George Chase will be inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame after a marksmanship career full of national and international accolades.
In 23 national championship appearances, Chase was a back-to-back Canadian Fullbore Rifle Champion in 1992-93. In 1993, he also won the Canadian Grand Aggregate, which is the highest shooting honour in Canada.
The 84-year-old has travelled to the United Kingdom more than a dozen times to represent his country and has collected dozens of medals for provincial competition.
From Saint John and now living in Grand Bay-Westfield, Chase began his rifle competition reign in the late 1970s and was still competing in the early 2000s. He has already been inducted into the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association Hall of Fame.
Decorated marksman George Chase is being inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame — 25 years after he declined the honour because of a misunderstanding.
His greatest win might be the Royal New Brunswick Rifle Association’s oldest trophy – the Prince of Wales Challenge Cup. The match trophy is considered by New Brunswick marksmen as the most prestigious and signifies one of the province’s top shooters.
“There’s sort of a separation from the good, to the best, to the unbeatable,” Chase said. “I would have been in simply because who the hell can win the Prince of Wales three times? And my answer would be ‘I won it nine.'”
The trophy was given to the province by Albert Edward, the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, in 1860.
A years-old misunderstanding surrounding the trophy would also be the reason Chase declined a New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame nomination 25 years before his induction this year.
A broken promise
When he was a rookie competitor, Chase said, an event organizer told him that if he won the silver cup three times in a row, he’d be the owner.
“He knew that I was brand new to this game, and he said if you win it three times in a row, I’ll see you get it. How will that be?
“He’s joking with me, but he’s also talking to me. So I think this is bible what he is saying.”
Chase thought that promise was a guarantee and didn’t mention the conversation to anyone until he found himself a defending back-to-back champ.
Standing on the range in line for his third consecutive Prince of Wales win in 1986, he reminded the then association organizer, Ellen MacGillivray, about the promise of the cup.
“I said to Ellen, ‘If I win it for the third time, Ellen, do you realize that trophy’s going to belong to me?’ She got a blank look in her face and she said, ‘I don’t think so, George.’ I said, ‘I know so.'”
When Chase completed his third consecutive win, he was shocked when his ownership claim wasn’t honoured.
“Just ‘No, you can’t have it.’ So then I became a little bit more than pissed with this association.”
When MacGillivary wanted to nominate Chase for the Hall of Fame 25 years ago, he declined because of the association’s Prince of Wales decision.
“I easily declined — because of a misunderstanding,” he said.
He held a grudge about the trophy until he realized all these years later that the mistake was his own. Chase has since researched the trophy and understands there are many in existence, and they were gifts from the Prince of Wales and not for one person to own.
“I just didn’t know it … I never got the chance to apologize to Ellen because she had passed away. But I do apologize to her often, and hope she forgives me because I know she’s in heaven.”
Chase also said he was a fierce and aggressive competitor and regrets it.
“I was so aggressive. I wished I could go back and undo those things because there was no need for it. There was no need for it.”
‘Kind of a blessing’
Now Chase will accept the Hall of Fame honour in Saint John. He thinks things may have worked out for the best.
“I wish the Prince of Wales story was never told to me, and now I’m kind of glad that it was, because my great-grandchildren are going to come and see me walk out on stage and talk for five minutes about what I did, who my heroes were. Yeah, so it’s kind of a blind blessing.”
Started young
He said that the night is a “big deal” for him.
“My whole family, yeah, my immediate family, that is, who are all across Canada, granddaughters, great-grandchildren — they’re all coming for this night.”
Chase started shooting at age five and he had son Paul on the range at a young age as well. Paul knew more about shooting at 12 years old than “most shooters learned in their lifetime,” Chase said.
Paul became his coach in international competition and later overtook him during a head-to-head shootout, which Chase considers “the biggest moment” of his career.
“I thought I would explode. I was so proud of him for that moment.”
Also being inducted in the Sports Hall of Fame are: Judy Astle, golf educator and administrator, Sylvio Bourque, arm wrestler, Rick Bowness NHL coach, Frank Synott, hockey player, and the 2001 Saint John Alpines baseball team.
