15 march ron

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Chronicle

SASS Cowboy Chronicle

In This Issue

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Cowboy

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2014

26REGULATORS RECKONING

by Gringo Gordo

40DISPATCHES FROMCAMP BAYLOR

by Capt. George Baylor

44VISITING BROWNS PARK

by Col. Richard Dodge

8PONY EXPRESSPOSTAL MATCHby Shamrock Sadie

20THUNDER VALLEY DAYS

by Chuckaroo

Pelham, NH. Shortly after completionof the Eighth Annual SASS New Eng-land Regional The Great Noreaster plan-ning started for this event. Decisions weremade: like what will be the theme for theevent, who will be responsible for majortasks needing planning, setting a timelinefor tasks, what will be the design for thisyears buckle, what new props need to bebuilt, and who will write the article for theChronicle. Hopefully all the tasks get com-pleted and ready by the time the weekendprior arrives. Then things get serious. Day 1: Saturday July 19, 75 degrees

and partly sunny. The members ofNorth-East Western Shooters, LLC and asmall group of volunteers, many towingcampers, arrive at the Pelham Fish &Game Club to begin the setup of the ninthannual The Great Noreaster SASS New EnglandRegional. The campers are parked and a group ofpickup trucks head for the Kinnicum Fish & GameClub, home of the White Mountain Regulators, to load

John Barleycorn, SASS #76982 shooting Frontier Cartridge Gunfighter.

up with targets, stands, tables, and props, and thenmake the 29-mile trek back to Pelham. This yearwe are short at least two trucks, so some have tomake a second trip. On-site storage containers areopened up and items sorted for distribution. Mate-rials are staged at various locations according tothe Master Layout Plan for this years event. Bynow we have moved a ton of steel and PropsTWICE! The first evenings activities consist of vis-iting, BS sessions, eating, and favorite libations.Day 2: Sunday July 20, 77 degrees and

partly sunny. Volunteers are divided into threegroups to begin setting up stages. One in the largeGreat bay and one in the four individual bays, ac-cording to the visual diagrams for this years Shoot-

The Monthly Journal of the Single Action Shooting Society

For Updates, Information and GREAT Offers on the fly-Text SASS to 772937!

Vol. 28 No. 3 Single Action Shooting Society, Inc. March 2015

GREAT NOREASTER

TheCowboyChronicle~!! Click H

ere !!

Sign-up Today!SASS END of TRAIL

( See page 13 )

By The North-East Western Shooters, LLC

SASS New England Regional

CLICK to continue on page 14

FROM THE EDITOR SASS Endorsement: NRA Board Members . . .

NEWS Pony Express Postal Match (sponsored by The Doily Gang) . . .

COSTUMING CORNER The Bustle (A Victorian Fashion Curiosity) . . .

SASS-END OF TRAIL 2015 (( SIGN-UP TODAY!!! ))

ON THE RANGE Thunder Valley Days 2014 . . . Regulators Reckoning . . .

CLUB REPORTS Shootin Our Way Across America . . . Frostbite Falls . . .

THE COWBOY CHRONICLE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

WILD BUNCH CORNER The Great Noreaster Wild Bunch . . .

GUNS & GEAR Dispatches From Camp Baylor . . .

HISTORY Visiting Browns Park . . . Little Known Famous People . . .

PROFILES 2014 Scholarship Recipient . . . Raising A Champion: It Does Take Village

ARTICLES Comic Book Corner (Wild Bill Pecos) . . .

STRAIGHT SHOT Elfego Baca & The Frisco War Pt.2 (Guns and Gavels) . . .

GENERAL STORE /CLASSIFIED

SASS MERCANTILE Nice Collectibles . . .

SASS NEW MEMBERS LISTSASS AFFILIATED CLUBS (MONTHLY)(ANNUAL)

68101320-2930-373338, 3940-4344, 4546-5151-6566-6970, 7172, 7374, 7576

Page 2 Cowboy Chronicle March 2015

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The CowboyChronicle

Editorial Staff

The Cowboy Chronicle is published by The Wild Bunch, Board of Directors of The Single Action Shooting Society.

For advertising information and rates, ad-ministrative, and edi to rial offices contact:

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DISCLAIMER - The Single Action ShootingSociety does not guarantee, warranty or en-dorse any product or service advertised inthis newspaper. The publisher also does notguarantee the safety or effectiveness of anyproduct or service illustrated. The distri -bution of some products/services may be il-legal in some areas, and we do not assumeresponsibility thereof. State and local lawsmust be investigated by the purchaser priorto purchase or use or products/services.

WARNING: Neither the author nor TheCowboy Chronicle can accept any responsi-bility for accidents or diffe ring results ob-tained using reloading data. Variation inhandloading tech niques, compo nents,and fire arms will make results vary. Havea competent gunsmith check yourfirearms before firing.

The Cowboy Chronicle (ISSN 15399877) is pub-lished monthly by the Single Action ShootingSociety, 215 Cowboy Way, Edgewood, NM87015. Periodicals Postage is Paid at Edge-wood, NM and additional mailing offices(USPS#032). POSTMASTER: Send ad -dress changes to The Cowboy Chronicle, 215Cowboy Way, Edgewood, NM 87015.

SkinnyEditor-in-Chief

Misty MoonshineManaging Editor

Tex and Cat BallouEditors Emeritus

Adobe IllustratorLayout &Design

Mac DaddyGraphic DesignPrairie Mary

Advertising Manager(505)843-1320 Cell:(505)249-3573

[email protected]

Staff WritersCapgun Kid

Capt. George BaylorChilkoot

Col. Richard DodgeJesse Wolf Hardin

Joe FasthorseLarsen E. Pettifogger

Palaver PeteRio Drifter

Tennssee TallTexas Flower

White Smoke Steve

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END of TRAIL, EOT, The Cowboy Chro nicleTM,

Cowboy Action ShootingTM, CASTM, Wild BunchTM,

Wild Bunch Action ShootingTM, The World Championship of Cowboy Action ShootingTM,

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The Single Action Shooting Society, Inc. Any use or reproduction of these markswithout the express written permission

of SASS is strictly prohibited.

Visit our Website at

SASSNET.COM

CONTENTS

Two Bits Caldwell,SASS #55505, prepares for action at

Thunder Valley Days,the Maryland State2014 Championship.

Two Bits is thedaughter of

Cash Caldwell (SASS #5505) andKiddo Caldwell

(SASS #55504) and isa second-generationSASS competitor. Its members like her

that are the future of SASS.

CLICK on any sections eCONTENTS

Cowboy ChronicleMarch 2015


Cowboy Chronicle March 2015




associations. He is currently the Chairman of theNRAs Education and Training Committee, ViceChair of the Action Shooting Committee, and Mem-ber of the Executive, Finance, Legislative Affairs,Law Enforcement, and Shooting Sports commit-tees, which covers SASS-type shooting and advo-cacy. Previously honored as the NRA-ILAs JayLittlefield Volunteer of the Year recipient, NRA-ILA Election Volunteer Coordinator for the EighthNY Congressional Districts and the District of Co-lumbia, he was named the inaugural inductee tothe NRA-ILAs EVC Hall of Fame.

Ron Schmeits, aka Judge Banker, SASS #40,000

Ron was President of the National Rifle Associ-ation from May 2009 to May 2011. He succeededJohn C. Sigler and was succeeded by David Keene.Schmeits was the NRAs 60th President since itsfounding in 1871. Schmeits served as First VicePresident prior to being elected President.Schmeits has been an NRA Life Member for 20

years. He became a Benefactor member in 2005. Hewas elected to the Board of Directors in 2000. Whileon the board, Schmeits served as chairman of theMembership and Investment Oversight Commit-tees; vice-chairman of Finance and PublicationsPolicies Committees; and a member of the Auditand Meeting Site Selections Committees. He alsoserved as chairman on the Board of Trustees for theNRA Whittington Center.In 2003, he along with New Mexicos governor

and legislation, passed the Concealed HandgunCarry Act. He also served on the Governors Busi-ness Advisory Committee dealing with concernsover Second Amendment rights.Ronald Schmeits is an active member in several

different affiliations. He is a member of the NRAHeritage Society and a range of organizations andgroups both dealing in civil and community service.

The election of the next slate of the NRA Boardof Directors is well under way. The Wild Bunchenthusiastically endorses the following three longtime dedicated SASS members and supporters fora seat on that board:

Joe DeBergalisRon SchmeitsJohn C. Sigler

We can have no better advocates for our sportthan active SASS members representing our inter-ests at the Director level in the largest pro gun or-ganization in America. Its imperative that you castyour ballot and we ask all our members to seriouslyconsider voting for all three of these stellar cowboys.

Biographies are as shown below:Joe DeBergalis aka Allegiance, SASS #62617Joe is a Patron Life Member of SASS, current

member of the NRA Board of Directors and ardentadvocate of Cowboy Action Shooting. As the NewYork Team SASS State Director, he has consistentlygone above and beyond the call in the conduct of hisduties for both SASS and the NRA in supportingpro-gun activities/efforts. As Vice President of theNew York State Rifle and Pistol Association, he de-veloped an active and successful outreach programto the respective New York based SASS clubs and

Colonel Dan, SASS Life/Regulator #24025

SASS Endorsement:NRA Board Members

Guest Editorial by Colonel Dan, SASS #24025

(Continued on next page)



SASS Endorsement: NRA Board Members . . .(Continued from previous page)

Schmeits is also in a variety of organizations thatare hunting/firearm based, such as the New MexicoWildlife Foundation, Single Action Shooting Soci-ety, the Amateur Trapshooting Association, DucksUnlimited, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation,Missouri Valley Arms Collectors Association(MVACA), and the Boy Scouts of AmericasPhilmont Inspection Team.

John C. SiglerA long time friend and strong supporter of Cow-

boy Action Shooting who has spoken at SASSConventions and END of TRAIL, Sigler is a formerPresident of the National Rifle Association. He suc-ceeded Sandra Froman in 2007, and was the orga-nizations 59th President since it was founded in

1871. He was succeeded by Ron Schmeits in 2009,after his second term.Sigler was born in 1945, joined the NRA in 1970,

and became a life member in 1977. In 1996 he waselected to the NRA board of directors, and since1997 he has served on the NRA Executive Commit-tee. In 2005 Sigler was elected as the NRA FirstVice President, and was named the President at theApril 2007 Annual Meeting in St. Louis.Sigler served in the US Navy from 1967 to 1971

on the USS George Bancroft (SSBN-643) andUSS Hardhead (SS-365). He served on the Dover,Delaware Police Department from 1972 to 1991where he retired as the departments captain. Henow works as a lawyer in Maryland and Delaware.Siglers education includes a degree in criminal jus-tice administration from Wilmington University, amaster of arts in business from Central MichiganUniversity, and a Juris Doctor with honors fromWidener University School of Law. Colonel DanDirector, Team SASS


The Doily Gang was set up to support and encour-age cowgirl shooters, no matter the age or skilllevel. Its about cowgirls helping cowgirls! TheDoily Gang also supports the SASS scholarship fund,giving back to the sport to inspire young shooters.To benefit the SASS scholarship fund, the Doily

Gang put together the SASS sanctioned 2014 PonyExpress Postal Match Championship, which washeld April 1 through September 30, 2014. A total offive countries participated: Canada, Finland, NewZealand, South Africa, and the US (17 states).Twenty-two clubs and 120 shooters covering 24 cat-egories shot the stages over the six-month timeframe. After all expenses were paid, the remainingfunds of $1300 went to the SASS Scholarship Fund.The Postal Match was conducted in much the same

way as the original NRA bulls eye postal matchesfrom the early 1900s, withthe exception of shootingeight stages instead of four,and with the exception ofusing computer-based scor-ing and email instead ofthe US Postal Service. Thestages were relatively sim-ple and precisely dia-grammed, so that all of theSASS clubs participatingcould set up and adminis-ter the match in the samemanner. Due to the con-

straint of the target sizesthe majority of the partici-pating clubs own, the tar-get selection for the stageswere per SASS handbooksuggestions (16" X 16"). Forsafety reasons and someclub range constraints, thetarget distance was alsoplaced per SASS handbooksuggestions. So a couple ofthe stages were, lets say, challenging due to the dis-tance, but for the most part provided something funand different to shooters and the funds raised werefor a good cause.Several cowgirls took the time to write the stages for

the match: Appaloosa Amy (SASS #63949 from Con-(Continued on next page)

PONY EXPRESSPostal MatchSPONSORED BY THE DOILY GANG By Shamrock Sadie, SASS #78511 Life

Jackson Hole Gang, New Jersey.

Alaska 49ers (Taino, SASS #33670; The Alaskan Kid, SASS #99860; Lizzy Mae, SASS #92426; Ruben Ryback, SASS #89756; Tripod, SASS #57588; Marshal Stone, SASS #53366).


Easdern Shore Renegades,Maryland (Wyoming

Schoolmarm, SASS #32070).

Neuse River Regulators, North Carolina (Tombstone

Annie, SASS #93128).

necticut), Dancin Angel (SASS#53686 from New Jersey),Kathouse Kelli (SASS # 72384from Australia), and SlicksSharp Shooter (SASS #77967from Georgia).In order to accommodate clubs with shooting in

great (or good) weather conditions for their area, theparticipating clubs were able to shoot the stages in

any order anytime between April and September2014. This time frame allowed the clubs to do makeup stages if they were rained out, and allowed themto set up the stages again, if some shooters couldntshoot the first go around. The order of the stages andwhen to shoot them was completely up to the partic-ipating clubs.You might be asking yourself, Well how did it

keep folks from shooting the stages twice at differentclubs to get a better score? Clubs submitted thescores within seven days of the match (for all shoot-ers at their match) and then the scores were enteredinto a customized scoring program by the PostalMatch scorekeepers. An electronic verificationprocess ran to check for previous score entries.Many clubs added extra activities for their postal

match dates. For instance, the Jackson Hole Gangout of New Jersey had a team match after they shotthe first four stages. The team match was the firstDoily Gang duel with 14 three-person teams.For the top winners, SASS Championship Belt

Page 9Cowboy ChronicleMarch 2015


Buckles were given to the Top Male, Top Female, andTop Junior. Additionally, SASS contributed $500 inSASS Merchandise Gift Certificates to use as prizes.So who were the winners? Top Cowboy was Black-

hawk Henry (SASS #98144), Top Cowgirl was Sham-rock Sadie (SASS #78511), and Top Junior wasNicked M. Good (SASS #98335).There were five aimers (clean shooters): Billy The

Avenger (SASS #92117), Doctor Doom (SASS #69253),Driftwood Dan (SASS #62738), Quaker Hill Bill(SASS #61021), and Turquoise Tony (SASS #51466).Visit the Doily Gang website at www.doilygang.com

to see the complete list of scores and read more aboutthe Postal Match.Thank you to all of the Postal Match volunteers,

clubs, match directors, and shooters for participatingin the 2014 SASS Pony Express Postal MatchChampionship! We hope you had a great time shoot-ing the stages.

Pony Express Postal Match . . .(Continued from previous page)

Grand Cane Gunslingers, Lousiana (Tumblin Tom, SASS #69099 and Crusty Steve, SASS #96186).

COWS of Finland.

wPage 10 Cowboy Chronicle March 2015

The bustle is recognized as a most fascinatingfashion silhouette of the Victorian Era, but itis probably the most difficult for the modernviewer to understand. A basic definition for the bus-tle is: a type of framework used to expand the full-ness or support the drapery at the back of a

womans dress. The bustlewas also known by othernames, including dress im-prover, tournure, and the Gre-cian bend. It is interestinghow social, economic, and po-litical pressures helped to in-fluence bustle history. Bustles first made their

appearance in the late 1860s,became a rage in the early1870s, disappeared by 1876,made a dramatic comeback by1883, and disappeared com-pletely in the 1890s. Often,one must look at hairstyles ortypes of hats worn with bustle

gowns to determine the time period. Lets look ateach time period to see how the bustle evolved andsome of the differences.The crinoline period started about 1840. The

ideal shape for this period wasan hourglass torso covered ina close-fitting bodice with anatural waistline and a veryfull bell-shaped skirt achievedwith layers of petticoats.Eventually, the petticoatswere replaced with crinolines.Crinolines (hoops) were not asheavy as the petticoats and al-

lowed the opportunity to amplifythe size of the bell-shaped skirt toenormous proportions. Wealthwas moving from the countrysideinto the city. Land based wealthcould no longer compare withthat of the industrialists and in-vestors. New wealth lived and so-cialized in the city. A woman in alarge crinoline could not get

around with easein the bustlingcity. Fashionable ladies needed a lotof space to move about, so instead ofmaking the crinoline any larger, de-signers began to flatten out the frontand sides creating more fullness andweight at the back of the skirts. Theladies could keep their full skirts andmove with more ease and grace. Somekind of support was needed for thenew shape. The elliptical hoop was

Bustle


Texas Flower, SASS Life #43753

Crinoline dinner dress, circa 1862.Soft bustle gowns, circa 1872.

The crinolette.Lillie Langtry

bustle.

A Victorian Fashion CuriosityBy Texas Flower, SASS Life #43753

Crinoline bell hoop.

Hard bustle day dress,circa 1888.


,



born. It was a narrow hoop skirtwith the concentration of hoopsin the back. In the early stagesof the bustle, the fullness at theback of the skirts was carriedlow and often fanned out to cre-ate a train. Eventually, the bus-tle replaced the crinolinecompletely. The bustle evolvedinto a much more pronouncedhumped shape on the back ofthe skirt immediately below thewaist with the fabric of theskirts falling to the floor, chang-

ing the shape of the silhouette.Although the shift to the full-fledged bustle can

be seen as a natural progression, it might havebeen hurried along by the fall of the Second FrenchEmpire. After Napoleon III surrendered to thePrussians in 1870, Empress Eugenie, the leader offashion in Europe, fled to England in exile.Whether or not this was a contributing factor, itseemed that fashion was ready for a change. De-signers embraced the bustle and created a hugeshift in fashion. This, the first bustle period, wasalso known as the soft bustle, which began about1867 and lasted until about 1874. Industrializationand the rise of the sewing machine reduced the costof labor. Decorations on the gown, not its circum-

ference, became the orderof the day. Skirts of theearly 1870s had a hoop-like appearance with ahigher waistline thatshowed off the new skirts.There was still some full-ness at the front of thedress. Fullness was con-sidered necessary to makethe waist look smaller.By 1874, the fullness

was waning and complextape arrangements werebeing used inside the dress back to draw back theshape and produce a more slender silhouette. Thiswould be called the Natural Form Era, which beganabout 1875 and lasted until about 1882. Women re-tained the complex skirts, drapery, and decorations,but removed the bustle. The skirts were closely fit-ted around the legs in a fishtail style making it

The Bustle A Victorian Fashion Curiosity ...(Continued from previous page)

Natural form gowns,circa 1878.

Elliptical hoop.

Soft bustle.

(Continued on page 12)


hard to move about or sit. The cuirass bodice waslong and tightly fitted. The style needed a propor-tionately slender body to be shown at its best, andso the fashion was short lived.By 1883, the bustle was resurrected with a

vengeance. This was the second bustle period, alsoknown as the hard bustle, which began about 1883and lasted until about 1890. The back of gowns wereno longer swathed in frothy poufs but instead be-came shelf-like. Elaborate skirt designs had anasymmetrical profile, less drapery, complex decora-tions, and the waistlines fell to accentuate thelength of the torso. In contrast to the fullness below,bodices of gowns were closely fitted so that a ladyscorseted waist was made to look even smaller. Thisbustle came into prominence during the time of theRational Dress Reform Movement. One of the move-ments goals was to free women from the restric-tions imposed on them by clothing, and it reflectedsome important social changes. Women were begin-

ning to enjoy outdooractivities such as ten-nis, yachting, fencing,and canoeing. Since afashionable lady wouldstill wear proper day-time attire for these ac-tivities, they discoveredthat the bustle gavethem more freedom ofmovement.The bustle began to

diminish in size by the1890s. The bustles life-time had covered abouttwenty years. By thestart of the GayNineties, it wasnowhere in sight, andthe age of the bustle,surely one of fashionsstrangest creations,was over with no resur-rection. The fashions ofthe 1890s displayed along torso, wide shoulders, and a tiny waist. Onemagazine reported that ladies had given up im-provers, steels, and most skirt draperies. The era ofthe hourglass figure had dawned, and the Gibsongirl look glimmered on the horizon.

Wire bustle.

The Bustle A Victorian Fashion Curiosity ...(Continued from page 11)

Lobster tail bustle.




ers Handbook. The third group of volunteers head tothe clubhouse to begin decorating the interior andcreating the shooters packets, as well as organizingshooters door prizes. Then the raffles are organized.The evening activities consist of visiting, BS sessions,

eating, and favorite libations.Day 3: Monday July 21, 81

degrees and sunny. Today theshooting bays and stages shouldbe completed, but being short-handed this year, setting up willrun into Tuesday. Porta-pottieswill be delivered. The first walk-through takes place on completedstages; some get additional eyecandy to dress them up. Theevening activities consist of visit-

ing, BS sessions, eating, and favorite libations.Day 4: Tuesday July 22, 81 degrees and

sunny. Setting up is finally completed and the nextwalkthrough takes place. Targets are painted. Shadetents are placed over the loading and unloading ta-bles. Repair kits and spare targets and stands arestaged for emergency use. Yet another walkthroughwill take place, to be sure we are ready. Work sched-ules for match volunteers are posted along withposse sheets. The evening activities consist of visit-ing, BS sessions, eating, and favorite libations.Day 5: Wednesday July 23, the hottest day of

the week with a high of 93 degrees. Early shoot-ers begin to arrive at the range with their campersso they can get a choice location. The GNE staff

shoots the entire ten-stage match. The TOs,spotters, and additionalobservers are volunteersfrom the Main Matchwho have arrived early.Its the last chance tomake any needed ad-justments to the stages,which are usually minor.Any corrections arerecorded for the ROwalkthrough and/or theSafety meeting. Weshoot five stages andbreak for lunch beforecompleting the remain-ing five stages. After-wards there is BBQ forthe shooters, and theMatch Director, Capt.Morgan Rum, SASS #6859, gives his yearly speechabout our being in the entertainment business. Allproblems are to be handled quickly and profession-ally with little fan-fare. We are Disneyland withGuns he says. If we do it right our customers willnever know there was a problem or issue. Then itsback to work, eliminating loose ends before the nextdays activities. Targets are painted, trash is pickedup, water jugs collected, and repairs made. Theevening activities consist of visiting, BS sessions,eating, and favorite libations.Day 6: Thursday July 24, 81 degrees and

mostly sunny. Side Event Day and the opening ofregistration. Approximately half of the registeredshooters will participate in the side events and threequarters of them will pick up their shooters packets,check the posse lists, and walk the ranges looking atthe stages. The last of the campers arrive today.Water and ice are provided throughout the ranges.Targets are painted, trash is picked up, water jugscollected, and repairs made. The evening activitiesconsist of visiting, BS sessions (which start to get se-rious), eating, and favorite libations. There is a west-ern movie in the clubhouse on the big screen. Thisyear it is Last Stand at Saber River.Day 7: Friday July 25, 81 degrees and sunny.

First day of Main Match stages. The Pledge of Alle-giance is recited, Tom Payne, SASS #13115, plays

THE GREAT NOREASTER 2014. ,(Continued from page 1)


Buckaroo Davey theKidd, SASS #93994.

The new 10' x 20' Loading Table Shelters were appreciated by all.

Appaloosa Amy and James Samuel Pike:

2014 SASS New England Regional Mens and Ladies Champions,

Top Overall Shooters, and the winners of the Top 16 Shoot offs.



the National Anthem onhis harmonica, lastminute details of thematch are announced, fol-lowed by the safety brief-ing, and the posses headoff to the stages. Groupsrotate for lunch breaksand then finish the dayon the ranges. Targetsare painted, trash is picked up, water jugs collected,and repairs made. Results from the days shooting areposted. The evening activities consist of visiting,major BS sessions, eating, and favorite libations.Day 8: Saturday July 26, 81 degrees and

sunny. It is The National Day of the Cowboy, and sec-ond (and last) day of Main Match stages. Posses headoff to the stages. Groups rotate for lunch breaks andthen finish the day on the ranges. Break down of moststages happens, with the targets and items deliveredback to the White Mountain Regulators home range.The second crew begins to set up the shoot off stages.

Targets are painted, trash is picked up, water jugscollected, and repairs made. The results of the dayare posted. The evening activities consist of TheSaturday Night Extravaganza in the Clubhouse. Afine meal of steak or chicken,catered by Texas Roadhouse, isserved, then there is music,dancing, and Costume Contests,with Birdie Cage, SASS #32773,giving out her famous BooteeAwards for the well-dressed. Animpromptu vocal performance ofseveral songs by Miss BBRichardson, SASS #91363, wowsthe crowd. As is our tradition,funds are raised for The Na-tional Day of the Cowboy, whichjust happens to fall on the fourth Saturday in Julyeach year during our event. Then there is visiting,favorite libations, and extreme and sometimes in-coherent BS sessions. Side event winners are an-nounced and awards given. The top sixteen menand women are announced for the Wild West

The Great Noreaster 2014 . . .(Continued from previous page)

Young Guns Girls winner

BB Richardson.

Doc McCoy, SASS #8381, being timed by

Rootin Tootin Tim, SASS #57091.




Sweethearts ladies and The Showdown mensshoot offs to take place the next morning.Day 9: Sunday July 27, 73 degrees and

mostly cloudy. The last official day of the match.Cowboy church in the Clubhouse, then the crowdheads back to the range one last time to see the topsixteen Men and Women compete, with top male

James Samuel Pike, SASS#53331, and top female Ap-paloosa Amy, SASS #63949,competing for TOP GUN. Thisyears winner is JamesSamuel Pike. Almost immedi-ately after the shoot off, just asthe awards begin, a light rainstarts to fall. The results areposted on the website duringthe awards! The remaining ac-tivities consist of tearing down

the last of the targets, stands, and props, returningthem to the Kinnicum Club, and clearing out andcleaning the clubhouse. Many of the staff remain on-site and evening activities include dinner and dis-cussing and noting shooterfeedback of what went well andwhat can be improved upon. Day 10: Monday July 28, 81

degrees and sunny. The staffloads up all the computers, sta-tionery, and various gear thatneeds to be stored for next year.We all say our goodbyes and goour separate ways, knowing thatwe have done our best to provide

a great time for our guests. We will get together ina month or so to start the whole process over againfor our Tenth Anniversary match. An event like this doesnt happen without a good

deal of help. Special thanks to the hard workingWaddies who helped with the match set up and teardown, as well as providing ice and water to all thestages and keeping the targets painted and the

ranges clean. Thanks also to BoyScout Troop 610, who prepared andsold breakfast and lunch throughoutthe match and volunteered brass pick-ers for every posse each day of thematch! On the human interest side, P.T.

Lightwell, SASS #49961, was travel-ing south on Interstate 93 on the wayto the match when something on theside of the highway caught his eye. He

stopped to check it out, and it turned out to be a tinykitten only a few weeks old. After searching for itsmother or any litter mates, he rescued the littlefeller. The kitten was the center of attention in theclubhouse throughout the whole match. After thematch we found out he now has a name. His nameis Merlin, since he can disappear at will and reap-pear just as mysteriously.Congratulations to all the Cowgirls and Cowboys

who placed in Categories, shot clean, or just plainhad a great time. We hope to see you all again nextyear, the fourth weekend in July, to help us celebrateten years of The Great Noreaster! Visit www.thegreatnoreaster.com for a complete list of results.

(Continued from page 15)


THE GREAT NOREASTER 2014. ,

Dakota Joe, SASS #3471, at the start of the Annie Oakley Stage.

Merlin, the interstate cat.

Top 16 Shootoff an the end of The Great Bay ...

Local Wildlife.



* * * * * * * *Post Script: Since our

event, SASS has an-nounced a new Champi-onship Event format. After nine years The

Great Noreaster SASSNew England Regionalhas a new name and anew format at the samegreat location.

The Great Noreasteris now the SASS North-east Regional and picks upthree new States. A bigwelcome to Pennsylvania,New Jersey and Delaware! Also for our Tenth An-

niversary we will be ex-

panding to a twelve stagematch!

The Great Noreasterhas never increased ourregistration fees and wewont do it for our An-niversary event either.Ten years of holding thesame price and now 12stages for the price of 10!Come join us in Pel-

ham, New HampshireJuly 23-26, 2015 for the Tenth Anniversary of

The Great Noreaster!Visit our website at

www.the greatnoreas ter.com for more informa-tion.


(See more HIGHLIGHTS on page 18)

49er

Gunfighter

Duelist

Senior

Lady Wrangler

Lady Senior

Frontier Cartridge Duelist

~~ WINNERS ~~



THE GREAT NOREASTER 2014. ,(Continued from page 17)


Championship of Cowboy Ac-tion Shooting. After writ-ing the Chronicle report forthe last 15 years, it is a bit ofa challenge to come up witha fresh look at the match.With no real issues, this wasonce again a typical friendlylocal match with the atmos-

I gotmyeyeson

you!



iBy Chuckaroo SASS 13080 TG, Regulator, Hall of FamePhotos by Idle Time Photography

Mt. Airy, MD. The 2014 Thunder Valleys Dayswas another complete success. A great deal ofthat success is due to the many Izaak Walton chap-ter members who volunteered to assist with foodpreparation, shuttle drivers, set up and tear down,safety observers, parking, and the target swap onFriday. Having plenty of help is truly a blessing.

All state matches are a lotof work and entail a prepara-tion schedule that lasts forwhat seems like forever. A fullyear of planning is requiredand it can all fall apart with-out our volunteers. The volun-teers service to the club isgreatly appreciated. And,many are not cowboy shooters.TVD is also one of the biggestand most successful fundrais-ing events the host club has. This was our fifteenth year

of hosting the Maryland State

BB Richardson, SASS #91363, playing coy.

Overall top male and female, Sunshine Marcie

and Punch.(Continued on next page)

!

THUNDER VALLEY DAYS2014 SASS Maryland State Championship

phere of a monthly match.We had 107 shooters, in-

cluding more than a dozenof our chapter members. Itseems that numbers aredown almost everywhere,and speculation blameseconomy, lack of shootingsupplies, gas prices, and ahost of possibilities that aretotally uncontrollable. Ifthere is a story anywhere,this is it. Matches need topull out all the stops, in-cluding an effort to reachout to those who havestopped shooting. Our three-day match

schedule consisted of sidematches and a mini matchon Thursday, the first five main match stages andBBQ on Friday, and concluded with the last fivestages and an awards banquet.After the smoke had cleared, the Maryland

State Champion was Sagebrush Kid, SASS #42525,and the ladies winner was again Kiddo Caldwell,SASS #55504. It was her tenth Maryland StateChampionship in a row! Some of her competitiongave her a fresh run for the title, but Kiddo perse-vered once again.TVD maintains the atmosphere of a small,

friendly, and personablematch. This year we concludedthe event with the awards ban-quet at the range clubhouse in-stead of going off site. As itturns out, everybody liked theidea and our chefs did an out-standing job.There is a challenge creat-

ing 10 stages on six berms.With a reset of stages on Fri-day, we are able to recreate thescene for day two. Overall Top Winner was

Punch, SASS #4368 and Over-



BEST DRESSED COUPLEDouble Tap, SASS #92806,

and No Limit, SASS #58857.

Sunshine Marcie, moving like a champion.

Thunder Valley Days 2014 . . .(Continued from previous page)





MARYLAND STATE CHAMPIONSSagebrush Kid and Kiddo Caldwell.

LADY WRANGLER WINNERSSide Saddle Sue, SASS #73023,

and Tomahawk Teri, SASS #52808.

LADY B-WESTERN CHAMP.Ruger Rose, SASS #91444. SENIOR WINNERS

Jug Browning, SASS #22356; Wild Bill Diamond, SASS #19375; Tug Hill, SASS #15764; and Vaquero Dan, SASS #31330.

SILVER SENIOR WINNERSDirt Rider, SASS #46537; Webb McAlister, SASS #69349;

Cash Caldwell, SASS #5505; and Cactus Whiskey, SASS #75905.

LADY SENIOR WINNERSMisfire Maggie, SASS #69350,

and Singin Sidekick, SASS #69837.

Thunder Valley Days 2014 . . .(Continued from page 21)

all Top Lady was his better half, Sunshine Marcie,SASS #64900.Next years match has been moved to August

(20, 21 and 22) as a change of pace and hopefullycooler early fall temperatures.Please visit http://www.damascusiwla.org/DWR/

Scores/TVD2014scores.htm for a complete listing ofwinners.




Chance Calico, SASS #54214, showing duelist is coolestespecially with black powder!

No One, SASS #52804, running barefoot on gravel.

Ouch!

Sagebrush Kid, staging his long guns just so.

Two Bits Caldwell, SASS #55505cute as a button.

Thunder Valley Days 2014 . . .(Continued from previous page)

BEST DRESSEDWORKING COWBOY

Short Toe Steve, SASS #83249



Thunder Valley Days 2014 . . .(Continued from page 23)



The Wartrace Regulators hosted the eleventhRegulators Reckoning, the Tennessee StateChampionship, October 16-18, 2014. I believeit can be best summarized as Bigger, Better, withSomething for Everyone.We made it bigger by increasing registration to

225 shooters, which we reached well in advance ofthe match. We made it better in a number of ways,which will become apparent as you read this arti-cle. Lastly, it offers something for everyone, in thatthere are now competitions for every shooter, re-gardless of age or skill level.Side Matches. Thursday was a very busy day,

with overcast skies and cool temperatures, gener-ally improving throughout the day. A black powdermatch and a warm up match started things off, fol-lowed by the usual speed events and the long rangeevents. A Cut the Rope event was next, withBlackfish Kid (SASS #21537) accomplishing the

task with one rifle shot. Leftys Lucky Lady (SASS#66826) did it in only two rifle shots. After lunch was the Wild Bunch event, then the

second annual Are You Tough Enough to WearPink? contest. It raised $1,141.00 for the AmericanCancer Society, thanks in large part to a check for$1,000 from a shooting couple who would likely de-sire to remain anonymous.For the first time we had a shoot-off which was


By Gringo Gordo, SASS #84138Photos by HT Terry, SASS #100412 and Toyboy Bandito, SASS #100317

Birdshot Pete (SASS #94404) shooting rifle at Graftons.

CLUB LEADERS:Whiskey Hayes (President), Randy St. Eagle (Awards),

Papa Dave (Safety, and Match Coordinator)

TRIPLE CROWNTOP COWGIRL

Slicks Sharp Shooter (SASS #77967).

BUCKAROOS: Donald Duke, Georgias Phantom

Rider (SASS #98146), Mustang Lewis (SASS #97693).

Buckarette TN Missy the 200th shooter to register

REGULATORS RECKONINGSASS 2014 Tennessee State Championship



open to everyone. Therewere three categories:Traditional, Gunfighterand Duelist. The threecategory winners werePrestidigitator, SASS#52251 (Traditional), FastHarley, SASS #34953(Gunfighter), and ShaddaiVaquero, SASS #69779(Duelist), who then competed for the overall title,which went to Prestidigitator. We expect this to bean ever more popular event. Talk to Dodge CityDixie (SASS #90920) about her videos of the event.While the Shoot-Off was in progress, there was

a chili cook-off, which resulted in a large number ofstuffed cowboys. The cook-off winner was Dr. Slick,SASS #99358.Main Matches. On Friday morning, Whiskey

Hayes SASS #41999, welcomed everyone and

briefed them on all the details of the match. PapaDave (SASS #17266) led the safety meeting.Whiskey Hayes gave thanks, and then we recitedthe Pledge Of Allegiance.Whiskey wrote some fast and challenging stages

with no P traps in any of them. Check the scoreson our website (www.wartraceregulators.com). Imsure you will agree they were pretty fast.After the five main match stages were finished,


BranchwaterJack (SASS

#88852) shooting

black powderat the Train.

B-WESTERN LADIES:Dodge City Dixie,

Perfecto Vaquera (SASS #69780),Dixie Pistols (SASS #98145)

Regulators Reckoning SASS 2014 Tennessee State Championship . . .(Continued from previous page)

the bark on. Thanks toour very generous spon-sors, vendors and prizecontributors, we handedout well over 100 doorprizes. Once again, theprize table looked like the bottling room at a cer-tain nearby distillery (about 50 or so bottles). Saturday morning brought the final five stages

of the main match and the weather was sunny andwarmer. Everything went smoothly, and shooterswere not pressed for time to get to their room anddon their dress duds for the big banquet.The Awards Banquet. On Saturday night we

gathered for what is absolutely one of the bestawards banquets in all of Cowboy Action Shoot-ing. Our dinners were catered by the Bell BuckleCafe of that historic littletown. The venue was theBlue Ribbon Circle on theTennessee Walking HorseCelebration grounds. Thedecorations were providedby Alchemist Belle (SASS#93666), assisted by IdaShotEm (SASS #26131), Miss Whiskey, Chicka-mauga Slim and his wife, Miss Lila.Awards. Well, we passed the 200 shooter mile-

stone this year. We registered 227 shooters, and 220actually shot the match. The 200th shooter to registerwas TN Missy (SASS #101059), a Buckarette. DodgeCity Dixie made her a couple of really nice shirts.The awards started with Category State Cham-

pions receiving State Champion red belt buckles



we had a team match consisting of three-personteams. The event was in a tag team format. Therifle shooter engaged a Texas star and a plate rack,then the pistol shooter took on a plate rack and fiveknockdowns, and then the shotgun shooter was re-sponsible for six knockdowns and any target stillstanding. The winning team consisted of Wes Out-law (SASS #9268), Missouri Lefty (SASS #91721),and Cassalong Hopidy (SASS #39703).Friday Night Dinner on the Range. Again

this year, our dinner on the range was prepared byRollin Chopstix and it was just perfect. RollinChopstix stayed for the whole match.Chickamauga Slim (SASS #81851), Donald Duke

(SASS #94965), Bluff (SASS #28259), Whiskey Hayes,and others treated us to a little bit of Karaoke, andCharlie Bowdre (SASS #5659) gave the blessing.After dinner, we had the side match awards and

door prize drawings. Side match winners receivedvery attractive plaques sawn from tree limbs with


Regulators Reckoning . . .(Continued from page 27)



with a white WR brand in the center. The acrylics in the shape of Tennesseewent to the shooters first in category, while second through fifth receivedleather covered flasks. Then Mose Spencer (SASS #63490) and Bella Spencer (SASS #63491) pre-

sented awards to all the Triple Crown champions. There was also a gun cart,donated by Ruger, presented to Georgia Slick (SASS #20382), who shot allthree matches of the Triple Crown clean. Ruger also donated a gun, which waspresented to another Triple Crown shooter. Next we recognized the twenty-one cowboys and cowgirls who shot a clean match.During the awards, we had for presentation, two SR9 pistols donated by

Ruger, a Henry .22 donated by Franklin Gun Shop, a Hooligan Wagon GunCart donated by Papa Dave and a very large Bowie knife donated by BradaTat Tat (SASS #91929) and Dirty Nerdy (SASS #91930).Some Last Thoughts. This year, we concentrated on repairing and re-

painting our 15 shooting stages, as well as the office. We also put the old club-house in much better shape. It is now an air-conditioned building where wecan have meetings and conduct training. We all need to thank Wes Outlaw forhis tireless efforts again this year. He further improved the overall drainageof the range and improved the general-purpose range, where we fire our hunt-ing and carry guns. Once again, Wes and the young men of the ArrowheadRanch helped us immeasurably, especially with painting.Well all be awaiting the onset of spring, so we can get out for Saturday

work parties to make range improvements for the 2015 match, scheduled forOctober 22-24.

Regulators Reckoning . . .(Continued from previous page)

Saturday morning found us with two posses toshoot six stages. We were privileged to shoot withChicken Coop, SASS #5791 (whose last name isCooper); Brush Rabbit, SASS #93092 (who rescueswild rabbits); Will Barnett (who owns a shotgunwhich once belonged to thereal Will Barnett a CivilWar Veteran); Ranger Bill,SASS #97706 (who is amisplaced Texan fromHouston); and CharlieSiringo, SASS #93113, whoprompted me to find outwho Charlie Siringo actu-ally was. Charles AngeloSiringo was a real cowboy,



Pennsylvania. State #44! Six states to go tomeet our goal of shooting in all fifty states. Thecountdown continues.Dry Gulch Rangers Cowboy Club are at home on

the McDonald Sportsmen Association grounds lo-cated off I-70 South, west of Pittsburgh. Will Bar-nett, SASS #34008, Pep C. Holic, SASS #66130, andthe Moose, (club mascot), welcomed us into the drycamping area at the club. When we walked down tothe lake, a Great Blue Heron lifted off the easternshore, we turned at a noise to see a baby groundhog scurry away. The lake is beautiful, brimmingwith fish, turtles, and wood duck boxes. We wereafraid to drop a line, as the fish must be huge, asign on one of the docks warned us to Fish at yourown risk! Our evening of game watching had onlybegun. A young rabbit and huge ground hog sharedour hilltop campsite with the wild turkeys, whocame down to feed at dusk.

Rio Drifter, SASS #49244 andTennesse Tall, SASS #49245

Pennsylvania

SHOOTINOURWAYACROSS AMERICA

Will Barnett

By Tennessee Tall, SASS #49245, and Rio Drifter, SASS #49244

Chicken Coop (Continued on next page)

Chicken Coop and Charlie Siringo.

. ,

a Texan, a PinkertonAgent, a lawman, andthe author of A TexasCowboy; Or FifteenYears on the HurricaneDeck of a Spanish Pony.Found a great write upabout Siringo onWikipedia. Never knowwhat you will learnwhen you start askingabout aliases, but it isalways fun.We shot four stages

and broke for a lunch ofhot dogs and burgerscooked up by the localBoy Scouts of America.We returned to the rangeand shot two morestages. Something hap-pened that we dont oftensee, ALL THE SHOOT-ERS WORKED to breakdown and stow away thetargets and range gear.We came, we shot, weput a 44th state stickeron our map and headedfor Vermont, number 45and counting!


Shootin Our Way Across America Pennsylvania . . .(Continued from previous page)


Bend, OR. The Leg-end (SASS #36069)got to the rangefirsthe must have ar-rived at oh-dark-thirty. Heopened the west gate, thenheaded into the valley andopened the posse club house. Once inside, he stokedup the pot-bellied stove and quick as the stroke of amatch, there was heat. After securing the club house,he ventured out and piled wood into the posse mobilebay heater, and stoked it as well, so by the time the



How Lows The January Temp Mamma?27And Rising, Son!

By Palaver Pete, SASS Life/Regulator #4375

Palaver Pete, SASS Life/Regulator

#4375




other shooters arrived, the club house was warm, andthe mobile heater was ready to provide warmth in thebayswhat a guythank you, Legend!Should we shoot five stages or four? the Posse

asked, almost in unison. The temperature was risingalmost as fast as the optimism, so everyone roared atonce: do FIVE! So steel was set, and when all was inplace, GDub (SASS #98435) and Sunrise Bill (SASS#64301) guided us through the stage scenarios. Thefirst shooter was called from the loading table, andthe shooting started in earnest. As usual, Hoss Reese(SASS #88815) came out blazing and managed to bestall shooters with an incredible total time of 123.13,highlighted by a top score of 18.71 seconds for stage3. Right behind Hoss in standings, as well as on this

stage, was Whisperin Wade (SASS #36209), whosetime was 18.86now thats called breathing downones neck!Not to be outdone, Sunrise Bill set the pace for

Stage 2, with a time of 29.35, with Hoss Reese rightbehind him at 31.20. Sunrise finished third overall,while Yours Truly stumbled into fourth place, right infront of the Stonewood Kid (SASS #62875), GDub,and The Legend. All in all, the weather was morethan just tolerableit really wasnt bad for a highdesert January morning. The Temperature did climbto the mid-thirties before starting its way down againaround lunchtime. But by this time, who cared? Dia-mond Willow (SASS #37688) had the hot dogs andsausages all cooked-up and waiting, alongside a deli-cious potato salad conjured up by Talks Much Woman9SASS #60896), and the table was rounded out withthe normal non-fatting chips and cookiesnothingwas wasted. To see the final scores by category andtotal time, as well as other Northwest Cowboy andPosse news, please visit our website at: pinemountainposse.com youre a Daisy if ya do.

How Lows The January Temp Mamma? . . .(Continued from previous page)



S imms, MT. The 2015 Frostbite Falls Invita-tional is in the books! Well, not really in thebooks but the times were blazing (no pun in-tended) fast. In fact, we didnt even really keeptrack after a while. One shooter questioned histimes and the ability of my timer (you know whoyou are) to be accurate in the temperatures wewere shooting. An attempt to warm the timer upnear the wood stove to make it more accurate re-sulted in melting the case.Since this was a shoot-what-ya-brung event,

there were some different firearms in attendance.It was also a pick your own brass match, so we allused .22 rifles. Snow snakes werent the only rep-tile at the range, as a Colt Anaconda showed up.

Nice gun, ported and all. However, on its first firingit immediately got the attention of Poverty Bill(SASS #45790) and I. Holy crap, was it loud! There

FROSTBITE FALLSi

i

By Crusty Curt, SASS #74122


Z

Z Z

Zf f ff

ff f

Z



was also a 460 Magnum with the neatest sight (def-initely NOT allowed by SASS). Before anyone hasa fit, Jughead (SASS #55756) was shooting .45Colts during the match. Afterwards, we shot some460s. Poverty Bills first shot was under theawning-which magnified the report by a factor of10. I dont think Id pick it to do some casual plink-ing, but we did split some wood with it.And, though it rarely happens, there was one

clean shoot! I was amazed eating lunch didnt jinxit. Anyhow it was a fun shoot and a great way tostart the new year.

Frostbite Falls . . .(Continued from previous page)

BACKGROUND: There is a very small town inOregon called Tumalo. In the Klamath Indianlanguage, tumolo means wild plum, a plentifulshrub located in south central Oregon. The town it-self is a small dot on the road located halfway be-tween Bend and Sisters. If you sneeze while drivingby, you will miss it. Located in Tumalo is the Tu-malo Feed Company, a restaurant built back in thedays when real cowboys roamed the area. The decorof the restaurant is Western, to include old gunshanging on the wall. Its a natural place for a Cow-boy Christmas celebration. So the Pine MountainPosse sent their telegraph operator, Diamond Wil-low (DW), SASS #37688, to explore the possibili-tiesher accounting of the meeting is mostinteresting. End of Background.

When DW mentionedcowboy guns, the youngreceptionist and eventsplanner at the Tumalo Feed Company nearlypassed out with joy. Real cowboy guns? she asked. Yes, was DWs curt and immediate response.

Real western guns, without bullets, she added,plus, all of us will be dressed in vintage cowboyoutfits. The stunned girl was overjoyed, but some-what speechless. DW had to wave her hand beforethe girls eyes to regain her attention. When she fi-nally came around, she and DW started planningfor the Pine Mountain Posses Sixth Annual Christ-mas Party, which was held December 13, 2014, atthe Feed Company. Everyone but John Wayne, ClintEastwood, and St. Nick showed up. Like Christmas Parties past, the joy of the sea-

son was upon us. Once all the happy celebrantswere pulled away from the no-host bar, dinners ofvarious plates were served. Selections were madefrom a menu of steak, salmon, or chicken marsalachoices seemed to have broken-out even. Dinner in-cluded: onion rings and salsa, garden salad, bakedpotato, rolls, ice cream, beverage, and coffee. Aftereating, moving ones body about became difficult,but nevertheless, a gift exchange followed dinner.One of the highlights of the party was the attentiongiven to SASS members by other patrons of therestaurant. The usual questions were asked, andthe usual replies given, but giving out informationtoday about SASS and CAS is much easier thanyesteryear, because reference can be made to web-sites. All you need do, after introductory words areexchanged, is refer the questioner to both the SASSwebsite and your posses websitevery, very easy,and the questioner can easily bookmark the web-sites for future reference.The next day, the Posse held their regularly

scheduled shoot at the range. Those present stillseemed to be under the influence of too muchfoodmovement seemed a bit exaggerated, if youknow what I mean. In any event, a fun time was



Guns, Christmas and Steaks


Palaver Pete, SASS Life/Regulator

#4375

By Palaver Pete, SASS Life/Regulator #4375



had by all and over the sound of gunfire, shouts ofjoy and well wishes to all, members of the SASSFamily could be heard. Perhaps you can still hearthe echo: Merry, Merry Christmas, and Happy,Happy New Year to all our shooting pards! The Cowboy Way: You are confined only by the

walls you build yourself. Dont fence yourself in.Youre a Daisy if ya dont!

Guns, Christmas and Steaks . . .(Continued from previous page)

The smiles on the faces of Stargazer Sal, SASS #57411 (left), and Kalico Kady, SASS#76974, speak for the joy a Cowboy Christmasparty can provide.

After eating, moving ones bodyabout became difficult, but nevertheless, a gift exchange followed dinner. Here we see The Shevlin Kid, SASS #72550, expressing excitement over the gift he chose.

Wrong Hand Willie, SASS #82316, and wife

Karen smile big for the party camera.



In 2013 the posse of Wild Bunchers had such agreat time at the Great Noreaster, they re-quested a more formal assembly in 2014and the

wGREAT NOREASTERWild Bunch!,

By Loco Poco Lobo, SASS #36108


WINNERS

Traditional: Doc McCoy, SASS #8381Modern: El Otro Doc, SASS #58695Lady Modern: Loco Poco Lobo, SASS 36108



regional match leaders listened! On July 24, 2014,a group of military, gringos, and assorted rascalspossed up for the mini match. We shot from behindwagons, in a bank, and at a cabin with plenty ofammo and brass a flyin. The motley crew is lookingforward to 2015 as it is the 10th anniversary andwill be the SASS Northeast Regional Champi-onship! Come join us for the fun!

The Great Noreaster Wild Bunch! . . .(Continued from previous page)



New! Improved! Shotgun Belt from Mernickle Holsters

Now youre saying to yourself, Ho hum, I have ashotgun belt. Actually I have several, since Ishoot .45s in some matches and .38s in others, and Iveworn out the leather loops in some. What can possiblybe New or Improved in a shotgun belt?You may also be saying to yourself, Why is he

writing about Mernickle Holsters again?(http://www.mernickleholsters.com, 800-497-3166)Didnt he write about fuchsia buttstock covers in theNovember 2014 Dispatches? Yes, and I said, Thisyear he had several things, some of which were tooearly in development for me to test and write about.Well, this is about some of them. Bob Mernickle keeps coming up with new ideas

worth talking about. Theres also the fact that Bob andhis wife Sherrie are some of the nicest people in SASSand have done a lot for SASS and SASS charities. Ifyou have a new product you think SASS members willwant, talk to me. I might be writing about you next.

NEW (OLD) Material for LoopsWhen cartridges came out in the nineteenth cen-

tury, cartridge belts followed. Then the U. S. Armyquickly discovered that leatherand brass cartridges result inverdigris, a really ugly greengrowth that caused the rounds tostick to the leather. The solutionthen was to make belts out ofcanvas, the Mills belt (Photo 1).Some shooters use Mills belts fortheir shotguns today. But werein a sport where were trying toshoot 24 rounds from four differ-ent firearms and multiple shoot-ing positions in less than 24seconds (well, some of us any-

way). Every split second counts. The leather belt is still best for what we do, so what

about canvas loops on a leather belt? Ive tested beltswith canvas loops on leather from Doc Noper and theyworked well. At the time, I thought elastic canvaswould be better. So did Doc Noper, because he madesome belts with elastic. Im sure other leatherworkershave tried it, too. Im not claiming Bob Mernickle orig-inated the concept, but he did bring it to the state ofthe art. The devil is in the details, and he deals withdetails well. The first ones he made stretched andsagged with use, so he started looking for better elas-tic canvas. When he found it he bought 5,000 feet. Atabout two feet of loops per belt, he probably wont runout of it for a few months.He discovered that single loops, because they can be

closer together than leather and dont bind if you grabtwo, work for both double and 97 shooters, so he put 20on a belt (Photo 2). Now when you get to THE SHOT-GUN STAGE FROM HELL, you dont have to weartwo belts. Yes, Ive shotthat stage. Yes, yourhand gets burned onthe barrel if youreshooting black powder. When I started

using it I was hoping itwould solve a problemwith all-leather belts. Ifthe loops were shallowenough to get therounds out easily underall conditions a round or two near the strong-side re-volver wound up on the ground. I start with the roundson the weak side and seldom actually grab the ones onthe strong side. At first, I was having the same problemwith the canvas/leather belt. But I also noticed that if I

DISPATCHES FROMCAMPBAYLOR. ,

Captain George Baylor, SASS Life / Rugulator #24287 By Captain George Baylor SASS #24287 Life Regulator

(Continued on next page)Sergeant Henry Dobson,

1898, wearing aMills Cartridge Belt.

Mernickles new shotgun belt, with a couple of features that will make it a standout for SASS competition.

12



shoved the rounds in as firmly as I could (Photo 3), theywere easy to retrieve, not sticking at all. When the stagewas done, no rounds had fallen or been knocked out.Bob demonstrates the belt by putting rounds in andholding the belt upside down and shaking it.

Cartridge SlideShotgun belts also hold main match cartridges for

rifle and pistol reloads. If you change calibers, youhave another expense, a new shotgun belt. Bobs al-ways-active brain thought something that, now thathes done it, youll probably say, Why didnt we alwaysdo it this way?He decided to make slides for rifle/pistol reloads to

slide on the shotgun belt (Photo 4). Change calibersand you just need a different slide. But one of the rea-

sons cartridges were previously on the belt, not aslide, is when you grab a round from a slide, the slideshifts and rolls up, making it hard to get out quickly.We had long ago changed cartridge mounting to nearthe top of the belt so the round stuck up above the beltfor easy grasping with a strip of leather sewn below

(Continued from previous page)Dispatches From Camp Baylor . . . to prevent the round from being pushed down to

where it stuck. Slides didnt work as well as belts. So Bob redesigned the slide. The older design was

to fold the leather on the top and snap the pieces to-gether on the bottom (Photos 5 and 6the slideshown is from a 2-1/2" pistol belt. The shotgun belt is

2"). The new design is to fold theleather on the bottom and sewthe top to a spacer that stiffensthe leather at the top (Photo 7).The cartridge loops are at thetop with a leather strip below,and the slide doesnt move whenyou grab a round. You mount theslide where you want it whenyou use it. The slide has to beslid onto the belt. It fits prettytightly. To put it on the buckleside you have to remove thebuckle first. This means Bob doesnt have to makeleft-handed or right-handed belts based on whichside you reload from, and he only needs to make 12

Shotgun loops are made of heavy duty elastic canvas that holds rounds securely but release on a slight pull.

Rifle/pistol cartridges are in a slide. Changing calibers requires just another slide, not another belt.

New slide on the belt. Old slide design is below.

The new design slides on and fits tightly, making it easy to pull rounds out quickly.

Slides from the back,showing the difference

in construction. The old design slide isfrom a 2-1/2" pistol belt.The shotgun belt is 2".

Top of the slideshows the rein-forcing strip towhich the slideis stitched,front and back,stiffening itand preventingit from rollingover or ridingup under use.

3

4

5

6

7




gauge or 20 gauge belts (okay, 16 gauge for the fourguys shooting 16 gauge, too). You can change sides.Some people reload 66s and 73s from the top (lefthand). Some do it from the loading gate (right hand).If you decide to switch from the side and try from thetop, you dont need a new belt. Just switch the slideto the other side. (You may need a gunsmith to modifyyour carrier, but thats a whole different story).

Roller BuckleThe belt has a roller buckle (Photo 8), a premium fea-

ture that makes it easier to really cinch the belt down if

you need to. The belt is also, like everything that leavesthe Mernickle shop, very well made and finished.

Reverse CurveThe belt is a reverse-curve, (Photo 1) meaning it

curves down toward the end, a popular feature inSASS shotgun belts these days. Ammo belts must beworn so all ammo is positioned at or below the bellybutton. (Photo 9) (SASS Shooters Handbook, Version

19.2, page 11) A reverse curve belt conforms to yourbody if the measurement at navel level is wider thanat just above the hipbones. There are a few people inSASS who dont have this problem, but the belt willwork on them, too. Shotgun ammo loops must conformto the shooters contour (i.e., not tilt out from the belt).

Elastic?At least one reader is thinking, is elastic legal? I

know this because that was the first response when Iput it on Facebook. I stifled all the sarcastic but drylyfunny responses. Its legal. Cartridge loops must nothave a metal or plastic liner. However, the entire loopmay be made of metal. Elastic existed in the nineteenth century. The U.S.

Army had elastic in their X-backed suspenders in1857 (the bottom V of the X in the back was elastic,making them MUCH more comfortable).So to summarize, you wont have to change belts when

you change cartridges, and youll be able to get your shot-gun shells out expeditiously, and they wont fall out.Theyre also easy to get in. When these belts appearedat Bordertown, they were sold out before the main matchstarted. Bob thinks this belt will make all-leather beltsobsolete. That may well be true. Its that good. For thoseof you not convinced, he still offers all leather belts withsingle or double loops and a six-cartridge slide.

Come and Take ItWhile at Bordertown, Bob and I were talking about

buttstock covers. He had introduced a new line ofbrightly colored covers and some fancy carved leatherones to match some of his rigs,as well as personalized modelswith the shooters name onthem. I said something aboutthe Texas flag, and Bob startedsketching. The result was thecover shown (Photo 10).

(Continued from page 41)Dispatches From Camp Baylor . . .

Roller buckle makes cinching the belt tight easier.

Belt in use. Slide can be on either side.

(Continued on next page)First of the state-themed buttstock covers, Texas.

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10



For you non-Texans, Ishould explain the genesisof this. In an instance ofearly gun control in Texas,a small bronze cannon be-came the center of a dis-agreement between Texascolonists and the Mexicangovernment. This culmi-nated in 1835 when a 100-man Mexican army unitcommanded by Lt. Fran-cisco de Castaeda con-fronted a force of Texicancolonists at Gonzales, anddemanded the return ofthe cannon. The Texicanspointed to the gun, whichstood about 200 yards to their rear, and said, Thereit is. Come and take it. The colonists included thirtyarmed Indian fighters who had arrived to reinforcethe colonists. The lieutenant retreated, and the can-non remained. The ladies of the settlement hastilymade a flag to fly over the cannon. The flag featureda white background with a black cannon in the center,and the motto Come and take it! above and below.The cannon was moved to the Alamo, where it was

lost when the Alamo fell. The SASS Convention was afew yards from the Alamo. It seemed very appropriateto have Come and Take It on the Texas buttstockcover, the first State cover in what will be a series. The

leather lacing can be black or red, and Bob is sellinglever wraps in many colors, so you could have one tomatch. Nevada, Mernickles home, was second. Therewill be more.Bob also mentioned that he had become an Ameri-

can citizen. He was born in Canada and came southsome time ago. Congratulations, Bob.

For those who desire a really different buttstock cover, Stingray hide.

(Continued from previous page)Dispatches From Camp Baylor . . .

Display of Mernickle buttstock covers at the 2015 SASS Convention.

Nevada and Texas buttstock covers.

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rough and dangerous coun-try with almost as muchvertical real estate as hori-zontal, scarce water, and in-hospitable weather. BrownsPark was indeed an oasisalong the outlaw trail.In early October, Black-

jack Annie and I took a little road trip to the BlackHills (about which a story is in progress) and took aside trip to Browns Park on the way back to warmSouthern California, where SASS was born. We couldonly wonder at the difficulty of traveling through thatcountry on horseback or wagon. Even today it takestime and care to get there, but its a wonderful driveand well worth the time.From Rock Springs, Wyoming on I-80, about 50

miles east of the town of Green River, take Route 191south toward Vernal, Utah. You will be travelingalong the eastern rim of the Green River Canyonwith spectacular canyon views. Continue to the tinysettlement of Dutch John and find the turn off toBrowns Park Road on the left. From there, its about10 miles on a road occasionally pavedand occasion-ally notto the crest of a ridge with a breath-takingview of the valleyBrowns Park.Below you, the Green River winds its way leisurely

through a broad-bottomed valley, aspen trees liningits banks, the land rising gently on either side, gray-green with sage and grass to the base of near-verticalwalls. When we were there, the aspen trees were invarious stages of green, orange and gold against therivers glittering waters. No wonder Elizabeth Bassetdemanded the name change.An intimidating 16-degree grade on a fine paved

road brings you to the valley floor (where the pave-ment ends) and you are introduced to the view up-ward that reveals how isolated the place is. A turn to


(Continued on next page)VISIT US AT SASSNET.COM

If youve followed my stories on the Wild Bunch inthe Chronicle, you may recall mention of BrownsPark, way up in the northeast corner of Utah alongthe Green River. This is where Herb and ElizabethBasset brought their little family in 1879, establishedtheir ranch (which Elizabeth managed) and raisedtheir family of one son and two daughters. Those twodaughters were Josie and Ann Basset (later calledQueen of the Rustlers), beautiful and accomplishedyoung ladies, who became very friendly with variousyoung cowboys who came to their ranch on occasion.Browns Park, renamed from Browns Hole by

Elizabeth Basset, is a 35-mile-long valley enclosedby steep cliffs and hillsides along its length, blessedwith plenty of water by the Green River, and goodgrazing for cattle. Its little community of independ-ent ranchers was a close-knit group of hardy individ-uals who took a dim view of intrusion by officers ofthe law who might venture in seeking some of thosevisiting cowboys. It was a safe haven for the likes ofRobert Leroy Parker, Harry Longebaugh, Ben Kil-patrick, Elzy Lay and a host of others who formedthe core of a loosely organized gang of happy outlawswe now refer to as The Wild Bunch.By 1890, telegraph communications had spread

throughout the country; lawmen could send word farahead of fleeing outlaws to well-organized law enforce-ment officers almost everywhereexcept into the wildcountry along the Utah/Colorado border. This is still

VISITING BROWNS PARKHeart of the Outlaw Trail

Col. Richard Dodge, SASS #1750

By Col. Richard Dodge, SASS #1750 Life


BILL PICKETT was born near Taylor, Texasin 1870. He was the second child of five boysand eight girls born to a former slave father anda Cherokee mother. Bill left school in the fifthgrade to become a ranch hand, and at age 20 hemarried Maggie Turner. Maggie was a formerslave and daughterof a white south-ern plantationowner. The cou-ple had ninechildren. Pick-ett inventedBulldogging, thetechnique ofgrab bing a steer bythe horns and wrest -ling it to the ground.His method for bull-dogging was biting asteer on the lip and thenfalling backwards. Billsoon became known forhis cowboy stunts at localcounty carnivals. With hisfour brothers, he established The Pickett BrothersBronco Busters and Rough Riders Association.The name Bill Pickett soon became synonymouswith successful rodeos traveling throughoutTexas, Arizona, Wyoming, and Oklahoma. In 1905,Pickett joined the 101 Ranch Wild West Show andtoured around the world with Buffalo Bill, TomMix, Will Rogers, Bee Ho Gray and other famouspersonalities. Pickett also appeared in early mo-tion pictures, such as The Bulldogger and TheCrimson Skull. Bill Pickett was killed when hewas kicked in the head by a wild bronco in 1932.He was inducted into the National Rodeo CowboyHall of Fame in 1971.

Joe Fasthorse, SASS #48769

LITTLE KNOWNFAMOUS PEOPLEWay Out West

By Joe Fasthorse, SASS #48769

BILL PICKETT

the right when the road dead-ends takes you to theJohn Jarvie Ranch Historical Site. Jarvie was one ofthe first to settle in the valley, building a trading postand a ferry across the river. Many of his original ranchbuildings still stand and are open to visitors. Parkrangers are in residence (except Sunday and Monday).The water wheel still operates, built by Jarvie to sup-ply the house and livestock with water. The originalstorehouse still stands and the reconstructed storewelcomes travelers as a Visitors Center.A sad sign marks the spot where Jarvie was shot

in the back as he fled from two transients who hadtried to rob his store. They dragged his body to thenearby river, dumped it into a small boat and set itadrift. The boat and body were discovered severalweeks later, 25 miles downstream. The murdererswere never identified nor captured, in one of Utahsmore notable unsolved murders.There are several campgrounds on both sides of

the river and a sturdy bridge for access. A drive alongthe rivers north side reveals a kaleidoscope of chang-ing landscape with numerous places to access theriver. Boat ramps provide places to launch small fish-ing boats and canoes, but there are probably severerestrictions on what kind are allowed. Several canoesand floating devices were seen on the water.The eastbound road abruptly meets the Colorado

lineand pavement! The valley continues on into thedistance, inviting exploration (and time we did nothave). The Basset ranch house was somewhere downthat road, still in use. In truth, if one was not aware

of the history of theplace, it would be noth-ing more than a lovelyspot to camp out insplendid isolation for afew days, but for those ofus who know, BrownsPark echoes with the his-tory of our Wild West.

Visiting Browns Park . . .(Continued from previous page)




Keen, NH. I always thought shooting wouldbe something I did, not someone I would be-come. My name is Kayla Smith, or as most peopleknow me, Penny Candy. When I first startedshooting it was just a hobby. I loved shooting, butI always wanted to be more involved in the sport. When I began Cowboy Action Shooting, I

would pick brass or resetshotgun targets. Then Igraduated to writingdown times in the scorebook. I was so happy whenI was finally trusted to spot. Recently, I have alsobeen working on timing my fellow shooters atmonthly matches. I hope to someday be able torun my own posse as a posse marshal.In 2010 when I joined SASS, I did not know

what SASS would do for me or give me. SASShas given me more than I could have ever imag-ined. I have made incredible new friends; I havetraveled to beautiful ranges; but most impor-tantly, I have been able to spend countless hourswith my grandfather, time I will always holdclose to my heart. My grandfather, One EyedBlack Jack, SASS #66068, is the only one in myfamily with whom I shoot Cowboy Action. Hesmy coach, my number one fan, and as we joke,my sponsor. He had been trying to get me toshoot for as long as I can remember. When I fi-nally decided to give it a try, you could say it waslove at first shot.The Connecticut Valley Bushwackers and the

Harvard Ghost Riders are my home clubs. I am at-tending Keene State College, where I am pursuingmy degree in Nursing. I hope to someday work ina childrens hospital, but that plan could alwayschange as I discover different fields in nursing.What I do know is that I will always be a part ofSASS and CAS. This sport is not just a sport to me.It has become a way of living my life.

2014 Scholarship Recipient

Edited & Adapted by Justice Lily Kate, SASS #1000Justice Lily Kate,

SASS #1000

Penny Candy, SASS #89708

q q

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By Penny Candy, SASS #89708Edited & Adapted by Justice Lily Kate, SASS #1000

hen competing in Cowboy Action Shoot-ing, most of our stages focus on stoppingthe bad guys. If gun activists achieved

their goal of banning all guns, I would join my fel-low cowboys and cowgirls to become the criminals.If gun activists were able to pass laws thatbanned guns they would not only give power tocriminals, they would also be negatively impact-ing the environment and the society in which welive.I have been lucky enough to be raised in the

presence of guns, which has taught me to properlyhandle and respect them. I am equipped with theknowledge of how to defend myself and how toharvest the wilderness for food to nourish my fam-ily. While I hope I never have to defend myselfagainst a criminal, I consider myself lucky to beequipped with life-saving knowledge. These basicskills would become obsolete if guns were banned.Laws like this would also take away the ability forcitizens to hunt, which would make it impossiblefor families to further supplement their meat sup-ply naturally. Over time, the respect the popula-tion would have for our environment woulddecrease.I believe it is a myth that if you ban all guns,

crimes committed with them would not happen.Criminals are called criminals because they donot follow laws. Laws will not get rid of criminals.People classified as criminals will take whatevermeans necessary to obtain firearms to commitcrimes. Average citizens will be powerless to de-

fend themselves if only criminals have guns. If laws like this were passed I would not be the

person that I am today, because the sport that Ihave learned so much from would be outlawed.Shooting hasnt just given me a fun pastime, ithas given me more time with my grandfather,great new friends, and its given me a new outlookon life! Through shooting I have learned that in astage you might miss a target but that just meansyou need to focus more on the next one. Or just be-cause you had one bad stage does not mean youhad a bad match. Shooting is just like life, it ismore than just winning; it is about the journeyand how you grow as a person. Banning all guns is a horrendous idea. I would

be considered a criminal, even though I practiceand advocate for safe gun handling. Gun activistsdo not understand the severe consequences thatwill arise if all guns are banned.

Ban All Guns?

W

It Really Does Take a Village



When J.J. Stark (Jasper Buckshot, SASS #95991)of Eureka, Montana started in the 4-H pro-gram as a nine-year-old, he had no idea it would leadhim to become a Stateand National 4-H Cow-boy Action ShootingCham pion. But withnine years in 4-H learn-ing and honing his lead-ership, work ethic, andorganization skills, hehas done just that.On August 2, 2014,

Stark participated inand won the First An-nual 4-H Western Her-itage Invitational Shootchampionship in the cen-ter fire division, hostedin historic Virginia City,Montana. As part of that

competition, he also earnedhigh enough scores to win theMontana Center Fire Cham-pionship. These were bothpossible through his involve-ment in 4-H along with thesupport and guidance ofmany people.Stark began 4-H as any

other member wanting toimprove himself in variousways. One was to earnmoney for college by raisingmarket animals. Anotherwas getting involved withvolunteering and communityservice. But he took advan-tage of every op por tunity theprogram had to offer to learnand grow as a person.He joined the youth am-

bassador program and at-tended leadership camps.As a younger member, heenjoyed the 4-H shootingsport programs. He took ini-tiative and joined those two loves into a thrivingnew project for the Lincoln County 4-H program.Through the local Montana State University Ex-

tension office, Stark found out about the 4-H West-ern Heritage Project. It was created as an optionfor members who wanted to advance further intoshooting sports. Todd Kesner of MSU in Bozemanjoined with local historian Will Abbot to create anew shooting sports program. It would focus on thesafe handling of firearms and historical study ofan era mostly forgotten or embellished.

Raising A Champion:


,By Melissa L. Brandon

Member Services, Communication and Marketing Specialist Lincoln Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Gideon Wilhette, Jasper Buckshot, Koocanusa Kid, and Sweetwater Lilly.

The accompanying news ar-ticle originally appeared in theOctober 2014 edition of themonthly newsletter publishedby Lincoln Electric Coopera-tive, Inc., of Eureka, Montana. It dramatically shows the

true spirit of the Cowboy Way,as exemplified by SASS mem-ber Jasper Buckshot and theCowboys and Cowgirls of TheLincoln County Regulators. Thanks to Jasper and his

parents for providing The Cow-boy Chronicle with this infor-mation and for granting uspermission to reprint it.

Jasper (J.J. Sparks) with his proudparents, Sparky McGraw (Jamie)

and Susan.

The time of 18601900 was aperiod of the old west, cowboys,and a breed of men and womenthat persevered over many hard-ships. They forged a life out ofharsh and unyielding conditions.These were the same men andwomen responsible for carvingout the wilderness of NorthwestMontana. They were responsible,honest, and valued ethics. Theseare the qualities the 4-H WesternHeritage Project hopes to instillor enhance in participants byusing a living history approach.Its not just shooting. What I

like is the kids in the program have taken on the man-nerisms and morals of the historic figures theyre por-traying, states Kay Handy (Sweetwater Lilly, SASS#82312), one of Starks mentors.Stark says all the kids have to become a character

from 18601900. It can be an actual historical figurelike Wyatt Earp, or the kids are able to research theera and develop their own character. This choice hadStark digging more into history and creating his per-sona, Jasper Buckshot Morgan. Buckshot worked assecurity for Wells Fargo transports. These employeescarried a gun loaded with buckshot ammunition toprotect the cargo, hence the nickname.Buckshots conception first started at the 2010 Ren-

dezvous event. The Lincoln County Regulators, a Eu-reka, Montana based Cowboy Action Shootinggroup, had an exhibit there. Stark was drawn to theexhibit and got an invitation to come to one of theirshoots. He did and he loved it.Stark joined the Regulators and became friends

with its members. They became mentors and helpedStark grow as a shooter. This path also led to Buck-shot becoming more of a reality. While Stark was ex-cited about joining the Regulators, he was alsohesitant to take on another activity. He was alreadydeeply involved in 4-H, his church, and school. He hadheard of the 4-H Western Heritage Project and won-dered if the two could be combined.Starks parents encouraged him to look into it. His

dad, Jamie Stark (Sparky McGraw, SASS #95990),suggested he might be able to use it as his Teen Lead-


ership project. For this project, the member is sup-posed to organize and develop a working program.Stark approached the Regulators and Kesner aboutthe idea. Both sides were willing to work together.Stark, his father, and some of the Regulators sat downat the 2011 Lincoln County Fair and came up with aplan over biscuits and gravy. It took hard work and or-ganization, but the 4-H Western Heritage Project fi-nally became a part of Lincoln Countys offering. AndBuckshot became a little closer to being a reality.What was so different about Lincoln Countys pro-

gram was how the Regulators stepped up. Leadersmust take a training to get qualified to help with proj-ects. For most areas, there are one or two people whovolunteer to take the training. The Regulators offeredup eight. It was enough for the trainers to come to Eu-reka, rather than having the leaders travel to theclass. The eight Regulators, which included Paul Trib-ble (Gideon Wilhette, SASS #81340, Life Member),Kay Handy and her husband, Daryle (Koocanusa Kid,SASS #82311), completedthe training and startedhelping the kids.Here you have not just

one person, but a wholeclub that stepped up andsaid, Were going to men-tor these kids. And look atwhat its done, Jamiesays. Its really a state-ment about the people wehave in our area.These eight Regulators

started with six 4-H mem-bers in the program. How-ever, they dont just learnhow to shoot a gun. Itsabout safety, discipline,and encouraging learningthrough a living historyenvironment.You have to abide by a

certain set of rules. Youbotch one of them and itsa big penalty. So theylearn from the beginning


Raising A Champion: It Really Does Take A Village . . .(Continued from previous page)

Jasper Buckshot.




everything is safety, safety, safety, first. Especiallywhen youre on the range. Ive really benefited a lotfrom it; just being around these people and watchingtheir example, Stark states about the program andhis mentors.These same mentors teach other things about that

timehonesty, integrity, and taking responsibilityfor your own actions. On top of that, as part of theliving history, they also help with other skills. Someof those include metalwork, cooking, leatherwork,woodwork, and sewing. The kids have to do researchon the era to match period correctness. There is a

workbook Kesner wrote for the project. But most kidsget so excited about the project and history, they gobeyond that book.All of a sudden they become more interested in

their own history. They look for their genealogy. It de-velops their research skills. Theyre beginning toexcel in school and whatever else theyre doing be-cause of this, Stark says.Part of that interest is in the clothing. The kids

wear clothes that follow the standards of the era.Stark wears chaps he made himself with the guid-ance of his leaders and parents. They were a leather-work project for 4-H made from elk and buffalo hide.The guns he used to win the championships are

period correct as well. He took them to Virginia City

this summer with the intention of having fun. Lastyear he competed, but says he went in with thewrong attitude.I psyched myself out. I thought I had it in the

bag, but I did terrible. This year I decided I wouldstill try to do my best, but realized there are a lot ofreally good shooters there. I kept my focus right. Imean, we get to be out there shooting guns. Its fun,said Stark.The competition this year was also different in

structure. Instead of going right into the shoot, therewere two days of workshops. They included a wide

15 march ron

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