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Volume 4, Issue No. 9 September, 2006
60 SHOOTERS PARTICIPATE IN SEPTEMBER LUCKY SHOOT
Have you ever wondered how some folks shoot better than others? You probably think it has something to do with being able to hit targets fast & accurately. Nope. That ain’t all that’s involved. Luck. That’s the secret ingredient. Example: Last Kiss has really improved her shooting. Is it her speed, or her new pistols, or her concentration? That’s what she’d probably say. But look at the photo at the left and you’ll see her secret: she’s packing a green rabbits’ foot. It’s lucky for her, but it did nothing for the rabbit. And at the September shoot, Festus D. Deputy was selling rabbits’ feet in several colors: red, green & purple. He was also selling other merchandise inspired by his hero , Marshal Too Tall. See page 3 for more information.
September’s Wranglers were Sheriff Donald, Fast Harley, Ben Shot, Irish Jake, Moonshine Roberts, Doc Duncan, Boondock Saint, Brenda Case & Richard Case. Brenda & Richard were observers who helped. Wranglers are cowboys & cowgirls who put forth extra effort in helping conduct the shoot.
Yazoo City Gal inspects Last Kiss’s shootin’ irons at the unloading table. Notice the green rabbit’s foot.
60 Shooters participated in the shoot. Polecat Carl shot at no-miss match and was the Top Gun. Last Kiss was the Top Cowgirl shooter. 5 shooters shot no-miss matches: Polecat Carl, Fast Harley, Judge’m All Duncan, Owlhoot Hardin and Deadman. The Top 10 Shooters were: (1) Polecat Carl (2) Marshal Too Tall (3) Fiddleback (4) Ocoee Red (5) Doc Duncan (6) Double Eagle (7) Fast Harley (8) T-Bone Angus (9) Festus D. Deputy and (10) Slater.
COWBOYS ON THE RANGE – POSSE 2
Sitting L – R : Colonel Allison, Ben Shot, Yankee Dutchman, Tellico, Ocoee Red
Standing L – R: Bittercreek Jack, Ruckus Roy, Rev. Adam Jones, Moonshine Roberts, Sledge, Horseshoe John
SHOOT RESULTS
TOP GUN – Polecat Carl … TOP COWGIRL – Last Kiss … BUFFALO SHOOT – Long Range Single Shot – Oracle … Long Range Lever … Long Range Pistol … .22 Cal – Marshal Too Tall
49er1. Marshal Too Tall 2. Ocoee Red 3. Double Eagle |
Black Powder Cartridge 1. Doc Duncan 2. Judge’m All Duncan 3. Oracle |
Cowgirl 1. Last Kiss 2. Yazoo City Gal 3. Dagnabit Deb |
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Gunfighter 1. Fast Harley 2. Widowmaker 3. Keystone |
Modern1. Polecat Carl 2. Awful Close 3. Limp Along Charlie |
Senior 1. Outrider 2. Purly 3. Wildcat Wilkey |
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Traditional 1. Fiddleback 2. Festus D. Deputy 3. Slater |
Duelist1. Horseshoe John 2. Owlhoot Hardin |
Outlaw 1. Badlands Beck Classic1. Lightning McCoy |
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The Ocoee Ranger page 2 September 2006
The Reel West – Glenn Ford (1916 – 2006)
Glenn Ford was born Gwyllyn Ford in Quebec, Canada. But when he was 8 years old, his family moved to California. Half of his hurdle was over: he was no longer a Canadian. His next hurdle to overcome was to get rid of the name Gwyllyn. He did that when he became an actor. His father was from a small town called Glenford. So … Glenn Ford he became. And in his long career, he made a lot of movies, and a lot of them were Westerns. You may remember many of them: 3:10 TO YUMA, TEXAS, FASTEST GUN ALIVE, THE SACKETTS, and many more. My favorite 2 Glenn Ford Westerns show the range of roles he could play: THE VIOLENT MEN, in which he plays a tough former military Officer and THE SHEEPMAN, in which he plays a former gunslick (it was a serious Western with a bit of comedy).
Glenn Ford
In real life, Glenn was a bit like the roles he played. He was a man of few words. He usually suggested that his speaking roles be cut down, rather than expanded. And he did his own riding, and some of his stunts. And he was a military Officer. He served in the Marines from 1942 – 1945 in WWII. Then he stayed in the Naval Reserve and served 2 tours in Vietnam as a Naval Commander.
During his long career, Glenn never won an Oscar. Shucks, he was never even nominated for 1. But he was a star and made big bucks, because he drew big audiences. In 1978, Glenn was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. That means he’s officially a top silver screen cowboy.
Since I’ve been playing cowboy action shooter, there’s 1 of us that makes me think of Glenn Ford and vice versa: Horseshoe John. They have the same stature, they look a little alike, both were former military officers, and both convincingly look and act their respective cowboy roles. Of course there is a difference: Glenn couldn’t talk nearly as loud as Horseshoe John. Glenn joined the cowboy & cowgirl posse in the sky on August 31, 2006.
The West of Our Imagination – Horseshoe John
Horseshoe John
Have you ever noticed that Horseshoe John usually wears a bandana, a tie? Have you ever wondered why? Well, back when Horseshoe was growing up, bag boys and shoe salesmen all wore ties. And in real life, Horseshoe John is a …… shoe salesman. Yeah. That’s what he is. Of course he goes to his customers; they don’t come to him. And sometimes they bite or kick him. He doesn’t always deal with peaceful folks. Of course his customers are horses, and when he puts their shoes on, he drives nails in their feet. You might bite too if your cowboy boot salesman tried to hammer nails in your feet.
Horseshoe’s been cowboy shootin’ since 1998. He started about 2 shoots after T-Bone and Deadman down at Guns & Stuff. And he’s a real cowboy. He started shootin’ .45’s, and he still shoots .45’s. And he doesn’t shoot butterfly loads either. And he thinks it’s a crime to hold a pistol with more than 1 hand. Like Owlhoot, he’s a Double Duelist through and through.
How’d he get his alias? Well, like I said above, he shoes horses. And his middle name is John. So, he’s Horseshoe John. What does he do when he ain’t cowboy shootin’ or shoein’ horses? Well, he feeds horses, and doctors horses, and puts up hay for horses, and feeds horses (they eat a lot), and he shovels $%^# out of the barn, and he takes care of his saddles. Do you notice anything missing here? With horses of his own, he doesn’t have time to ride the critters. But so what? As he would say, he’s a horse person, and if you’re a horse person, you understand. If you’re not, you wouldn’t.
Horseshoe has made some changes since he put on his cowboy hat and starting shooting as a SASS cowboy. He changed the grips of his Rugers from traditional plow-handles to birds’ head grips. And he shoots several kinds of rifles: ‘66 Winchester Yellowboy, Henry, Lightning, ’73 Winchester carbine, and lately 1 of Taylor’s new 18” Trapper ’73 Winchester rifles, and they all shoot .45’s.
Horseshoe John’s a fine feller and a good cowboy to posse up with. And he shoots good too: Double Duelist with .45’s.
The Real West – Susanna Kinsey Salter (1860 – 1961)
Susanna Kinsey was born in Ohio in 1860. But when she was 12, her parents moved west to Kansas. 8 years later, she entered what is today Kansas State University. But 6 weeks before she was to graduate, she had to drop out because of illness. Later, she married Lewis Salter, whom she’d met when she was a student. Lewis was a young attorney and the son of a former Kansas Governor. After her marriage, Susanna and Lewis moved to Argonia, KS. Lewis went about his business, and Susanna became a mother, housewife, and was active in the local Woman’s Christian Temperance Union and became acquainted with Carrie Nation, the notorious hatchet welder who attacked many western saloons.
Susanna Salter
When Susanna was 27 years old, Kansas approved women’s suffrage. Not long afterward, some local turkeys, as a practical joke, nominated her to run for mayor on the Prohibition Party ticket. Susanna took the wind out of their sails. Instead of being embarrassed and withdrawing, she stayed the course, and with the support of the Republican Party and the WCTU, she won and she was elected the 1st woman Mayor in the US , by 2/3 of the ballots cast. Her 1-year term was uneventful, and when her term expired, she didn’t run for reelection. But she showed 2 things: (1) She didn’t bluff worth a flip, and (2) Women could be elected to and serve in political offices. And in the years after her, other women did exactly that in many cities across the US. But Susanna Salter was the first to do so.
Susanna and her family continued to live in Kansas until 1893, when they moved to Oklahoma, first to the Cherokee Strip and later in other towns. She died shortly after her 101st birthday in 1961
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The Ocoee Ranger page 3 September 2006
Local Cowboys Mentioned In September/October
SHOOT! Magazine
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Jack Rabbit Bob |
Vinegaroon |
Curly Bill |
Have you seen the Sept./Oct. edition of SHOOT! Magazine? If you haven’t, give it a look. John Taffin, “Sixgunner”, has an article about American Western Arms. He covers several guns constructed by AWA. Shown in the article, is a colt clone that was engraved and stock fitted by Jerry Harper. To us Ocoee Rangers, Jerry Harper is “Vinegaroon”. Ol’ Sixgunner has this to say about Vinegaroon’s gun work: “The model shown in the pictures was fully engraved and custom stocked by Jerry Harper. This is one of the most beautiful sixguns I have ever seen with both the engraving and fleur-de-lis carved grips carried out to perfection.”
Dustin Clays’ Yellowboy engraved by Vinegaroon / Jerry Henry
Then, Sixgunner talks about the AWA Lightning and their version of the Josh Randal handgun rifle. It’s called the Lightning Bolt. He talks about the gun and the gun-belt, holster, knife and knife sheath to carry the special gun. Here’s what he says: “The special rig pictured with the Lightning Bolt was styled after that used by Josh Randal and made by Bill Kelly and the matching knife was crafted by the AWA shop manager and gunsmith, Bob Huddleston.” Bill Kelly is our own Curly Bill. And Bob Huddleston shot with us until he moved to FL about 2 years ago to take the AWA job. You know him as Jack Rabbit Bob.
1 of Deadman’s Curly Bill / Bill Kelly Holsters
Look around at the next Ocoee Rangers or Smoky Mountain Shootist Society shoot you attend and you’ll see several examples of Vinegaroon’s and Curly Bill’s work. Owlhoot Hardin has pistols engraved by Vinegaroon and holsters crafted by Curly Bill. Dustin Clays has a Yellowboy rifle and a double barrel shotgun, and Moonshine Roberts has a Yellowboy rifle engraved by Vinegaroon. Lightning McCoy, Rawhide Rex, Horseshoe John, Owlhoot Hardin, Deadman and others wear gun leather crafted by Curly Bill. Shucks, you shoot with some very talented cowboys.
SOMETIMES A PICTURE REALLY IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
The picture at the left appeared in the September 2006 edition of The Cowboy Chronicle, in an article about the Tennessee State Cowboy Action Shooting Championship match. Do you see anyone that you recognize?
Just remember, please don’t squeeze the Charmin.
MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND OCOEE RANGER ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SHOOT & FAMILY EVENT ON DECEMBER 16 – the 3rd Saturday in December
Yeah, I know Christmas is out there a few months. But go ahead and mark your calendar, so you won’t have a last minute conflict in attending. Plan now.
Here’s the agenda: (1) We’ll shoot 3 stages at the range. (2) Then, we’ll adjourn and meet at the Golden Corral restaurant (same place as last year) for lunch, award Ocoee Ranger Annual Awards, have drawings for prizes and conclude with the gift swap – for those who want to participate in the swap – it’s not required.
Anyone who has shot at least 1 match, even if it is the December match, is eligible to participate in the drawing for prizes. (Prizes are provided by event sponsors.) Any one who wants to do so can participate in the gift swap. (More info about that later.)
You don’t have to shoot in the December Shoot to participate in the after shoot Family Event. Just come over to the Golden Corral and join the party.
To be eligible for consideration for an Ocoee Ranger Annual Award, you must have shot in at least 5 matches in 2006, excluding the December match.
Posse Leader Horseshoe John & Spotter Jumpin’ Jeri
Linc Seeks Elder Statesmen Shooters
SASS has a shooting category called Elder Statesman for cowboys and cowgirls who had reached the age of 70 years young. No, it’s not a new category. We just haven’t had folks shoot in it in the past. So, Linc signed up and shot in it at the September shoot. And he’s looking for other shooters who qualify to shoot in the category to joint him. Remember, in order for an award to be made and recognition be recognized, there has to be at least 2 shooters in a category. And we award certificates up to places 1 through 3. (To award 3, at least 4 shooters must participate.)
GET WELL SOON, D.Q. JONES. WE MISS YOU ON THE RANGE!
We Hope to See You Soon … D.Q. has a broken leg.
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