Hope You Had A Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve would have been the regular Ocoee Rangers Shoot day, but it was rescheduled to December 31st.  That allowed folks to spend Christmas Eve Day with their families and more fully experience the magic sparkle of Christmas.

What happened at the Shoot?  Well, as Too Tall would say, we shot. … 5 stages worth. And it snowed a little.  And it sleeted a little.  And it was a bit chilly.  And it was a good shoot.  49 shooters played the game.  We started with 2 more, but 1 left for a gun problem, and the other was sorta like General MacArthur’s old soldier, he just faded away before the 1st shot. Some folks tried shooting techniques that they don’t usually try: this shoot doesn’t count in annual competition. For example, Tin Pot shot Silver Senior Gunfighter with Tenn Critr, who usually shoots it. And other folks shot other stuff.

Black Hawk Henry was the TOP GUN for the day.  Dodge City Dixie was the Top Lady Shooter, placed 3rd overall, and she was sporting a new look: … very nice.  How ’bout Too Tall? Was he sporting a new look? Nope. Same ole Too Tall. Good enough.

The Top 10 shooters were (1) Black Hawk Henry (2) Nickle (3) Dodge City Dixie (4) Dixie Pistols (5) Clancy O’Conall (6) Max Payne (7) Barkeep Casey (8) Hurricane Charly (9) Pig Iron Lane and (10) Reno Mustang.

The December Shoot Results are at the end of the newsletter.

Vinegarroon Passes On

There’s another empty saddle in the old corral.  On December 2nd, Vinegarroon (a.k.a. Jerome Paul “Jerry” Harper) left this world and joined several of our cowboy pals who left us in 2016.

I first met Vinegarroon in 1998, or early summer 1999. That’s when we were the Marauders and shooting at Guns & Stuff in Whitwell, TN. Back then, most cowboys shot either Ruger or Uberti revolvers, and most shot .45’s.  Cowgirls shot .38’s.  At one of the shoots, there was a slim cowboy in black, with a white shirt, a black flat brimmed hat, and nifty looking tooled black gun-leather. On the unloading table were his pistols: 2 nickel plated, real live .45 Colts, with black grips, 7 1/2 inch barrels, and fully engraved.  They looked great. I looked at the shooter and commented about them.  He sorta laughed and said that they were just some things that he’d put together from parts. We talked a bit, and he told me that he was a college professor and taught Spanish. He impressed me as a classy guy, and over the years that proved correct. He was a classy guy.  And an artist. He did beautiful engraving on all kinds of guns. His leather work was also excellent.

Thru the years, Owlhoot Hardin showed me several examples of beautifully engraved pistols that Vinegarroon had done.  Owlhoot and Vinegarroon were pals and had very similar backgrounds. Both had been college professors. Owlhoot was really proud of Vinegarroon’s work.  Vinegarroon wouldn’t brag about his work,  so, Owlhoot did it for him, and rightly so.

At an Ocoee Rangers shoot in October 2005, Dustin Clays showed me his Winchester “66, that was very impressively engraved.  He commented on the Mexican eagle and the other work.  He said that he’d taken his rifle over to Vinegarroon’s house and left it, and when he went back to get it, “it was all scratched up.”

In the photo above, Vinegarroon is holding a double barrel shotgun that he nickel plated and engraved. The guns and his holstered pistols also look great, but the smile on Vinegarroon’s face outshines them all.

Vinegarroon was a gentleman on the range, an artist, a good pal to Owlhoot, and, like Owlhoot, he shot his pistols duelist style: standing upright and one-handed. So long Vinegarroon.  You were a class act, and we’re lucky to have known you.

Range Rumor

The history of the Old West is full of tales that were said to be true and weren’t, and stuff that was thought to be pure baloney, but wasn’t . This tale is about something that’s said to have happened after the December 31st Annual Awards were presented.  As the tale was passed along, Mongo left the ceremonies and walked up to the pistol ranges.  Drifting along, he ended up leaning on Splinter, the range horse.  Apparently, he started talking to Splinter, saying something like this.

“Things didn’t happen like they were supposed to. I heard they were gonna give the Spirit of the Game Award this year to the prettiest shooter.”  Splinter just stood and listened; he didn’t say nothin’.

Then Mongo said, “Based on looks, either I should have won, or maybe T-Bone or Too Tall should have.  It sure wouldn’t be Ocoee Red.  He’s not been pretty since he grew that beard.  Maybe Keystone would’ve been considered.”

With that, Splinter snorted and was heard to say, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  Why wouldn’t Half Cocked Kaylee, or Miss Kitty Kat, or Two Step Net, or Appalucy, or LuLu McGoo, or Mrs. Pleasant, or Anita Margarita, or …..

Mongo sorta flinched and said, “I get it.  I get it. Anyway, who asked you?”

Splinter said, “You did.”  To which Mongo responded, “Why don’t we just both forget this conversation?”

Splinter whinnied sorta woodenly and said, “I can’t forget it.  You’re the only human who ever had a conversation with me. Wonder what Miss Kitty Kat would say if she knew you were out here on the range talking to a wooden horse?”

Now this may or may not be true, but that’s the version that came to me. Who knows, maybe Mongo is a Horse Whisperer  ……………  a Wooden Horse Whisperer.

2016 Annual Awards Presented

After the shoot, we gathered at the clubhouse, had a nifty lunch, and presented 2016 Annual Ocoee Rangers Awards.

The 1st award presented was our most prestigious, the Annual Spirit of the Game Award.  The 2016 winner is Tin Pot.  He’s a regular member of Horseshoe John’s range set-up gang, works on his posse without being asked at each monthly shoot, always dresses cowboy on the range (no ball caps) and he’s a positive example of what’s good about Cowboy & Cowgirl Shooting. Incidentally,  Tin Pot shot 10 of the 11 regular monthly shoots, and shot without misses in 7 of them.  ….  Atta boy, Tin Pot.

The 2016 Top Gun award was presented to Hurricane Charly.  Rounding out the 2016 Top 10 Shooters, here’s how 2-10 placed: (2) Double Nickle (3) Cumberland Drifter (4) Purly (5) Barkeep Casey (6) Ocoee Red (7) Slater (8) Clancy O’Conall (9) Widowmaker  and (10) Marshal WD.

The 2016 Top Lady Shooter is Anita Margarita, but she wasn’t present to get her award.

How are Winners Determined?

At each monthly shoot (Jan – Nov), the top 10 shooters earn points: 10 for 1st place and 1 for 10th place. Then all the points are totaled for monthly and annual placing.  For the Top Lady Shooter, at each match, points are awarded to the top 5 lady shooters, and then they’re totaled to determine the winner for the month and the annual Top Lady Shooter. Monthly Buffalo Shoot event winners receive 5 points for each category won, and they’re cumulative for Annual awards placement.

After the Top 10 Shooters Awards were given or announced, the Top 5 Most Accurate Shooters were recognized.  Here’s how they placed: Most Accurate … Reno Mustang (0.167 misses per match) … (2) Pop Dawson (0.200 mpm) … (3) Cumberland Drifter (0.333 mpm) … (4) Bama Kid (0.500 mpm) (Ocoee Red said, “Hey, that’s half a miss per match.”  He’s always quick … on the trigger and in reasoning.) … (5) Pleasant (0.600 mpm).

Special Thanks

 Special folks earned and were recognized with special thanks for work they did for the Ocoee Rangers throughout 2016 (and some for many years before that):

• Range Set-Up Gang …. Horseshoe John … Double Eagle … Sudden Sam … Tin Pot … T-Bone Angus … Jackson Longstreet ….. Without them, there’d be no targets in place to shoot.

• Stage Writer ….  T-Bone Angus & Sudden Sam…. Other folks write stages from time to time
• Electronic Scoring … Sudden Sam …. Sam handles scoring for special events and when the regular crew is out
• Territorial Governor … Pleasant … He’s been our Territorial Gov. for longer than we’ve formally existed.
• Ocoee Rangers Leader …  Ocoee Red … Ocoee Red’s been our Captain and the CHRPC Cowboy Committee Chairman since the Ocoee Rangers were formally organized  …..  See article later in this newsletter.
• Posse Leaders … Double Eagle … Horseshoe John … Fast Harley … Pleasant …  Yankee Dutchman … Happy Pappy (when needed) … Sudden Sam (when needed)
• Buffalo Shoot Coordinator …. Marshal Too Tall … Without Too Tall, there wouldn’t be a Buffalo Shoot

 Thanks to all for what you’ve done for the Ocoee Rangers, and congratulations Winners!

2016 Category Winners

        Cowboy                                   Wrangler                                 Lady 49er                              49er

1. Hurricane Charly                   1. Barkeep Casey                        1. LuLu McGoo                        1. Double Nickle
2. Marshal W.D.                         2. Polecat Carl                             2. Miss Kitty Kat                     2. Cumberland Drifter
3. Black Jack Lee                        3. Jackson Longstreet                                                                   3. Happy Pappy

Lady Senior                           Senior                                       Lady Silver Senior              Silver Senior

1. Dodge City Dixie                    1. Dirtwater Fox                        1. Two Step Net                         1. Ocoee Red
2. Cotton Ginnie                         2. Happy Pappy                                                                              2. Delta Desperado
3. Two Step Net                          3. Montana Colt                                                                              3. Sequatchie Slim

Elder Statesman                    Cattle Baron                            Grand Patron                   Classic Cowboy

1. Purly                                         1. Tabasco J.O.T.                         1. Linc                                       1. Turkey Creek Vic
2. Tin Pot                                     2. Rev. Adam Jones                    2. Papa Dave                            2. Saddle Burr Jack
3. Wildcat Wilkey                                                                                                                                  3. Lightning McCoy

B-Western                                Frontier                                   Duelist                                  Senior Duelist

1. T-Bone Angus                        1. Smokin’ Dave                            1. Cullen Bohannon               1. Sudden Sam
2. Black Jack Lee                                                                                                                                   2. Double Eagle                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            3. Ranger Roger

Silver Senior Duelist                   Frontier Cart. Duelist            Elder Statesman Duelist

1. Delta Desperado                      1. Long Gulch                                 1. Horseshoe John
2.                                                     2. Smokin’ Dave                             2. Shenandoah Will
3.                                                     3. Sudden Sam

Silver Senior Double Duelist           Lady Gunfighter                  Gunfighter

1. Steely I. Justice                                      1. Anita Margarita                       1. Slater

2. Pop Dawson                                            2. Appalucy                                  2. Pleasant

3. Sudden Sam                                            3. Mrs. Pleasant                           3. Clancy Oconall & Widowmaker

Senior Gunfighter                            Silver Senior Gunfighter          Frontier Cartridge Gunfighter

1. Yankee Dutchman                           1. Tenn Critr                                    1. Jackalope
2. Keystone                                                                                                       2. Judge’m All Duncan
3. Kid Ziggy                                                                                                       3. El Paso Slim

Outlaw                                                 Maverick Gunfighter                 Maverick Classic

1. Marshal Too Tall                               1. El Carrera                                     1. Lightning McCoy
2. Tombstone                                         2. Clancy O’Conall
3. Curly Bill

Maverick Duelist                                  Maverick Senior Duelist                  Maverick

1. Dustin Clays                                        1. Ranger Roger                                    1. Deadman
2.                                                                                                                                 2. Limp Along Charlie
3.                                                                                                                                 3. Sundance McNeyman & Dustin Clays

Buffalo Shoot – .22 Cal.                  Buffalo Shoot – Long Range Pistol … Long Range Rifle – Rifle Cal. & Long Range Rifle – Pistol Cal.

Jackson Longstreet                                       ………………………..          Marshal Too Tall   ……………………………………………………………………

The Torch Has Been Passed  …….  Ocoee Red Resigns As Captain of Ocoee Rangers and as CHRPC Cowboy Committee Chairman

Everything changes, eventually.  In the 14 years of the Ocoee Rangers, Ocoee Red  has been our leader.  He lead the founders in putting the group together, and got support from the Cleveland Hunting Rifle & Pistol Club, which included lots of dollars to buy targets and stuff.  But, evidently, he’s a bit like Popeye.  Remember Popeye?  Just before he swallowed his spinach and whopped the bad guys, he’d say, “I’ve had all I can stand. I can’t stands no more.”  Well, evidently Ocoee Red has decided he’s done his share to promote the group, and he’s retiring to become a private shooter, like you and me. Well, maybe like you. He shoots lots faster than me.  He says he’s going to concentrate on improving his shooting and besting Too Tall.

What’s Yankee Dutchman have to say about this?  Nothing yet. Ocoee Red popped this news on us unexpectedly at the Annual Awards Event.  Neither he or Yankee Dutchman said a word about it until Red made his announcement. Too Tall and I are skeptical about Ocoee Red’s reason for stepping aside: he’s done his job a long time, and it’s time for someone else to take over.  Too Tall and I think that growing that beard just took a heck of a lot of energy, and either the beard or the Captaincy had to go.  …. The beard won.  ….  Thanks for your leadership for all these years, Ocoee Red.

DECEMBER SHOOT RESULTS

 TOP GUN:  Black Hawk Henry

TOP LADY SHOOTER: Dodge City Dixie

Cowboy: (1) Hurricane Charly (2) Vin Tanner (3) Doc Mason

Lady 49er: (1) LuLu McGoo (2) Miss Kitty Kat

49er: (1) Black Hawk Henry (2) Double Nickle (3) Fast Harley

Wrangler: (1) Barkeep Casey

Lady Senior: (1) Dodge City Dixie

Senior: (1) Happy Pappy (2) Dirtwater Fox (3) Limp Along Charlie

Lady Sliver Senior: (1) Two Step Net

Silver Senior: (1) Max Payne (2) Pig Iron Lane (3) Too Tall

Elder Statesman: (1) Purly (2) T-Bone Angus

Cattle Baron: (1) Tabasco J.O.T.

Grand Patron: (1) Papa Dave (2) Linc

Outlaw: (1) Tombstone (2) Loose Cinch

Lady B-Western: (1) Dixie Pistols

Classic: (1) Smokin’ Dave

Duelist: (1) Cullen Bohannon

Senior Duelist: (1) Randy Saint Eagle (2) Ranger Roger

Lady Silver Sr. Duelist: (1) Witch Doctor

Silver Sr. Double Duelist: (1) Sudden Sam (2) Double Eagle

Elder Statesman Duelist: (1) Deadman (2) Shenandoah Will

Lady Gunfighter: (1) Applaucy

Gunfighter: (1) Clancy O’Conall (2) Pleasant (3) Koda Joe

Senior Gunfighter: (1) Reno Mustang (2) Yankee Dutchman

Silver Sr. Gunfighter: (1) Tenn Critr (2) Tin Pot

Frontier Cartridge Gunfighter: (1) Outcast (2) Kid Ziggy

Ocoee Rangers Information: Yankee Dutchman at 423-464-5724 or Cell 423-991-0331 or rjappeldoorn@aol.com

                                                            

 

 

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