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Volume 5, Issue No. 4 April 2007
April- A Terrific Day & A Terrific Shoot!
1 of our favorite cowgirls rejoined us for the April shoot: Dagnabit Deb. She’s not up to shootin’ yet, but she ventured out, dressed cowgirl and kept score for her posse. It was plum terrific to have her back. And the match was a good one. The scenarios were crisp and quick, and the bonuses were shootin’ bonuses. 71 shooters participated, and Last Kiss showed bunches of us macho cowboys that cowgirls can shoot: she placed 17th overall. And another cowgirl, Mrs. Pleasant, joined us and shot her 1st match. Like her other half and her boys, she shot very well. Of course the secret of her shootin’ success is obvious. No, it ain’t coaching from her cowboys: it’s her nifty lookin’ cowgirl hat. And our littlest cowgirl shot with us again: Applesauce. She did good. Roma Jane was also back, after being away for a while. (Maybe that’s why Long Gulch, her other half, shot so well: he finished 5th overall.) She shot well, placing 1st in Lady Traditional class and 41st in a field of 71 shooters.
Lightning Draws A Bead. “When You Say That, Smile.”
Before the main match started, the Buffalo Shooters unlimbered their guns and started shootin’. Buckskin Rigsby won the Long Range Pistol Shoot. Marshal Too Tall won the .22 Cal. and Long Range Single Shot Rifle Shoots. But in the Long Range Pistol Caliber Rifle Shoot, Too Tall had to shoot off against Fast Harley before winning that event also. The main match Top Gun was Unpleasant, 1 of Mrs. Pleasant’s little boys. And guess who was 2nd? Pleasant – old paw. Here’s how the Top 10 Shooters stacked up: (1) Unpleasant (2) Pleasant (3) Festus D. Deputy (4) Fiddleback (5) Long Gulch (6) Marshal Too Tall (7) Cherokee Maddog (8) Slater (9) T-Bone Angus and (10) Ocoee Red. 9 cowboys shot Perfect Matches (no misses): Festus D. Deputy, Long Gulch, Cool Waters, Horseshoe John, Keystone, Deadman, Squire Shooter, Sundance McNeyman and Tennessee Jake.
Dead Beat Shoots the Varmints While Lightning McCoy Looks On
MAY – JOHN WAYNE SHOOT & Look Alike Contest
May is the month of John Wayne’s 100th Birthday. So, we’re gonna have a John Wayne Shoot. Tennessee Hoss has written 5 stages related to John Wayne Westerns. Don’t worry. You don’t have to climb into a saddle, but you’ll get your chance to tell Ned Pepper to fill his hand and do other John Wayne stuff as you shoot the stages.
To spiff up the shoot a little, we encourage folks to dress like John Wayne for the shoot. Of course if you don’t want to dress like the Duke, that’s ok. But it would add a little something extra it you do.
A box set John Wayne Knife & Buckle will be awarded to the person for the best John Wayne- like costume. No ties. If it gets to a tie, the top 2 will shoot off for the award using Deadman’s big loop ’92 Winchester.
APRIL SHOOT RESULTS
TOP GUN – Unpleasant … BUFFALO SHOOT – Long Range Pistol – Buckskin Rigsby … .22 Cal – Marshal Too Tall … Long Range Single Shot Rifle … Marshal Too Tall … Long Range Rifle Pistol Cartridge … Marshal Too Tall
Senior1. T-Bone Angus 2. Tabasco JOT 3. Purly |
Gunfighter 1. Pleasant 2. Widowmaker 3. Keystone |
Traditional 1. Unpleasant 2. Fiddleback 3. Slater |
|
Lady Traditional 1. Roma Jane 2. Deadeye Daisy 3. Mrs. Pleasant |
49er 1. Festus D. Deputy 2. Long Gulch 3. Marshal Too Tall |
Classic 1. Cherokee Maddog 2. El Carrera 3. Lightning McCoy |
|
Silver Senior 1. Sheriff Donald 2. Linc |
Duelist 1. Horseshoe John 2. Rusty Spur Slim 3. Lookout Kid |
Outlaw 1. TN Tombstone 2. Tucson Tuco 3. Loose Cinch |
|
Black Powder Cartridge 1. Judge’m All Duncan |
Lady Gunfighter1. Last Kiss |
Modern1. Wildcat Wilkey 2. Sundance McNeyman |
TO DATE, WE HAVE RECEIVED $269.85 IN CONTRIBUTIONS TO BUY PRIZES TO BE AWARDED AT OUR CHRISTMAS SHOOT AND FAMILY EVENT.
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The Ocoee Ranger page 2 April 2007
The Reel West, The Real West and the West of Our Imagination
THE REEL WEST – Frankie Lane (1913 – 2007)
Frankie Lane – He Made Several Westerns Better
I know. Frankie Lane was not a movie cowboy. He was a singer. He did some acting, and he appeared in Westerns a couple of times. But he was mostly a singer. But as a singer, he made some Westerns much more memorable by his theme songs.
Frankie was born Francesco Paolo Lo Vecchico in Chicago. How’s that for a name? Thank goodness for new names in show business. Anyway, Frankie grew up in Chicago’s little Italy and became a choirboy singer. Later he went to see an Al Jolson movie and decided that he was going to become a professional singer. And he did. Of course it didn’t happen over night. He banged around in nightspots, and then in 1943, he moved to tinsel town: Hollywood.
Frankie’s singing career went big time, and he appeared in movies, had his own TV show, and did some guest spots on TV, 1 of which was on RAWHIDE. But to Cowboy Action Shooters, and us Western movie fans, Frankie will always be remembered for singing the theme song on TV’s RAWHIDE. (Ala, Rawhide Rex, who was influenced by the series.) But he also sang the theme songs in GUNFIGHT AT OK CORRAL (the song was the best part of the movie), 3:10 TO YUMA (again, the song is the best part of the movie), MAN WITHOUT A STAR (a very good movie and a good song), and BLAZING SADDLES (an excellent song in a classic comedy Western). And in addition to RAWHIDE, Frankie sang theme songs for other TV Westerns: GUNSLINGER in 1961 and RANGO in 1967.
Frankie’s entertainment career spanned 70 years. He died in February of 2007.
THE WEST OF OUR IMAGINATION – Double Eagle Dave
Double Eagle
Double Eagle watched his 1st Cowboy Shooting Match at an Ocoee Rangers shoot in Nov. 2005. Someone, he doesn’t remember who, strapped guns on him and had him shoot the last 2 stages. The following day, he galloped over to T-Bone’s place and bought cowboy guns. The following Saturday, he shot at War Trace. The rest is history.
“I started shooting 5 ½ inch stainless Rugers in .357, but now I shoot everything from Rugers to Colts to clones. I started shooting a 92 Winchester, but now I have 92’s, 94’s, Yellowboys and 73’s. I started shooting a double barrel shotgun, but I rarely shoot them now, even though I have about a half dozen of them. When I shoot Outlaw, I shoot a lever action shotgun. I still have about about 7 pairs of Rugers. They’re workhorses and can really take abuse. But Owlhoot (Hardin) got me into the money. He likes Colts, and he got me into them, and they’re expensive. I have about 7 pairs of Colts.”
How’d he get his alias? Here’s how he explains it. “I used to play golf as part of a 4-some. One Saturday before I quit, I quit playing golf when I started Cowboy Shooting, I shot an eagle on 1 hole. Then on the next hole, I sunk 1 from about 80 yards out for another eagle. SASS already had a Double Eagle. So, I tacked Dave onto it and became Double Eagle Dave. Around here, I drop the Dave. I went to matches a long time before I saw anyone with a SASS number bigger than mine. But now, I see a lot of them.
In 2005, Double Eagle shot at SASS’s End of Trail shoot. He plans to retire on May 1, 2007, and in 2008, he, Owlhoot Hardin and Vinegaroon plan to drive out and shoot End Of Trail for his 2nd time. He also, after his retirement, plans to shoot a lot of the regional Cowboy Shoots. Double Eagle is a fine feller to shoot with, even if he does shoot mouse loads.
THE REAL WEST – Captain Thomas W. Custer, U.S. Army (1845 – 1876)
Capt. Tom Custer
Have you ever heard of Tom Custer? If you know a little about Old West History, you’ll probably say, “Sure. He was General George Armstrong Custer’s little brother.” And you’d be right. But you would have short-changed Tom. He was more that than that. Much more.
Tom Custer was born in New Rumley, Ohio in 1845. When he was 16 years old, the War of Northern Aggression was in full swing, so Tom joined the Yankee Army as a private in the Ohio Voluntary Infantry and was in combat at Stones River, Missionary Ridge, and in the Atlanta Campaign. In 1864, he mustered out as a Corporal. But his Army service wasn’t over. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Michigan Calvary and became his brother George’s aide-de-camp for the last year of the war.
A General Officer’s aide-de-camp must stay close to his General at all times, and George Custer, no matter what else folks might say about him, lead from the front, especially in charging formations. So, Tom saw plenty of action. When the war ended, Tom was barely 20 years old, and he had so distinguished himself in action that he had successively been promoted to brevet ranks of Captain, Major, and then Lieutenant Colonel of Volunteers. He’d been wounded in action. And he was 1 of only 19 U.S. soldiers in history to have won the Medal Of Honor twice. How ‘bout that? That ain’t being just a tag-along younger brother.
After the War ended, Tom was given the Regular Army rank of 1st Lieutenant in the 7th US Cavalry. Brother George was a Lieutenant Colonel in the 7th. In 1868, Tom was wounded in action fighting Indians. Later, he served in South Carolina during Yankee Reconstruction, and in 1873 and 1874 served in exploration assignments in the Yellowstone and Black Hills expeditions. In 1875, Tom was promoted to Captain and given command of Co. C of the 7th Cavalry. In 1876, the 7th Cavalry marched out of Ft. Lincoln to participate in action against the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne. Tom, once again, served as George’s aide-de-camp. On June 25, 1876, Tom was killed in action in the Battle at Little Bighorn, along with his brothers George and Boston and brother-in-law James Calhoun.
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The Ocoee Ranger page 3 April 2007
2007 SMOKY MOUNTAIN SHOOT-OUT AT OAKRIDGE A FUN SHOOT!
SOME OF THE OCOEE RANGERS SHOOTERS.
Front: Horseshoe John. Middle Row L-R: Festus D. Deputy, Ocoee Red, Tucson Tuco and Purly. Back Row L-R: Deadman, Double Eagle and Marshal Too Tall.
If you participated in the Knoxville Area cowboys’ & cowgirls’ SHOOT-OUT AT OAKRIDGE, you had a fun shoot. If you didn’t, you might want to consider shooting the event next year. It was a fast, colorful, interesting and very enjoyable experience. The weather was great. The props were terrific. And the targets were out there far enough to be interesting to shoot. And there were bonuses … to be earned by shooting and knocking down targets. Of course not everyone could knock’em down. 1 gentleman cowboy, shooting a beautiful Colt SSA, hit a target solid with his butterfly .45 cal. load, and it just smiled at him. The bullet bounced back and wasn’t even much deformed. But he sure looked stylish shooting, and he had a blast. Who was he? That’s another story, and he’ll have to tell it.
Marshal Too Tall shoots, Big Six Henderson observes, and “the Arm” times
Would you believe that the Knoxville cowfolk trusted Rawhide Rex to be a Stage Marshal? Yep. And he did a fine job. Others who held similar jobs are Keystone, Badlands Beck, Fiddleback and Lightning McCoy. And on the day before the main match began, Last Kiss and Fast Harley sponsored a side match. And Lightning was the MC at the Awards Dinner.
How did the Ocoee Rangers shoot? Not bad. Last Kiss won the Lady Gunfighter event, out-shooting her competition. Not to be outdone, S.A. Pondwater placed 1st in the Modern class and was ranked 6th in overall competition. Dustin Clays placed 2nd in the Classic Cowboy class, closely followed by Cherokee Maddog in 3rd place. And speakin’ of Gunfighters, Widowmaker placed 2nd in the class, and Fast Harley was 3rd. Rusty Spur Slim was No. 2 in the Frontiersman class. That means he shot his pistol targets with cap & ball pistols and black powder. Also shootin’ black powder, Judge’m All Duncan placed 2nd in the Frontier Cartridge class. Of course you can’t have a cowboy shoot in this area without Outlaws. Badlands Beck placed 2nd as an Outlaw, and Loose Cinch was 3rd. Horseshoe John, shootin’ as a Sr. Duelist, placed 2nd, and Tabasco JOT was 2nd in the Silver Senior class. Tennessee Ted was 3rd in the Duelist category. And 4 shooters in the field of 153 shot a clean match, no misses in 2 days of shootin’. Deadman was 1 of those. Here’s how Ocoee Rangers ranked in overall shootin’ for the 2 days, in a field of 153 shooters:
STAGE MARSHALS.
L-R: Badlands Beck, Lightning McCoy & Fiddleback.
L-R: Keystone & Rawhide Rex
Curly Bill, a “dandy” on the Range.
Here’s the secret of Fast Harley’s Shootin’ Success; a smooch from his shootin’ pardner, Last Kiss. Forget it cowboys! She ain’t goin’ to kiss you just so you can shoot better!
SHOOTING RESULTS OF OCOEE RANGERS SHOOTERS
Position / Shooter
6 – S.A. Pondwater
17 – Marshal Too Tall
19 – Festus D. Deputy
23 – Fiddleback
30 – Tabasco JOT
32 – Ocoee Red
34 – Dustin Clays
36 – Lightning McCoy
37 – Cherokee Maddog
41 – Horseshoe John
43 – Widowmaker
45 – Dajango Slim
48 – Fast Harley
50 – Judge’m All Duncan
59 – Long Gulch
61 – Rusty Spur Slim
65 – Last Kiss
72 – Killin’ Time
74 – Badlands Beck
Position / Shooter
78 – Red Neckerson
79 – Sheriff Donald
83 – Loose Cinch
87 – Deadman
88 – Tennessee Ted
90 – Purly
92 – Rawhide Rex
98 – Bittercreek Jack
100 – TN Tombstone
105 – Double Eagle
106 – Tucson Tuco
108 – Big
116 – Boondock Saint
124 – Yazoo City Gal
128 – Irish Jake
137 – Top Dollar Bill
139 – Owlhoot Hardin
141 – Colonel Mortimer
144 – Deadeye Daisy
AWARDS DINNER – CELEBRITIES & OTHER FOLKS
Mesquite Millie, Hoppy & Topper
(Topper’s the horse, for you young cowfolk)
Dustin Clays, 2d Place Double Duelist & His Mrs.
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