Cowboy Mounted
Shooting
What is Cowboy mounted shooting? Well, it’s kinda like Barrel
Racing on steroids. It is a timed event with 63 different patterns, 10
balloon targets per pattern. There are two different colors of balloons
in a pattern, 5 for your first gun, 5 for your second. You must change
guns as quickly as possible while continuing to steer your horse. The
balloon targets are shot from horseback while running as fast as you
can and completing one of the 63 patterns. The patterns can be barrel
turns, roll backs and multiple changes of direction. Participants compete on 3-6 patterns or “stages” in a competition. Sound exciting? It
is!
Like any equestrian sport there are stages that new shooters go
through on their way to becoming full-fledged die hards. First, you
go out and buy a bunch of really cool looking 1800’s style outfits.
It’s much easier to get into the feel of the Old West when you are in
the proper attire. Who wouldn’t like that? Then you get to buy not
one, but TWO Colt 45 single lever action revolving pistols. Way cool
again, right? Next you get to design custom holsters and a gun belt;
oh, and chinks. You have to get the perfect chinks though, that pair
that make you stand out just enough but not too much, and it’s great
if they color coordinate with your horse. Oh, and don’t forget about
the designer cowboy hat and boots!
Now that you look like a Mounted Shooter lets talk horses and tack.
You’re gonna need to run out and get a real fast, super broke horse
that turns on a dime and is bomb proof, like really bomb proof, like
shoot a gun off it bomb proof. You know that’s going to be easy,
right? You’ll need to outfit your horse just the same way you did
yourself; old west style head stall and breast collar, a saddle designed
specifically for the sport and protective leg boots because you want to
protect your new investment, preferably ones that are color coordinated with your whole new wardrobe.
Now don’t panic! You will be able to afford all this easily because you
will be having so much fun you will sell your boat, quads, dirt bikes,
Harley and your wife’s (or husband’s) car without even a second
thought. Addictions are funny that way; you won’t even miss that o
ld stuff! Don’t spend all your newfound expendable income on
the horses though. You still have to go buy a Semi truck and living
quarters horse trailer with all the bells and whistles so you can travel
across the country to compete in all the amazing competition venues.
Unless of course you are one of the many converts from other areas
of the horse world and already have one. Hmm, what did I forget? O
yeah, tell all your friends and family goodbye (unless they will make
a good cheering section) as you are now officially a Mounted Shooter
and addicted to the craziest, most challenging and fastest growing
equestrian sport in the world! Welcome!
As I mentioned before, Mounted Shooting is a speed event. We use
electric timers and our stages are just chocked full of opportunities
to rack up the penalties. But, you didn’t want it to be easy did you?
If you knock over the barrel its 5 seconds added to your raw time.
Every balloon that escapes your deadly aim and remains intact after
your run is 5 seconds added. If you go off course its 10 seconds added. If you gun falls out of the fancy new holsters you just had made
its between 5 and 30 seconds, depending on if its loaded or not. Oh,
and if your hat falls off before the timer its an additional, you guessed
it, 5 seconds added. Now if you are able to complete a stage without
any of these mishaps, congratulations, you have made a clean run.
One of the biggest thrills out there short of jumping out of an aircraft;
or maybe equal to. If you can shoot clean for an entire competition
you can win $$ just for shooting clean!
How do we not shoot our spectators? Our Ammo is actually
just gunpowder; there is no projectile. Just a brass cartridge filled
with powder and crimped at the end. The embers from the gunpowder burning pops the balloons just like a cigarette would. The embers
travel between 14-20 feet. Did you get that? You must be within 20’
MAX of each balloon before you shoot at it or you will miss, even if
your aim is true. Make sure you buy a sho