Have a Blast in the Dirt with Mounted Shooting

I can’t tell you if it was the smell of gunpowder, the striking western wear, or the fast pace that drew me to Cowboy Mounted Shooting. What I do know is that after watching a few riders take turns on the pattern nailing balloon targets I thought, “I have to try that”. It would unfortunately take me about 5 years before I would get the chance. I had been committed to a drill team (for about ten years) and that kept my schedule packed with weekly practices and summer competitions. When my schedule did free up it was because I took a step back from competing due to my pregnancy with my son.

I found a mounted shooting group not far from me, South Sound Mounted Shooters, and watched their facebook page for new shooter clinic events that I could go to. To my delight, I was able to attend a new shooter clinic earlier this spring. The entire month leading up to the event, my excitement grew. When I arrived I could feel the excitement off the other attendees as well. Many others had wanted to try the sport for years but life had other priorities and now here we were. Some had been disciplined riders in other sports and were looking to try something new.

There are some specific qualities that stood out to me at the clinic. The group was incredibly welcoming

and shared all of their equipment with us. I am sure it wasn’t easy watching us newbies make mistakes with their gear. But they were so gracious. It was also apparent that they were excited to share the sport with us. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn how family friendly the sport was. Many would join to then have a spouse want to try it as well. Their children often followed in participating.

What do you need?

Mounted shooting is a timed event that uses two .45 caliber single action revolvers. The ammunition is a specific black powder blank and the embers from it pop the balloon target. The Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association (CMSA) has a certification process to ensure that the blank will not pop a balloon more than 20 feet away. This allows for the safety of horses,riders and spectators during events and practices.

Just like ammo, there are competition guidelines for attire as well. For competing, traditional western, long sleeve button down shirts are worn with a cowboy hat or helmet. Jeans, boots and chinks are worn as well.

Full length skirts can be worn with no hat and short sleeves as an option for women. Some riders add their own flare by color coordinating with their horse or have specially designed holsters with branding or bling on them. I appreciate the ability to express you own style. With drill, each rider must be completely uniform.

Who is mounted shooting for?

When it comes to who should try mounted shooting the answer is, anyone. Anyone that wants to try it should. Classes are divided by rider gender and age groups. For example, if you are a female under 50 you would fall into Ladies Level 1-6. Over 50 and you would fall into Senior Ladies 1-6. This is the same for men.

Kids are also encouraged to be involved and are referred to as Wranglers. Wranglers are again divided into two groups based on their age. If they are under nine years old they can ride the pattern but without revolvers. Once they are 10-12 years old they can ride the pattern with holsters and empty revolvers, executing the pattern, pointing the revolvers at the balloons and practicing switching from one gun to the other. The CMSA takes pride in helping the youth age groups. “They recognize that these kids are the future of the sport...CMSA additionally includes Wranglers in year end awards with saddles and overall status’ just as adult competitors are” says Amber Rinell, President

of South Sound Mounted Shooters. Amber’s daughter LilyAnn, who is ten, also competes and this will be her third year.

What type of horse is best for mounted shooting?

I was nervous leading up to the clinic if my horse would do well. This was so different from trails, drill or anything else we have done together. It was explained to me that the hardest part of mounted shooting is getting your horse used to the gunfire. Horses of all types can succeed at this sport once desensitized. The black powder smell and the loud bang is not something they encounter often, if at all. Ear plugs for your horse are encouraged and many of the horses at the clinic did well with them. My gelding has very big ears for a horse however, and kept shaking out the plugs. An experienced shooter that rides a mule gave me larger ear plugs to try for my horse and he was able to get those out as well. He ended up doing the clinic without ear plugs and did fairly well. Getting him used to the black powder smell took some work. We would help switch balloons after each rider went through the pattern and the smell hung in the air. By the end of the clinic, he was doing better with the odor and I was able to shoot through the pattern three different times. We are working at home on getting him comfortable with hearing protection as well as gunfire. I am sure my husband thought I was silly when

I ordered two pop cap guns off of Amazon.So you just point and shoot at a balloon?

There are over 60 patterns that are produced by the CMSA and new patterns are added and some removed each year. “This keeps an added excitement to the sport. Unlike barrel racing your horse will never be truly patterned. It requires constant training and excellent horsemanship. After all you have to be able to ride one handed and shoot!” says Amber. During the clinic we started shooting on the ground, off horseback. At first standing in one place, pointing and shooting with one revolver wasn’t too bad. Then we added walking and shooting at each target. It got a little trickier. Then add a second revolver, also known as a gun change, and it became apparent that you must be able to multi-task well. And let’s not forget, I was still on the ground, not even trying to communicate and work well with my horse or get the fastest time.

How committed do you have to be?

Your commitment level to the sport is what you make it. You are riding for yourself and your horse so if you only want to shoot in your state, great. If you want to travel to other states, that is awesome too. Clubs hold shoots throughout the summer season and if you can’t make it to one because of a family event, no big deal. However, I had only attended the new shooter clinic

and I already wanted to cancel all weekend plans to shoot.

When it comes to the competitive atmosphere I have heard from several people over the years that mounted shooters are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. When I asked Amber if she would agree here is what she had to say, “Aside from the familial orientation of the association it’s the people that make this sport so great. You have competitors from all across the equestrian world. Many barrel racers, ropers, and reined cow horse equestrians. Many end up here, cowboy mounted shooting because of how great the people are. There is not a show in the world you will attend that another competitor is so willing to help! Your gun jammed and you can’t get it fixed, here, use mine! Oh no, your horse is off, well I have a backup you can use! Wait don’t go out, you forgot your chinks! These are all things you will hear at nearly every event at some point...It is mind blowing how inclusive and kind these shooters are. That is what brings me and my family back. Each shoot is like a mini family reunion”.

How can I try mounted shooting?

To find a mounted shooting group in your state, go to cmsaevents.com and click “Clubs” from the menu. Shooting is becoming a fast growing sport, so if there isn’t a group in your area right now, there could be one in the future. Or who knows, maybe you will be the one to start a club in your area after you watch a shoot and think, “I have to try that.”