The Washington herald., 1918-07-29
CHAMP Is
A REAL CHAMP
Necessary to Win State Title
to Become Eligible for
National Honors.
why Is a champion?


Speaking generally, we don't know.
Now, IL you will change the question
to a specific one and ask, why Is the
national amateur trapshoottng cnam-
pion?" you'll start something.
But before the something" gets go
ing and monopolizes all of the allotted
space, il is but fair that we explain
why we can not tell just why ~ a. Tor
instance, a golf or tennis champion
though we are strong for these games
as well as for all other outdoor Sports.
However unnatural you may be with
reference to any particular recreation.
YOU will admit that facts Is facts
Just the same as pigs Is pigs, ana
1t is a toss up as to which Is the
more pig-headed at times, so not be-
ing responsible for either pigs or facts
we must ask you to put the blame
where 1t belongs II you don't approve
of pigs or don't like the way facts
affect a phase of your favorite sport.
To resume, the winning of a golf or
tennis championship Is simply mat
ter of an aspirant taking a pot shot
at the champion" who has won the
champ who, in turn. has wrested the
title from a preceding champion
much on the order OF the endless
story that depended for its endlessness
on a repetition of the words, then
another locust went in and took out
another grain of corn. then another
locust" ETC., etc.. etc.
Certainly It is true that our best
friends are those who gently and kind
ly land privately tell US our faults.
therefore. golfers and tennisers will
drink heartily from our proffered low
l., fall In 70 ha a.
marked that II Great Britain ever
tried to take golf back home to
Scotland, some half-million American
trapshooters would rally In defense
of the game, and instead Of "Hoot.
mon" It would be Shoot. mon"
Ditto for tennis in event of an at
tempt to suppress 1t.
Penning the pigs and again trot-
ting out the facts, the national ANA
teur trapshooting championship is a
championship-a champion of cham
pions. in fact, for in order to qualify
to compete for the national title
contestants must first win the cham
pionship of their respective States
by outshooting all comers at State
championship tournaments having
the official sanction OF the Interstate
AoSONldAiOh.
Ordinarily. shooters with high aver
ages are handicapped from one to
seven yards-shooting from the six
teen to twenty-three-yard line-ac-
cording to their records. but in the
event to determine a State cham
pionship, all contestants. from now
ices to experts, fire from sixteen
yards back of the trap. thereby max
- -. ~. L.
skill alone to be the determining fac
tor in the scores registered. The
sixteen-yard rule Is in effect also
when the champions of the different
States meet to try conclusions In
the national competition at the Grand
American Handicap Trapshooting
Tournament
The National Amateur Trapshoot-
ing Championship title for 1918 will
be decided on August S. the second
day of the Grand American Handi-
cap Trapshootins Tournament. which
will be conducted by the South Shore
Country Club. Chicago. Ill The tour
nament will begin on August and
will conclude on August ..
This will be the fifth running OF
the championship event. It was won
in 1914 by voolfolk Henderson. OF
Lexington. Ky. Charles H. Newcomb,
of Philadelphia. won the event in
1915. Frank Troeh. Of Vancouver
Wash, won the title in 1916, and
Mark Arie, of Thomasboro. Ill. won
the title in 1917. Each one of these
shooters broke 80 targets. Thirty
four States were represented the first
year. thirty-eisht the second. thirty
seven the third and forty-one the
| fourth.
Concluding this article. we might
add that the Grand American Trap.
shooting Tournament is the classic
event of American Sportdom-it is ar
even larger spectacle than the world
baseball series. For the last five
years the Grand American Trap.
| shooting event has averaged mort
than 700 entrants. and the gallery
has averaged about 5000 for the
weeks shooting.