AT LONGLANDS

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 142, 18 July 1929, Page 2

AT LONGLANDS

NEW ZEALAND GUN CLUB OHAJIPIONSHIPS. ' THRILLING END TO MEETING. A sensational encl to the New Zealancl pigeon championship inatch yesterday formed a fitting couclusion to the New Zealancl Gun Club Association championship meeting which has heen held at Longlands, Hastings, during the past week. In this matcli E. Groome, Otane, and H. Clinch, Whangarei, accounted for 21 birds, the jiossible and divided the stake nionev amounting to £116. They then shot off for the title and an exciting contest ended when Groome had a miss at the fiftieth bird leaving Clinch the winner. This was a record shoot-off for the pigeon championship. An exceptionally large field (571 contested the match. Eight men .registered 20 birds and divided third money, and one returned 19. Clinch's trophv is a gold medal valued at £20, and Groome receives a cup. I3oth Clinch and Groome have excellent records. Groome wou this year's clay bird championship and Clinch the jiigeons, so that both have now held tlie tliree championships (clays, sparrmvs and pigeons), a claim no other shooter living is. entitled to. Their championship' records are:->— H. Clinch : Clays 1923, sparrows 1922, pigeons 1929. E, Groome: Clays 1929, sparrows 1919. pigeons 1925. The only other shooter to equal the feat was the last president of the association, the late Mr A. Dobson, who had a wonderful record. Had Groome won the pigeons yesterday_ he would have heen the only competitor on record to- secure two titles at one meefing. He lias been runnerrup for the championship tliree j'ears in succession. A gold medal valuqd at 10 guineas was preseuted by the C.A.C. for the best aggregate over the three championships, |ecided on 21 clays and the first 14 birds in each of the spaiTow and pigeon matehes. This resulted in a tie between H. Clinch and Murray Pratt (Otorohanga), both with 44 p'oints. They decided to slioot off for the aggregate at the end of the pigeon championship, and this was won by Clinch on the tenth round. Murray Rratt was niost unfortunate, as t]iis. is the third time he has contested the. aggregate medal and missed it. Groome was a close runner-up with 43, with two birds less shot at than the other two, owing to his voluntary retirement in the sparrow championship at the tenth round instead of going through to the fourteenth._ A clay bird open haudicap sweepstako was also ,, decided yesterday. Five competitors of 39 tied with the possible and divided the stake, A box sweepstake match was also held, two competitors sharing the stake, The conclusion of the meeting was marked bv a fine speech by Mr E. F. Stead, a "life piember of the association. who also preseuted the trophies. The results of uhe matehes wer§ as follows: — - " PIGEON CHAMPIONSHIP. -21 birds; 28 yards rise. H. Clinch. (Whangarei) ... 21 E. Groome (Otane") ... ... 21 D. Fraser (Auckland). ... ... 20 E. D. McLachlan (Masterton) 20 INI. Pratt (Otorohanga.) 20 E. D." Lansdell (Invercargill) 20 R. E. Mcllwick (Christchm-ch) 20 'W'. Nichol (Te Pohue) • .".V 20-. E. F! Stead (Christchurch) ... 20 "■ 11. A. Buick (Masterton) .... • 20 . Shoot-qff.( • II. Clinch ... ... 29 E. Groome ... ... ... ... 28 In the match proper and tlie slioot-r off Clinch. registered 50 an'd Groome 49. OPEN HANDICAP SWEEPSTAKE. 15 Clay Birds. D. Fraser (18yds) ... ... .... 15 B. Ca'rgill (16yds) ... ... ... 15 H. Quarterman (16yds) ... 15 R. Arnst (15yds) ... ... 15 R. A. Buick (13yds) ... ... 15 Nine registered 14, and seven 13-Thirty-nine competed. BOX SWEEPSTAKE. . Ono Miss Out. M. Pratt i.. *.. S J. Duncan ... ... ... 7 These • t jvo competitors divided the stake, the o-ther- thirteen failing co survive the fourth round,