch), £8 2f}6 Russell (Petone), £5 .... 265 Mayhed (Feikling), £4 264 Law (Daimevirke), £3 256 King (Opaki), £2 256 Speck (Stratford), £2 252 Belk (Feilding), £2 '249 Guy (Kaponga), £2 252 Ross (Bluff), £2 248 Merrilees, in winning this match, wins the Kynock Cup. THE KING'S PRIZE, 1000 yds; 10 shots. Loveday (9th Regt.), Ballinger Champion Belt, gold medal, the badge of the Dominion Rifle As-

sociation and '£3s 459-26-485 N. Wood (Christchurch), silver star, D.R.A. badge and £2O. .444-34-478 A. W. Caivood (Apiti), silver star, D.R.A. badge and £ls 448-27-475 A. Nelson (9th Regt.), silver star, D.R.A. badge and £l2 449-25-474 Caldwell (Karori), £5 and D.R.A. •badge 440-33-473 Masefield (Sounds), £5 and badge

Roots (Kaponga), £5 and badge.....

Milroy (Nelson), £5 and badge...

Banks (Kimbolton), £5 and badge

Hyde (Opaki), £5 and badge.44o-29-469 Maingay (4th Regt.), £5 and badge .436-32-468 Willoughby (Karori), £5 asd badge

The following each secured £2 and badge:— Atkinson (Auekland) 450-18-468 G. Clark (Rangitikei) 439-27-480 W. F. Sandford(Christchurch) .440-24-464 W. A. Kenning (Nelson) 444-19-463 T. 11. Carter (12th Regt.) 460 W. West (Blenheim) 460 A. Henderson (Sounds) ... 460 C. Williams (Ohura) 459 F. James (Okawa) 459 J. A. Munro (Murihiku) :.., 459 (t. Woolley (Auekland) 458 F. Hartnell (Taranaki) 457 F. Needham (Lincoln) 457

PRESENTATION OF PRIZES. Trentham, Last Night. At the presentation of prizes at Trentham. Colonel Collins said the meeting, considering it was the first under the new conditions, had been very successful. Loveday, in compiling 459 before starting on the final shoot, had broken the record, for these meetings, the previous best being 451. Root's possible at 1000 yds was the first scored at that range. The trouble with the rifle clubs had been happily settled at the conference that morning between General Godley and the presidents of the clubs. Sir Joseph Ward congratulated the officials and competitors on the success of the meeting. He especially mentioned Colonel Collins, who had now been connected with, rifle shooting for 45 years, and had been for nine years in control of the Trentham meeting. The Government was helping the meeting as far as possible, and this year provided equipment, transport, markers, and £750 cash. He hoped his successor would increase the amount to £IOOO. This money was not being wasted, and shortly the Dominion would be able to boast of a body of men as well trained for defence of the country as any in the world. He heartily congratulated Loveday and the other prize-winners on their success, and praised the efforts of the less successful. Lady Ward presented the prizes, and also, on behalf of the whole of the competitors, presented a handsome gold watch to Lieutenant Roach, secretary of the Dominion Rifle Association.