Nottinghamshire Rifle Association

Nottingham Evening Post, Saturday, 7 September 1907

A CHAMPION SHOT.
ROBIN HOODS' GRAND AGGREGATE WINNER.
MAJOR ASHWORTH'S SHOOTING CAREER.

Major J. Ashworth, the winner of the championship of the Robin Hood Rifles this year, has had a remarkable shooting career, and although he might be termed one of the veterans of the regiment he has never shown better marksmanship than in the present season.

At the longer ranges he has been especially successful. In one day at Bisley this year, out of "possibles" of 35, he made 34 at 800 yards, 34 at 900 yards, and 33 at 1,000 yards, in addition to registering 34 at 600 yards in a match for competitors over 50 years of age.

In a Mason Long Range Competition he never remembers making less than 40 out of a possible 50 until this year, and there would not have been such a blot on his escutcheon if he had not recorded a bull in the wrong target. He won the Mason prize in 1905, and was second last year.

ROSE FROM THE RANKS

He joined the Robin Hoods as a private in 1870, and six years later he won his first Battalion Monthly Competition. From that time onwards his name has regularly appeared at or very the top of the prize lists. He has been returned marksman for 32 years, and for 30 years he has not missed a National Rifle Association meeting.

In 1886, at the meeting of the Scottish Rifle Association, he won £18 in prize money and two years later he secured the bronze cross in the Grand Aggregate at Wimbledon. In 1888, also, he gained the distinction of appearing in the final hundred for the Queen's Prize, and he twice subsequently gained the coveted badge – in 1900 and 1905. On ten or twelve occasions he has figured in the 300 at Wimbledon and Bisley. In 1893 he won one of the 20 Scottish championship badges.

His first acquaintance with the Irish Rifle Association in 1899 resulted in annexation of five prizes, one first, with a "possible" at 500 yards. In 1904 he won the St. George's badge, and his honours also include a National Rifle Association revolver bronze medal.

There is only one member of the Robin hoods who has a longer period of service than Major Ashworth, and when Staff-Sergeant Lord retires at the end of the present month the Major will be "father of the regiment". During his career as a volunteer he has lonely missed one battalion shoot.

HIS BEST PERFORMANCE

The best shoot he ever made was on the Pirbright Range, where, with the conditions standing at 200 yards, kneeling at 500 yards, and prone at 600 yards, be registered 101 out of possible 105.

He would have the won the championship of the Robin Hoods two years ago, but for his unfortunate knack of putting bulls on the wrong target, and he had to be content with third place. The winner then was Lance-Corporal J. Lane, this year's runner up.

It would require considerable space to give a catalogue of all Major Ashworth's shooting trophies. He has cases full of cups, pieces of plate, spoons, etc., and eight peculiar silver Bisley beakers.

To refer briefly to his regimental successes, he has twice won battalion aggregates out and out, he won the Duke of St. Albans' Cup in 1890, when it was shot for separately, and not held, as at present, by the grand aggregate winner, and he has obtained six officers' caps, always from scratch, in addition to three out of four Officers' Long Range cups.

Major Ashworth is in no sense a "pot-hunter". Rifle shooting is his hobby, and he shoots merely for the honour of winning. He would as soon go to the range for a medal prize as for a valuable piece of plate.

There has been a very pronounced improvement in shooting amongst the officers of the Robin Hoods in recent years, and Major Ashworth is of opinion that a team of seven could now be selected who could hold their own against any volunteer regiment in the country.