The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-09-25 00:00:00

DORSET VOLUNTEER ASSOCIATION.

The Meth anneal rifle competition of Dorset corn-
menoed at the butte, Maiden Castle, on Wednesday
morning. The weather wasof that quality humorously
dubbed "volunteer weather," from its being as un-
kindly as possible for the work in hand. A strong
gusty wind from the westward blew across the ranges,
and a thick drizzling rain fell intermittently. But
the volunteers bore their customary crass with Use
utmost nonchalance ; and, probably, the fact that
Mrs. Dunn. of the Junction Hotel, had provided an
excellent supply of creature comforts on the ground,
greatly contributed to this result. The prizes offered
for competition were £ll5 in money, • silver goblet,
the emaciation Sedge, and the bronze medal of the
National Rifle Association. These were comprised
in seven distinct events, affording opportunities of
prize winning to artillery, rifle, and yeomanry
volunteers. The number of entries was in advance
of those last year, and comprised about 80 riflemen,
30 artillerymen, and 25 of the yeomanry cavalry.
The value of the prizes was about the same as in
1865, but the amount was divided into a larger
number of prizes. The oonditirns of the competitions
were similar to those in 1865, but the marking
was carried on under Captain Hill's disc system,
which is calculated to economise time, and be more
certain in point of correctness. The officers present
on the ground were—Colonel Memel, Major Tom.
pier, Major Kiodersley, Captain and Adjutant
Barrett, Captains Farrar, Coombs, and Thrasher,
Limits. Aldridge, Tizard, and Johns, Ensigns
Pope and Keine., Lieut. Legg (3rd D.V. A.), Ensign
Penton and Captain Gnffia, QO. N.Y.C. Most
complete arrangements were made by Captain
Coombs, the hon. SOC., with Sergeant-Major New-
man of the Dorchester corps, for getting through
the competition in one day, but owing to the bad
weather, and there being one target less than was
arranged for, in oonsequence of a mentlet obtained
from Exeter being found unsafe and, therefore,
useless, it coupled a second day as before. The
conditions that no volunteer should take more than
one prize made &considerable alteration in the list as
it stood on the first day. The resulta of the meeting
follow, and it is indicated parenthetically when a
volunteer won by numbers more than one prize :-
I.—The badge of the association, the bronze medal of
the National Rifle Association, and £5O. 9• n to
volluiteers of all dames in the county, at zon, ui,and
600 yards. Five rounds each. There were 76 competi.
tors an against 75 last year. The smarms score made
was 2601, in 1865 the average was won, First prize,
badge of the association, bronze medal of the National
Rifle Association, and £lO, Private Rogg, Dorchester,
39 (be also stood first in competition III); second, £6,
Sergeant Aldridge. Poole, 38 (be also stood sixteenth in
competition III.) ; third, £5, Private Liog, Dorchester,
38 (he was third also in competition DIL); fourth,
£4, Private Parsons, Weymouth, 38 fifth, £3, Private
Jackson, wanks., :17; sixth, £2, Private liawlies.
Poole, 36; seventh, £2, Captain Thresher, Weymouth,
36; eighth, £2, Private Berridge, Wimborrie, 3d; ninth,
LI, Sergeant Barrett, Bridport, 36; tenth, .22, Lieut.
Hodges, Dorchester, 35; eleventh, £2, Private Green,
Btalbridge, 34; twelfth. Li I(h., Private Caine.. Ware-
ham, 32 (he stood fifth in competition 11, and
twelfth in Ill.) ; thirteenth, El 10a, Private W.
Crickmay, Weymouth, 31 he was eigtlith in coin.
petition II.) ; fourteenth, £l, Private Biles, Ware-
ham, 31; fifteenth, CI, Pnvate Case, D.cchester,
30; sixteenth, El, Privets Sherren, Wareham,
30; seventeenth, £l, Quarter-Master Sergeant Edgar
oulingh., 29; eightsenth. 81. Sergeant Stewart,