Arizona Cowboy Mounted Shooters News:

Krazy Horse Ranch Shoot (World Points Qualifier)

(Left): Buckeye shoot Mens overall champion,James Sturgeon.

(Right): Krazy Horse Posse shoot champions, Lynne Merick,TK Donle, Kim Keate.

by Linnette Ramirez Olson

On March 21, 2002 the Arizona Cowboy Mounted Shooters (ACMSA) held it's annual membership drive shoot, which is know for the ever-popular Posse Shoot, which is held on Friday, the day before the actual match. The Posse Shoot combines 3 shooters who ride out into the sandy wash and negotiate around its terrain looking for 15 bad guys, plywood silhouette cowboys painted in life like reality holding balloons. Each rider is allowed 5 rounds in one of their guns, five valuable rounds since there are 15 targets hidden in the brush and contours of the wash, which must be shoot. It would be to easy if you only had to find those 15 targets however also hidden in the wash are several Good Guys, how do you discern the good guys from the bad guys, good guys are not pointing guns at you. Like the normal competition if the team misses a target it is a 5 second penalty, or if a team member shoots a good guy not only is it a 5 second penalty but you also incur an additional 5 second penalty for the bad guy you left holding his or her balloon. This year saw the team of Lynne Merick, TK Donle, and Kim Keate win the 2002 Posse Shoot. In the spirit of fun and competition what a team they were, Lynne a Ladies 4, TK a Mens 2 and Kim a Junior, rode fast, shoot accurately, and they took the lead with the first stage and held it thru the last run. TK who came from Florida to compete at Winter Range, and stayed for the following week just to shoot this match, thought for sure he would get a prize for having traveled the furthest distance to compete, was surprised to find that Konrad Cartini made the trip from Germany. As a guest at Alan Eggalson's ranch in New Mexico Conrad immediately was impressed with the sport and as they say the rest was history, and a new mounted shooter was born.

With the Posse Shoot behind them all competitors cleaned the sand from their guns and wherever else it found it's way, and prepared for what was to be another great weekend of competition. It would not be right to go into the results of this match without first thanking the ACMSA board and ACMSA members who took their own time to prepare this shoot, especially the arena, a special thank you to Randy Long, who is an excellent competitor, a very generous man as well. Randy utilized his own equipment and of course his time to manicure what all thought was a large patch of dirt into a great competition arena. With out this type of commitment the weekend would not have been the success it was, Thank you Randy!

When the match started existing members chipped in and helped all of the new members and first time competitors with everything from advise to loaning guns, equipment or horses. It was encouraging to see so many newcomers to the sport finish their first run with a smile and look of confidence, that you can easily interpret as they are hooked the sport, and its people have a way of making you feel good about your self and what you and you horse accomplish.

This match saw several shooters earn wins, which move them up the next level. Marley Folgsong a men's 1 going into the match, who rides and shoots like a level 3 or better, earned his way into class 2, and then there is George Vanguilder, George not only rode to victory and earned a win which makes him one of the newest level 3's, but he did it in a convincing manor by taking the reserve men's title, his total time for the weekend was beat by only one other competitor and that competitor is a level 5 shooter. While we are accustom to seeing such name as Tom Lattimore and Annie Bianco-Ellet in the Overall or Reserve positions Junior Chantall Kort captured the Ladies Reserve position and ended up 13th overall in the match very impressive with the talent that was competing that weekend.

At the end of this event Jim Rodgers put on his annual new shooter clinic, which has always been a draw for new and existing shooters, and this year the crowd was bigger than those of years past. It is always great to see so many new shooter listening intently whether they be on horse back or on foot, all you have to do is look at their faces and you realize here comes a new wave of mounted shooters.

Buckeye (Club Shoot)

Just when you thought you had seen all there was to see in the sport of Cowboy Mounted Shooting, the ACMSA club shoot held at the Buckeye Hellzapopin Arena had several surprises for the competitors, and fans, before, during, and after the match. Lets go back in time the newly elected ACMSA board and it's president James Sturgeon promised, at the 2001 State Finals, that the emphasis for the 2002 competition year would be for, and about its membership, and focus on the fun & Family aspect of the sport. Well if it was not enough that just by joining the ACMSA club, you have a chance to win a two-horse trailer that will be given away in November at the 2002 State Finals, the Buckeye shoot was the first in the year of ACMSA's Club Shoots that are one day shoots designed for fun and family, not just your immediate family but also for the extended family of mounted shooters.

The first surprise came when Vice President Linnette Ramirez-Olson suggested a new jackpot called the sharp shooter jackpot. Very simply if you choose to enter it did not cost you a dime, however at the end of the match for every balloon you missed you put $1 into the jackpot. Who ever shot clean that match (did not miss any balloons), split the pot. Big deal you might think it is only a buck, but if you believe the TV commercials a buck goes a long way, well that day 3 shooter split $90, not bad for the winners it cost them nothing. The next surprise came in the form of balloons filled with helium, placed not just in the course of fire, but attached to another balloon. When you shoot the first balloon it would release the helium balloon now you really had a moving target. While the third surprise was not planned it did however show that the level of competition is rising. While the balloons had floated away, the guns were unloaded, and the horses waited patiently for the awards ceremony to conclude it was James Sturgeon who rode fast, shoot clean and went home with the honor of being the overall match champion, a position that is usually held by a class 3,4, or 5 shooter. It could be the first time in Arizona history that a class 2 shooter won the overall position.

Club matches like Buckeye do not count towards CMSA points however all ACMSA members who compete receive points towards the state finals where your highest final points standing not only gives you bragging rights, but you can also win a gun or other prizes. Check out the ACMSA web site for details.

Thanks to all the competitors and volunteers who braved the wind, the helium, and made the long trip to Buckeye, and congratulations to the following top finishers.

The next ACMSA match is not one you want to miss the match will be held April 14 at the Arizona State Fair grounds It is a one day, 4 stage Double World Points Qualifier. Yes you did just read Double Points, what a great opportunity to earn some extra points and better yet compete in a unique environment in front of what will likely be the largest crowd to view the sport of mounted shooting. The shoot is filling up fast so check the web site for details www.acmsa.com and reserve you spot in this match..