EOT Cowboy day 1

 End of Trail, the SASS World Championship started this morning.  It was a sunny, last night’s low was 60, but extremely windy which continued at 8 AM.  the Safety Meeting that precedes the start of shooting was prolonged a bit while the work crews got all the various parts back upright after a night of strong wind.  I can say that the camper rocked many times in the night as that wind blew.

Once we were out at the range we were at a big yellow building facade and next stage over was a big riverboat.  Well, that riverboat ran aground, I mean it blew over where the shooters were gathering for the scenario reading.  One guy was on the ground.  It took a minute for me to realize that someone was down and not just a crowd of people.  I went over but this happened right n front of the EMT tent, so he and a couple helpers were already there providing care.  It seemed that they had everything well under control so I went back to my posse.  Rumor was that he was OK, and I saw him this evening wearing a simple cloth sling.

We were starting on a stage with multiple knockdown targets and there was some concern that they might be much harder to knock down with 35mph wind supporting them.  Our Posse Deputy, Half-a-hand Henri, went to the Match Director with this concern and then two of us were picked to test them.  Since I had my .36 caliber percussion pistols I was one of those.  I had to hit them quite high to make them go down, middle target that’s didn’t do anything.  So they decided to make it only a hit and not require them going down to count.

After all that excitement I had a lousy stage, 4 misses.  What a start.  Second stage was just a shotgun makeup for a weak shot shell.  By the third stage I was back to my full normal performance.  So tomorrow is a late shift starting at 2 PM.

tonight was a Territorial Governors meeting and a swap meet.  I bought a used shirt and Carlene sold a used shirt, and a few other things.

This was the riverboat that fell over

Riverboat run aground

Our starting stage, they reinforced it with a forklift!

Starting position with hands on “hat”

Sassy Dancer

Renegade Roper

You can see the smoke blowing back in my face.

Also a lot of sand

Sunset tonight

Side Event Day

Wednesday is side event day at EOT.  First a warm up 4 stage event at 7:30. That went pretty well, a couple careless misses to get that stuff out of me.  A good fun posse too.  One of the youngest and smallest shooters was with us. Echo Sackett and her dad Fill Yer Hand.  They live down near Tombstone.  My friend from NH, Kaytie, is the same size and age. I’d like to see them together!

Afternoon was Plainsman, my favorite side event.   Cap n ball pistols, shotgun and single shot rifle. Also 4 stages.  Great posse and a lot of fun. Carlene came out to get photos of me again. 

This evening was a gathering of the New England folks around here.  Both those of us visiting for EOT and those cowboys who have moved out here.  There were several who I haven’t seen in a while.  

Warm Up

Plainsman

Wild Bunch day 2

Second day of Wild Bunch.  Another 8 AM start, offers some interesting sunlight in the photos.  There were plenty of good interesting stages to keep us going.  One stage had 35 knockdown targets with the instruction that you had to knock each one down, unlimited ammo (only limited by what you can carry) plus a shotgun if you wanted.  I got them all!  The whole 2 day event was a lot of fun.

I had ordered a case of powder to pick up, to save the shipping charges, so I got that today.  Then took a couple rims to the tire store for new tires on the trailer.  That’s an annual thing on this trip.  Something always wears out.  The new brand I got last year is wearing much better so I’m getting more of those.  The truck thermometer went to 92!

Then back in time for the Top Gun Shootoff, the top 16 men and 15 women compete head to head in an elimination match.  Some cowboy readers know Cholula Mike, he won the men’s title on his birthday!  Holy Terror won the women’s, as usual, and Half a Hand Henri was second!

The Wild Bunch Awards were also given tonight.  I wasn’t in the top ten so I dont know my placing.  However I won 2nd place as best dressed man.

Wild Bunch, day 1

First day of Wild Bunch.  Warm sunny day, again.  Actually getting hot by afternoon, high of 82.

We had an early start with a safety meeting at 7:30 and out shooting at 8.  But done 5 stages by 11:30.  It was a good posse of 19, plenty of good workers so no hassle to get things done and a few old friends on the posse.  It flowed quite well.  I shot reasonably well, 8 misses but no other penalties.  Some targets were rather far and small, others quite easy to hit.  Five more stages tomorrow.

A few of these ultralights came over

My gun cleaning supervisor took a nap

Skye is watching a ground squirrel

As it gets more full of campers we have to walk a bit to see the sunset