THE 2021 WESTERN GRAND

The Western Grand was held at the Vernal Rod and Gun Club June 1st through the 7th and despite concerns over the availability of ammunition as well as lingering COVID worries, the tournament went off without

a hitch. Shooters from 20 states came to the small town of Vernal, Utah, to participate in what has become, over the years, equal parts major ATA Satellite Grand, after hours game shoot and weeklong party. The weather cooperated for the most part with occasional breezy conditions that made things challenging from time to time. Extracurricular activities included a cornhole tournament, ladies bingo, three nights of Annie Oakley shooting (with added money), a free pizza night and a potluck appetizer night.

PRELIMINARY TUESDAY

hometowned everyone in the first event by breaking the only 100 straight in the opening Singles event to win the AAA class trophy. Justin Debrie (NE) was just one bird behind to take home the AA class award.

In the Event 2 Preliminary Handicap, 21-yard Rick Vogel (NE) was high on the board to earn the short yardage trophy with a 98. Mia Malcom, another Nebraska shooter, carded a 97 to earn the Lady I prize.

There were four scores of 99 in the last event of the day, the Preliminary Doubles and Sharred Oaks broke three consecutive scores of 48 to win the carryover with Tim Reed for the AAA trophy. Perry Weiner (ND), Jeff Nostrom (WA) and Jimmy Heller (CA) each had the near perfect score of 99 to earn AA, A and Veteran awards.

Tuesday evening, folks headed over to The Lodge to sign up for the cornhole tournament. It was the second year the club has hosted the event and there were quite a few teams involved and lots of laughs as well.

BY SEAN HAWLEY

WEDNESDAY

Event 4, the Craig and Sharon Hart Doubles was the first event of the day on Wednesday. Gregory Ferguson (CO) and Ian Lawrence (IL) each smashed 99s to take home the AAA and Junior Gold trophies.

Event 5 was the beginning of the High Over All targets for the shoot and Ian Lawrence was the only shooter to break a perfect score, winning the Junior Gold trophy without a shoot-off. Steve Johnson (UT) was one target behind for the Veteran win and Cody Eye of Kansas had a 98 to snare the Junior prize.

Tim Reed (SD) broke a 99 to lead the way in the Friends of the VRGC Handicap and Mitchell Pierson (NE) shot a personal best, from the 27, score of 98 to win the Junior award. Ian Lawrence and Gabby Fischer (ND) also broke 98s to claim Junior Gold and Lady I trophies.

THURSDAY

The weather was outstanding for the Event 7 Singles Class Championships and the scores showed it. Nearly a quarter of the 207 shooters broke scores of 98 or higher, with 13 shooters punching the perfect 100. After a 175 target carryover, Quint Sudbury (UT) claimed the AAA award with Richard Marshall Jr. (NE) finishing in the runner-up position. Chance Carter (UT) broke the lone 100 in AA Class and Rick Vogel carded 99 to take the A class trophy. Kelly Brinkerhoff (UT) broke his first 100 in Singles to earn the B class award, while Jason Blackwell (CO) and Nickolas White (UT) had 98 and 99 to claim the C and D class trophies.

The weather continued to be nice through the Event 8 Krieghoff Handicap and the scores were through the roof. Mitchell Pierson, Justin Schooler (CA) and Tim Reed all broke 100 straights. In the shoot-off that evening Tim Reed forfeited and Pierson and Schooler took the line. After one round it was settled, with Schooler breaking a 22 to take mid yardage and Pierson breaking 24 to claim the Champion’s trophy. Pierson’s 98 in the Handicap the day before had been his high score from the fence until he broke the 100. Congratulations! Barbara Camps (ID) was the Lady II Champion with a 99 from 22.5 yards.

MITCHELL PIERSON AND JUSTIN SCHOOLER AFTER SHOOT-OFF

FRIDAY

The Doubles Class Championship was first up Friday morning. Richard Marshall Jr. and Ian Lawrence each broke perfect scores in the event to win the AAA class and the Junior Gold trophies. Jayme Anderson (UT) had a 99 and won his carryover to claim AA class, while Bobby Street broke a 97 to earn the A class award. Bob Tomlin (WY) had a 94, Tye Cook (UT) had a 95 and Dana Ideen (WY) had a 93 to win B, C and D classes. Jarrett Carlisle was the Junior Champion with his 99 and Joe Sudbury (UT) took home the Veteran trophy with his 98.

There were six scores of 98 atop the leaderboard at the end of the Caesar Guerini Preliminary Handicap. Colorado Senior Veteran shooter Claude Hemsi broke 50 straight in the shoot-off to secure the Champion’s award. Richard Magnussen (WA) had a 23 and then a 25 in the shoot-off to finish in the runner-up position and Quint Sudbury ended up in third place with his score of 98. James Schooler (CA) carded a 97 and an additional 24 in the overtime round to net the 4th place finish, while Steven Eichler (CO) rounded out the places in 5th. Carson Schlimmer (WA) and Chase Wojtanik (NY) each broke 98s to win the Junior Gold and Junior trophies, while the Sub Junior trophy went to Wyatt Debrie (NE) for his 98. Debrie made it to the 27-yard line for the first time. 200 straight in this year’s Western Grand American Singles Championship. Hardy Musselman (WY), Ian Lawrence and Gregory Ferguson all took the line for the championship shoot off. Musselman dropped one on the first round and finished as the event runner-up. Ferguson and Lawrence needed seven more rounds to decide the issue. In the end it was Ferguson’s 200 straight in overtime that won the day. Lawrence missed in the eighth round to fall back to the Junior Gold champion. Colorado shooter Ashley Teal broke a 195 to win the Lady I title, while Pam Wright was two targets behind to earn the Lady II award. Tyler Marshall (NE) and Grayson Stuart (UT) had 194 and 199 to win Sub Junior and Junior trophies, while Brett Despain (UT) had a 197

CLAUDE HEMSI WON THE SHOOT-OFF FOR CAESAR GUERINI PRELIMINARY HANDICAP CHAMPION

SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP

GREGORY FERGUSON

to win the Sub Veteran category. Joe Sudbury and Gerry Williams (AZ) each shot 198 to win the Veteran and Senior Veteran trophies.

DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP

Jeremy Summers (UT) broke the only 100 straight of the day to win the Doubles Championship. Richard Marshall Jr. was one target behind to capture the runner-up trophy, while Chandler Brown (AR) broke a 98 and an additional 20 straight in the shoot-off to win AAA class. Grayson Stuart was the AA winner with 96 and Nico Elardi (WY) had a 98 to win A class. Wyatt Pizinger, Joe Holcomb and Bradley Peay broke 95, 98 and 90 to earn B, C and D class awards.

IAN LAWRENCE AND CHANDLER BROWN

WESTERN GRAND SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP

CH GREGORY FERGUSON CO 200 RU HARDY MUSSELMAN WY 200 AAA JAYME ANDERSON UT 199 AA JACE PENNEY UT 197 A RICK VOGEL NE 197 B BRADYN CARTER UT 194 C TANNER VOORHEES UT 192 D MEGAN STOUT CA 92 LD1 ASHLEY TEAL CO 195 LD2 PAM WRIGHT UT 193 SUB JR TYLER MARSHALL NE 194 JR GRAYSON STUART UT 199 JR GOLD IAN LAWRENCE IL 200 SUB VET BRETT DESPAIN UT 197 VET JOE SUDBURY UT 198 SR VET GERRY WILLIAMS AZ 198 CHAIR DAVE PIZINGER AZ 164

WESTERN GRAND DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP

CH JEREMIE SUMMERS UT 100 RU RICHARD MARSHALL JR. NE 99 AAA CHANDLER BROWN AR 98 AA GRAYON STUART UT 96 A NICO ELARDI WY 98 B WYATT PIZINGER AZ 95 C JOE HOLCOMB CO 98 D BRADLEY PEAY UT 90 LD1 HAYLIE PEAY UT 94 LD2 SANDRA JO JACK WI 91 SUB JR WYATT DEBRIE NE 98 JR CODY EYE KS 98 JR GOLD IAN LAWRENCE IL 98 SUB VET MATT NICOL TX 97 VET JIMMY HELLER CA 95 SR VET ALLEN PINOLI CA 97 CHAIR DAVE PIZINGER AZ 79

HANDICAP CHAMPIONSHIP

A lone 99 paced the field in the Western Grand’s main Handicap. Junior Gold shooter Carson Schlimmer smashed all but one from the 27-yard line to win the title without the need for a shoot-off. Tim Reed was the runner-up with 98 and 3rd through 5th places were filled with scores of 97. Britt Dalton (AZ) broke 24 and then won the coin flip with Scott Abo (ID) to take 3rd place. Richard Marshall Jr. had broken a 97 as well but elected not to shoot-off and was relegated to 5th place. Justin Debrie broke 96 and then 25 in overtime to secure the 6th place finish, while Garrett Schlimmer broke 23 and 25 in the overtime to take the 7th and final place. Daxton Cook (UT) and Gary Bonetti (CA) broke 98 and 97 respectively to earn the Sub Junior and Sub Veteran titles. Daxton also won an ATA Life Membership for having the highest score among Juniors and Sub Juniors in the Handicap Championship.

HAA AND HOA

Carson Schlimmer won the shoot-off with Richard Marshall Jr. and Tim

CARSON SCHLIMMER

WESTERN GRAND HANDICAP CHAMPIONSHIP

CH CARSON SCHLIMMER WA 99 RU TIM REED SD 98 3RD BRITT DALTON AZ 97 4TH SCOTT ABO ID 97 5TH RICHARD MARSHALL JR. NE 97 6TH JUSTIN DEBRIE NE 98 7TH GARRETT SCHLIMMER WA 96 LD1 HAYLIE PEAY UT 95 LD2 PAM WRIGHT UT 90 SUB JR DAXTON COOK UT 98 JR MITCHELL PIERSON NE 96 JR GOLD AARON VOSSEN WA 94 SUB VET GARY BONETTI CA 97 VET CRAIG JONES UT 96 SR VET KENNETH SEIDEL CO 96 CHAIR DAVE PIZINGER AZ 68

Reed after the three had tied with HAA score of 393x400. Aside from

WESTERN GRAND HIGH ALL AROUND

CH CARSON SCHLIMMER WA 393 AAA RICHARD MARSHALL JR. NE 393 AA GARRETT SCHLIMMER WA 391 A JARED PEAY UT 387 B DYLAN HAFER NE 377 C BILL SANDBORG CA 375 D DAXTON COOK UT 374 LD1 HAYLIE PEAY UT 379 LD2 PAM WRIGHT UT 372 SJ WYATT DEBRIE NE 386 JR MITCHELL PIERSON NE 389 JR GOLD IAN LAWRENCE IL 391 SUB VET GARY BONETTI CA 390 VET TIM ROBB AZ 383 SR VET KENNETH SEIDEL CO 388

WESTERN GRAND HIGH OVER ALL

CH RICHARD MARSHALL JR. NE 977 AAA TIM REED SD 975 AA GARRETT SCHLIMMER WA 962 A AARON VOSSEN WA 955 B BRADYN CARTER UT 933 C JAMES EICHLER JR. CA 923 D DON GIBSON MT 913 LD1 GABBY FISCHER ND 912 LD2 SANDRA JO JACK WI 926 SJ WYATT DEBRIE NE 943 JR MITCHELL PIERSON NE 975 JR GOLD IAN LAWRENCE IL 975 SUB VET GARY BONETTI CA 967 VET JOE SUDBURY UT 958 SR VET RAY STAFFORD CO 954

GETTING READY FOR FUN SHOOTS AFTER SHOOT-OFFS

the normal Satellite Grand trophy he was also awarded a ½ ounce American Eagle gold coin. Marshall Jr. broke 977x1000 to win the High Over All and was also awarded a ½ ounce gold coin for his efforts. Ian Lawrence, Mitchell Pierson and Tim Reed were all two targets behind Marshall for the Junior Gold, Junior and AAA trophies. Pierson was also awarded an ATA Life Membership for having the high score among Sub Juniors of Juniors in the HOA.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Western Grand at the Vernal Rod and Gun Club is an experience. A lot of folks say that the shoot is definitely on their bucket list because of all the fun things that they have heard go on during the shoot. I can tell you this, if you give it a try, I think you will want to come back again. Their club logo says, “Small Town- Big Time Fun” and that about covers it. n