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slept, however, those adventurous seven days sure he found the most beautiful, most rugare forever burned in my memory. ged terrain for those six championship courses. Looking like Sanford and Son and humming In short, we looked and felt like we had hiked their theme song, we left Friday night after Rusty through Hell, saw Heaven, then turned around got off work and headed north. After hours of and hiked back by the time we were finished. driving in the dark and a four pack of frappuc Sunday evening we attended our first Opencinos, we began the trek through miles of Neing Ceremonies, watched our first Pro-Am Round, braska corn, which and were able to Travis Johnson witness Michael can’t get enough Braden receiving of, and came to top award for winrest late Saturday ning the National morning amongst Unmarked 3-D the majority of the Tournament. Tuesgroup’s residency day night, the Texin Yankton, South ans, Cajuns, The Dakota. Greek, and a few Later that afterpark rangers joined noon, which was forces to celebrate a South Dakota Texas by having Special thanks to Nathan Taylor for his wonderful steaks! record breaking Nathan and Jackie high of 104oF, we Taylor cook some decided to scout the hardest range with no wind of the finest steaks imaginable. The covert opand no water. (Children – do NOT let your pareration that night was signing the Texas flag that ents try this at home, at a shoot, or anywhere would later be given to newly inducted TFAA Hall else for that matter!) We decided to walk BADof Fame member, David Hughes, after he won LANDS...as if the name didn’t spell it out for us his 11th Outdoor National title. As if the get well enough. South Dakota might be flat everytogether at the Taylor’s was not enough, (right where else, but the Tournament Director made Travis?) Thursday we rejoined forces to celebrate Louisiana, Cajun style. The Cajun Party consisted of traditional items always related to Louisiana – beads, beer, Tabasco, crawfish and good wholesome fun. When Friday dawned, all but one of our group was sad – Chris Stauffer. While the rest of us were shooting for fun and hated to see it end, he had managed to shoot one wrong target every day of the shoot. Going into the Animal Round he had determination and, shockingly, had not had a drink the night before at the Cajun Party. (The rest of us made up for him...) After a very KWIKEE KWIVER CO., INC. challenging day, thanks to the wind, Stauffer left his mark on NFAA Outdoors – shooting his first BOX 130 ACME, MI 49610 Animal Round ever, at his first national tournament ever, he set the new national record. Un-
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32 Archery Magazine February/March 2006
iF it wAsn’t fOr TexAs...
Chris Stauffer presenting David Hughes with the flag
Some of the guys celebrating with David*
fortunately, it was not enough to bring him up cluded; Michael Braden, 4th place Pro-Adult to first, but he finished a blazing second overall Male Freestyle; Georgianna Witt, 4th place Adult in the Adult Male Freestyle Limited. People will Female Bowhunter Freestyle; Sheila Wallen, 5th forget who won and lost, but records are never place Adult Female Freestyle. If it wasn’t for forgotten. Texas, we would not have come in 3rd in overall When the shoot was over and we all gathattendance with thirty-two competitors behind ered for the awards, the first one given was to South Dakota, the home state, and Wisconsin. David Hughes. Unable to win back his belt, we That night, our little family gathered at the gave the biggest award that any of us could Bowen’s house on the ridge for the Last Supgive—our signature of support on that Texas per. Steaks, beer and the infamous RMC PepFlag. Texans and Cajuns alike gathered under a per Sauce were no match for the reminiscing tent in private as one family of friends to witness we shared. If it wasn’t for Texas, none of us Stauffer present the flag of honor. That is when would have been together. If it wasn’t for Texas, I learned what it truly meant to be a Texan. you would not be reading this article right now. If it wasn’t for Texas, I would not have watched At Nationals, I learned that it’s not about how the awards being given through re-born eyes. I well we shoot, but about who we really are as witnessed the top four places in Senior Barebow Texas archers. It’s about watching David share being given to Texans – 1st place to David Hughes, 2nd to Monty Heishman, 3rd to Monte Bowen and 4th to Eddie McCrarry. I also watched featuring: as other Texans received • Three size blades available awards - Claudia St. Clair, 1st 5/32" - 3/16" - 1/4" place Senior Female Barebow; • For aluminums or carbons Chris Stauffer, 2nd place Adult • Positive ball detent .007 click stop adj. Male Freestyle Limited; Jaynel• Numbered windage micro adj. len Bateman, 2nd place Adult • No tools needed for adjustments Female Freestyle Limited; Jeff • No moving parts to wear out (bushings & springs) Schulz, 3rd place Adult Male • Extra strong and durable Barebow; Stacey Hughes, 3rd place Youth Female Freestyle. The Original Brite Site "The Rest of Your Life" 34 Kentwood Rd. | Succasunna, NJ 07876 | (973) 584-0637 • (973) 927-6779 | email: brtesite@optonline.net Other notable finishes inArchery Magazine February/March 2006 33