The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-09-12
Firing ON Horseback.

meeting is always one of the most popu-
lar days for visitors, as it is fullest Of
practical lessons for the volunteers
apart from the mere mastery of accurate
shooting The Lloyd, Lindsay and the
| Mappin prizes were instituted with the
object of testing what calvary and in
fantry volunteers could no under condi-
tions similar in many respects to those
| that would have to be encountered on
active service. In the one, Yeoman
| mounted rifemen, or volunteer light
horse, have to ride distance of three
quarters of mile, taking two flights OF
hurdles in the course. dismounting at
two points, and, firing, each man five
| rounds, and the whole has to be done in
| ten minutes. In the other similar work
| has to be performed, only the distance
to be covered is only quarter of mile,
and the time allowed is five minutes. At
the Loyd-Lindsay course yesterday after
noon considerable number of specta-
tors, on horseback, in carriages or drags
and on foot, had gathered, and they evil
IDENTIFY watched the proceedings with
much the same kind of interest that
would be taken by country folk in their
local steeple-chases. For this cOmpeti-
ton thirteen sections had entered, and
rarely indeed has the contest for the
prize been closer or so distinguished by
higher proficiency ON the part of the
teams engaged. It commenced soon
after o'clock, and for two hours and a
half the spectators were delighted by a
display of good riding, soldierly bearing
and skillful Workmanship under difficult
circumstances. The Ayrshire section was
the first to start, and they did the course
in eight seconds less than the prescribed
time, but in their shooting there was evil
dence of hurry. The misses were fire.
quent and the good hits very few. Then
came the Dorset section, distinguished
by the silver hussar braiding of their
Jackets, and sitting their horses as hunt
ing men from the Blackmoor Vale
should do. It was not the same section
that had previously attained fame at
Wimbledon, and there was want of
smartness about the movements of the
men, which proclaimed slight acquaint-
ance with the requirements OF such q
competition. Their time was IL minutes
and % seconds, and in the forty rounds
fired by the four men at 500 and 900
yards, they only scored Is points alto
gether. From this five points had to be
deducted from each half minute occupied
over the time laid down. As the Dorsett
section had exceeded the allowance
by nearly minute and half, their
net number of marks stood at
exactly nothing. Then came the
Leicestershire Dissection, which like the
Ayrshire, fired far too hastily. They
made the best time of all, and came
home in admirable order in minutes,
81 seconds, but they . only scored 18
marks between them. The Leicester
shire g troop took more time, but scored
only two points more, and of this num-
ber ten had to be deducted. Then came
another section of the Ayrshire regiment,
which not only moved very leisurely,
but also shot badly. The Leicestershire
shooting, and came back from the firing
points in almost perfect order, showing
that they could not only ride like true
followers of the Quorn and Cottesmore,
but that they had acquired something OF
the discipline Of regular troopers. The
Oxfordshire G section followed. They
were slow in getting their aim, and did
not seem to be making good practice at
the target, but they came home well in
line, and but for the misplaced enthusi-
asm of one of their number, who forgot
that cavalry soldier should never have
whip-hand, or at all events should
never use it as such, their work would
have been very well done. The Royal
Bucks, mounted on good weight carriers,
behaved in much more soldierly fashion.
They rode we'll and shot with precision.
They only took minutes and 40 seconds
to do the course, and got on the very re-
spectacle number of 81 points before
they left the targets. The Oxfordshire
D troop looked very soldierly and moved
well. After scoring fair number of
bits at the 500 yards range, they re-
mounted very smartly, and getting back
to the 600 yards firing point quickly and
in good order, got on the target at the
first shot. Firing at regular intervals
with deliberation, but without delay,
| they scored hit after hit. Presently, /,
however, the wind shifted, and seemed
| to puzzle them somewhat, as it blew the
smoke straight up the range, obscuring
the target and necessitatipg hazardous
delay. Directly the bugle sounded to
cease fire, however, they mounted with
alacrity and came back in good order,
riding well; and, although one Of the
horses hit the last fight of hurdles
rather hard, their line was never broken
until the post had been reached. The
| Warwickshire second section went down
the course in dashing style, sitting their
horses in true soldierly manner. Their
| shooting at the first range was rapid, and
| appeared somewhat wild. At 900 yards
they were equally quick in getting to
work, but scarcely more successful in
settling to their aim. Then they tried
what slower shooting would do, and got
| in several hits, but at the sacrifice OF
much time, which they endeavored to
make up afterward, with the result that
they came back little raggedly, one OF
two of them using their hands and heels
q little more vigorously than cavalry
martinez would be likely to approve of
The Warwickshire first section was ad.
mirably mounted, and the men kept
their dressing well as they topped the
hurdles in good hunting style. They goi
through their twenty rounds at 800 yards
quickly, and nearly every shot seemed
to tell. At the next range, however
they wasted much time, and reaped little
benefit from over-deli beration; but they
were very quick in remounting, and
though they came back at racing speed
they kept their dressing well to the end
The delay at 600 yards, however, handi
capped them fifteen points. The Wor
cestershire men when they got the com
mand, "Gallop march, went away as /
each were struggling for the lead, ant
they jumped the first fight of hurdles