The first Triggs Shield competition was held in 1914 and was competed for regularly up to 1928. The competition then lapsed until 1956 when Jim Kirkwood organized the revival of this competition and another team shoot was held at the Anzac Rifle Range, Liverpool where NSW was the winner of the shield.
The Triggs shield has been shot regularly ever since and Jim Kirkwood was recognized for his efforts in reviving this competition by having a perpetual trophy named after him, in 1965. The winner of this trophy is the highest individual scorer during the competition.
Arthur Bryant TRIGGS arrived in Sydney in 1887 and began his career in Australia as a bank clerk, but rocketed to wealth by dealing in sheep. The slump of early World War 1 however, left him in debt to the tune of 1.5 million pound (Three Million Dollars). Within a few years the gentle courteous intellectual TRIGGS not only repaid every penny (cent) of the debt, but interest as well, which he was not legally bound to do. This so amazed the hard headed business world that the London Financial Times devoted more than a column to the "laudable principles" of the Australian grazier.
After moving from Sydney, TRIGGS spent the rest of his life in Yass and from there built a grazing empire that astounded the pastoral world. To his death in 1936, the famous TRIGGS, who himself started from the bottom, continued to help young men in the district buy stock by lending them money on the easiest of terms. When he was buried in the Yass cemetery practically every man, woman and child in the district went to honour the sheep man that loved books.
It is believed the TRIGGS shield originated as a result of TRIGGS travelling up front in the steam engine with the drivers and firemen on his way to and from Sydney. These same drivers and firemen were keen Target Shooters and as a result of TRIGGS acquaintance with these riflemen, it led to the donation of the TRIGGS SHIELD.
The TRIGGS SHIELD is a magnificent artistic piece of work, with truly meaningful theme associated with each piece of artwork on the shield. The shield consists of a tradionally shaped wooden base with numerous pieces of silver artwork, which have been beaten, pressed, carved and inscribed to form an eye catching, inspiring trophy. At the top of the shield is a typical rifle shooting scene of prone rifle shooters engaged in a shooting competition, including details of the range and target area. At the bottom an accurately depicted steam train appears. The emblems of each State of Australia also appear on the shield.
CENTENARY TARGET SHOOT OF TRIGGS SHIELD 1914-2014
2014 was the Centenary of the Triggs Shield for Target Rifle shooting conducted between interstate Railway Target Rifle shooters.
The match was contested at Anzac Rifle Range, Malabar, Sydney on Monday the 15 September 2014 between Queensland and New South Wales over four ranges (2 @ 600 Metres and then 2 @ 800 Metres).
The NSW team won the shield with a score of 788.81 from QLD on a score of 778.66, top individual scorer was B Patsky (NSW) with 200.26 out of a possible 200.40. He shot 26 center bulls and 14 ordinary bullseyes during the Triggs competition and I believe this would be a record score for the competition which has been contested since 1914, congratulations to him.
Raffle winners: 1st - M Bidgood QLD Triggs Team Ticket No 278, 2nd - T Mauroforas Concord R C Ticket No 141 thank you to those persons who bought tickets to support this event and the sponsors of the raffle for their support. A big thank you to the Railway Institute and the other individuals, the MDRA, Rail & Tram Rifle Club and Concord Rifle Club who also gave support to conduct this event.
Photos below are the NSW winning Team members with Tracey Jones of the NSW Railway Institute and Butts Officer Chris Roberts, B Patsky (sponsor of major raffle prize) congratulating M Bidgood of QLD Triggs team on winning the first prize in the raffle. The revamped Triggs shield followed by the original shield.
