Phoenix 8, EOT main match 1

 First day of EOT CAS

Today was the first day of the End of Trail World Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting.  The previous 3 days were all separate parts of EOT.  My pose is made up of 3 couples from MA, 2 of whom I’ve know for 30 years, some of the first people I met when I started shooting this game in Marshfield.  And our Posse Marshall, Rancho Roy, also from MA.  You’ve heard of him in posts from NM.  Plus a dozen others from all over.

We shot 4 of the 12 stages at 11 AM.  Tomorrow we have 4 more at 8 AM and the final 4 on Saturday at 2 PM.  Everyone rotates through the 3 start times.  

This evening I attended the Territorial Governors meeting.  A TG is the rep from the club at home, the TGs manage all rule changes that come along.  We used to have a convention where many of us would gather to discuss proposals and vote on changes.  I went to 2 of those in Las Vegas, but it became too expensive for SASS to put on so now we meet at major matches to discuss items but votes are done online.  If proposals make it past these meetings.  Several suggestions came up but didn’t receive enough support to go on to a vote. There is also a Zoom meeting so TGs who aren’t here can still participate.

Once back at camp there was a swap meet in the main tent.  I didn’t find anything big to buy, just a souvenir bag from Winter Range to replace one I had lost.  I was always disgusted that I lost mine so I was delighted to fins a replacement at 2/$5!

Meanwhile Carlene went back to Lake Pleasant and Skye got to swim!  And it looks like they found a pretty good trail too.

This is Aces Wild, our Ladies B Western shooter

Shot Z Lady, from OR

Aces Wild getting some coaching from her husband Four Aces

Fort Sinclair

Avocatessa, from Boston & Savannah GA

Carlene’s Day:

Phoenix 8, Side Event Day

 Side Event day and Opening Ceremony

I shot 4 stages of Warm Up this morning.  As the name implies, it is just to get warmed up.  They have first place awards but that’s way it of my reach so it’s all about getting the timing down and practice.  I was pleased with how I ran it.  Carlene came over and took some photos too.

There was this family with us, 10 year old twins and their mother, from NE.  The boy and girl were quite impressive!

This afternoon was the Plainsman event, which I volunteered to coordinate.  We had two posses of about 17 each, it took 3.5 hours to run 4 stages.  That’s not bad.  We’ve had it take over 4 hours in some years.  It’s really my favorite thing in the whole match.  Cap N ball revolvers and single shot rifle at longer ranges than normal, much longer.  40 yards instead of 10.

When I got out of Plainsman I found Carlene and Skye in the vendor area where Skye was doing a bang up meet & greet with every cowboy & cowgirl who came her way.  She got a lot of attention!

The evening was the Opening Ceremony for the main match of the World Championship which featured a Presentation of the Colors with national anthems for each of the 11 other countries represented here.   

Followed by an appreciation dinner for everyone with Karaoke afterwards.  Turns out there are a lot of good singers in this group! 

The ten year olds

That’s me

12 nations present this year

Singing Sue

Micah McGuire & wife

Ruby Ruthless is singing

 

This is Thin Mint, mother of the ten year old twins

Phoenix 7, Wild Bunch

 This was the second and final day of the EOT Wild Bunch competition. I figured I did OK today, fair to middlin’ for sure.

The awards were presented tonight.  I got second in the costume contest.  The shooting results are not yet posted for the match but I was not in the top 10 so I have to wait for them to be posted on the web before I know any more.

I spent some time this afternoon helping Scarlet Darling unload a pallet of bullets for her booth.  Then wandered around the other vendors to see what I needed.  Didn’t find anything.  Maybe tomorrow.

Carlene’s day

I took a bike ride in the morning, watched Andy shoot one stage, and a hike with Skye at the Lake Pleasant Regional Park.  The park is popular for camping, hiking, mountain biking, horseback rdng

Constable Nelson, from Australia, with his aviator wings, leather flight helmet & goggles

For the costume contest

 

Phoenix 6, EOT-WB starts

End of Trail, World Championship of Wild Bunch Action Shooting

First of 2 days, 5 stages each day.  

Started at 8 AM, with a safety meeting beforehand.

So, Wild Bunch is an offshoot (pun not intended, but I like it!) of Cowboy Action Shooting (CAS), based on the movie of that tittle set in 1913 with a period military theme.  Some of us dress the part of military, most don't.  Shot with a 1911 pistol instead of revolvers and a standard CAS rifle & pump shotgun.  Generally smaller on more distant targets and sometimes more complex scenarios.  Well today was a fine example of all that.  Some good challenging scenarios (meaning I messed up one) and some required just mental clarity to shoot it fast (I did that too!). Only 4 misses in 5 stages so I’m very pleased with that.  One stage had 34 knockdown targets with no limit on ammo using pistol & rifle.  That was a lot of fun!

I spent some of the afternoon just wandering the vendors and visiting with friends.

Carlene’s day:

Carlene and Skye spent more time at Lake Pleasant.  

I visited the Discovery Center that has a display of interpretive exhibits of native and early settlers, wildlife, etc. Skye and I took a short walk then drove around to explore/scout out plans for another day. Before heading back to camp, we took a nice hike that took us near the lake shore where Skye can swim another time.  I decided we would not share the gravel beach with a wild burro.

A portion of the knockdown rack

Lake Pleasant: