THE RIFLE CHAMPIONSHIP.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2455, 20 March 1909, Page 2

THE RIFLE CHAMPIONSHIP.

HOW THE BELT WAS WON.

UTTCTJTENANT DUNCAN WINS A ' GREAT CONTEST.

(Wellington “Post,” March 13.)

Lieutenant Duncan, of Demnston, is the champion rifle shot of 1909, and the holder of the Ballinger Challenge Belt. The final -stage was fired this afternoon, in the presence of His Excellency the Governor (Lord Plunket), the Premier (Sir Joseph Ward), Colonels Robin and Davies (of. the Council of Defence), Colonel Bauchop (officer commanding Wellington Defence District), and many • other military and civic dignitaries: There were some hundreds' of the public ranged outside the firing point, on rthe Collins range, and they were given an illustration of the high quality shooting that has- characterised this year s meeting from beginning to end. The competition-took place at 1000yds., the fifty eligible competitors for the Kin'g’s Prize—being the tried best of nearly 550 original competitors—firing ten shots per man. The general opinion of range prophets that the winner would come from the. first three men in the completed aggregate for five matches, was verified by the result, for two of the three finished first and second, though the leader dropped down a few places. The weather conditions were as near perfect as might be: tho sun being shaded behind high hanging clouds so that a soft, clear light was given; and the motion of the air was a mere “drift,” as distinguished from even a zephyr. ' All the men fired together, and the conditions were so close to- evenness for all as they could be 'at any time on any range... - ‘ .. In the end Lieutenant Duncan won out one point ahead of Corporal Patrick, who was the same mere margin ahead of Quartermaster-Sergeant Shaw, on*, point behind whom came Corporal M’Conuell and Rifleman Guy, bracketed."; ■ - ■ ! - - r "' . ; No more closely contested championship final than this has been seen under the present association. Though last year’s event—when Rifleman G. Hyde jpjt with his last shot the outer needed to win—was more thrilling, the latest contest has a wider scope of interest, ,jd*r there were several competitors with clear winning chances when half of the shots had been fired, and three men shooting almost level right up to the last discharge. The concluding day of the meeting will be long memorable for the high quality of its shooting, for it was in the morning that the extraordinary high scoring in the teams matches took place which in some respects establish world’s records, and in almost every aspect excel those previously standing in New Zealand. THE MATCH DESCRIBED. Excitement was intense throughout the whole period of the King’s Prize Match, for the issue hung in the balance almost to the last 6hot. Early in the struggle it was ascertained that two men nearest to Lieutenant Duncan in the aggregate (Captain King,, who headed him by one point, and Corporal Patrick, who ,was on the same mark) had started badly, and as Duncan began .with bull’s-eyes'and followed them with centres, prophecies were passed along the line that Duncan would win beyond doubt; The event justified the augury, but there were intervening stages when by turns it seemed likely that any one of the three men would win the champ-, ionship, and when the possibilities' of others doing so could not be scouted. Both King* and Patrick made splendid recoveries, however, and although Patrick’s chance of achieving premier honors were lost on his seventh shot, he finished superbly, with three consecutive bull’s-eyes, and shot into second place only one. point behind the eventual champion. Patrick’s fine uphill performance can ho illustrated more clearly by figures than words. He ■]ZZt til? championship by the Gute? .TTlth which h? followed up his business shot, •for it was the only one in his score, and he only failed by one point to equal Duncan’s score. His ten shots resulted .as follows:—s4, 2344344555 —39. King’s sighter got the outside of the target, and his first four business shots were inners, but at this stage a “drift” deflected his bullet and caused a miss to be registered-for his fifth attempt. In no degree downcast, he put up his sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth shot all in the bull’s-eye, and lie then stood to tie Duncan for first, place if he could score four points with his last shot, and to win the championship if the shot struck the black. For those behind King, knowing the actual position; it was a time of tense feeling and repressed excitement. King got the shot away undor condition's that close observers thought not to be untoward; but no response came from tho markers. The target was. then challenged, but an examination failed; to disclose a hit, and- so King dropped down to sixth place. It was thought that the trouble

in the case of the last- miss was one of elevation, for some, observers saw tho dust rise.

A somewhat sensational event preceded the firing of. King’s last shot. While he was aiming the marker turned clown his target and signalled a bull’s-eye It had been made by a shot fired on the wrong target by a neighboring competitor, who had to forfeit the five points,- and also a place in the first half-dozen, which the bull’s-eye would have given him if properly placed. Possibly this experience helped to excite the waiting marksman. In any case he fired just afterwards, and missed tho target. Duncan’s score was not sensational, but it was remarkable that he, too, got a miss in the middle of his shooting, possibly through the same drift that King experienced. ': His finish was not sensational, but it served, his need, and he stood up on the mound as champion shot of New Zealand .for 1909, and holder of the Arthur' Ballinger Challenge Belt for-twelve, months. His hits were: s 3, 5544503554—40. It was noticeable that the marksmen <who were highest in the aggregate when the final ten shots were fired made poorer shooting than, those who were lower down, a result'duo probably to the higher tension they were strung to by their prominence and greater chances of success.