Let The Games Begin …. Again
Appalucy Shooting Lady Gunfighter
It was a bit chilly on the range, but the sun was coming out. That and Too Tall’s smile, make that Appalucy’s smile, let us know that the day would get better. And it did. 51 shooters came out to play and celebrate a new year of Ocoee Rangers shooting. Double Nickle celebrated a bit more than the rest of us. When the last shot was fired, he was the TOP GUN. Dodge City Dixie was the Top Lady Shooter. She also placed 3rd overall. And Too Tall? He held back a bit and let others win all the Buffalo Shoot events. Was that sportsmanship or what? (Ocoee Red would say it was “or what.”) Jackson Longstreet won the .22 Cal. Rifle and Long Range – Rifle Cal. events. Pleasant was 1st in the .22 Cal. Pistol event. And Sudden Sam captured the Long Range Rifle – Pistol Cal. competition.
Koda Joe, Blasting the Targets With His Pistols
The Top 10 Shooters were (1) Double Nickle (2) Hurricane Charly (3) Dodge City Dixie (4) Marshal W.D. (5) Purly (6) Polecat Carl (7) Reno Mustang (8) Clancy O’Conall (9) Pleasant and (10) Ocoee Red.
See end of article for January Shoot Results.
Ocoee Red … Captain Emeritus
Ocoee Red Received His Captain Emeritus Plaque For Past Service From Yankee Dutchman
Captain Emeritus. … Sounds like a movie super hero from the Marvel library, doesn’t it? Ocoee Red is Captain Emeritus of the Ocoee Rangers. And he is kinda like a super hero. Yep, it’s official. At the January 2017 shoot, our former Captain, Ocoee Red, was presented with a plaque giving him that title and thanking him for his 14 years of service as the leader of the Ocoee Rangers. Emeritus is a perpetual title recognizing the person so designated to be addressed by the title as long as the wind blows, the water flows and the grass grows. It’s sorta like always referring to a former US President as President so and so. And some of them have really been so and so’s. But not Ocoee Red.
Once upon a time, there was a bit of a rift at the Cleveland Range, and the cowboys and cowgirls saddled up to hit the trail. But the range was just too good to walk away from. So, Ocoee Red, went to CHRPC about continuing cowboy shooting, and got their support, as long as it was under the CHRPC organization. They even committed to spend lots of dollars for targets and stuff.
Ocoee Red then had another task: put together a group of cowboys, calm their anger at recent developments, and fashion a new organization to continue Cowboy Shooting at the Cleveland range.
He reached out for help, and some folks responded: Tri, T-Bone Angus, Mesquite Millie, Sundance McNeyman, Tinker Chapley, Horseshoe John, Pleasant, Marshal Too Tall, and Deadman. With Ocoee Red, they were the Founders of what became the Ocoee Rangers.
We had a couple of meetings and selected our name, Ocoee Rangers. No, Ocoee Red didn’t name the group after himself. He suggested Hiwassee Rangers, because of the Hiwassee River. But most of us couldn’t spell Hiwassee. We did like being Rangers. The Ocoee River was close, and we could spell it. And badges were more expensive with more letters on them. So, we talked about several possible names and chose Ocoee Rangers. Red had lead the activities with CHRPC and with the Founders group, so, he became the Captain. Horseshoe John had always been Range Director and lead range set up, and he was designated to continue doing that. He also insisted, several times, that we have a shiny badge, and Ocoee Red assured him that we’d do so. T-Bone had written most of the stages we’d shot, so, he was designated to keep on keeping on. Pleasant had been Territorial Governor, and he was selected to continue in that role. In March 2003, we held our 1st Ocoee Rangers Shoot, and we’ve been successful since that time, and we’re still shooting.
In early 2003, tempers from many of us were such that there could easily have been no Ocoee Rangers group, except for Ocoee Red using diplomacy with CHRPC and with us shooters. He guided both groups and helped both groups adjust to the things that needed to be done for us to become what we are now: the Ocoee Rangers Cowboy and Cowgirl Shooters.
If you monitor shooting attendance at other area groups, we’re probably the most successful at keeping our attendance up. If you ask Ocoee Red why we’ve kept attendance better than other groups, he’ll probably say, and has said, that we’re geographically located with good highways to draw from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and maybe even Kentucky. But that’s not the only reason. We have a good range. Sure. The trees help. Yep. We’ve always allowed reshoots for gun and ammo malfunctions. You bet. But, importantly, visiting shooters have told us that we’re fun to shoot with. What’s the first thing any shooter has seen when he or she arrived at our range on shoot day? … Ocoee Red with his hand out for a friendly shake, a smile on his face, and a cheerful welcome. And he did that for 14 years.
At our very 1st Ocoee Rangers shoot, Rev. Adam Jones walked up to Deadman and said, “I’m sure glad you guys did this.” Well, Ocoee Red lead us guys and 1 gal in starting the group, and then he lead all of us guys and gals in keeping it going and making it what is, and us what we are today.
Thank you Ocoee Red, Captain Emeritus of the Ocoee Rangers Cowboy & Cowgirl Shooters. May your guns always shoot true, the twinkle in your eye always be present, and your singing voice always be used only in the shower.
2016 Was A Memorable Year
2016 was a memorable year. Some things happened that were really nifty, and some not so much. Our Annual Leadmine Valley Shoot-Out was, once again, a success. 104 shooters participated in that special shoot. It was special in another, not so nifty way: it was the last shoot that Rev. Adam Jones shot before he died. The year also saw a shoot, February, which was organized by and all the stages were written by lady shooters: Shez A Pistol, Mrs. Pleasant, Last Kiss, Miss Kitty Kat and Anita Margarita. It was a good one. If you missed it, shame on you.
It was a year in which some of us sported colorful shootin’ duds, at times, like Mrs. Pleasant decked in an old time beach costume & umbrella out for a shoot. Bet you didn’t know that Lady Gunfighters dress like this … Reno Mustang was photographed with the biggest smile we’d seen from him. Maybe it was because he was the 2016 Most Accurate Shooter, or maybe just because he’s a good cowboy.
2016 was a year in which Lucky Lightburne provided a bit of mystery at each shoot. Sometimes, he was bearded. Sometimes, he sported a mustache or goatee or had a face smooth as a baby’s … well, smooth. Whichever version showed up, he was photogenic and had a good time shooting.
2016, after the December shoot and Annual Awards Event, saw another change. Ocoee Red and Yankee Dutchman swapped jobs. Ocoee Red traded being Ocoee Rangers Captain for Posse Leader No. 5. And obviously, Yankee Dutchman became the Ocoee Rangers Captain.
2016 was a year in which all shooters combined missed a total of 2,027 shots. That’s the official record and doesn’t count all the misses made up with shotguns. It was also the 1st year that Buckles were awarded at an Ocoee Rangers Shoot, the Leadmine Valley Shootout in September.
2016 was a year in which we lost, to the grim reaper, 6 shooters or former shooters: Colonel Allison, C. Rider, Devil Dog, Jack Rabbit Bob, Rev. Adam Jones and Vinegarroon. ……………… Adios, gentlemen.
Some Jan. 2017 Shooters. Back Row L-R: Horseshoe John, Yankee Dutchman, Tin Pot, Keystone, Limp Along Charlie, Tommy Three Shells, Shenandoah Will. … Front: Steely I. Justice, T-Bone Angus, Marshal Too Tall, Long Wolf.
Now, it’s a New Year — 2017 — A new start … guns to shoot … yarns to tell … excuses to make … and new adventures. So, as Gil Favor used to say on Rawhide, “Head ’em Up, and Move ’em Out!” … We’re off to 2017.
SHOOT RESULTS
Top Gun: Double Nickle
Top Lady Shooter: Dodge City Dixie
Cattle Baron: (1) Wildcat Wilkey
Elder Statesman: (1) Purly (2) T-Bone Angus (3) El Camino
Lady Silver Senior: (1) Two Step Net
Silver Senior: (1) Ocoee Red (2) Marshal Too Tall (3) Tommy Three Shells
Lady Senior: (1) Dodge City Dixie
Senior: (1) Happy Pappy (2) Dirtwater Fox (3) Montana Colt
Lady 49er: (1) Lulu McGoo (2) Miss Kitty Kat
49er: (1) Double Nickle (2) Polecat Carl (3) Colorado Curly
Wrangler: (1) Clancy O’Conall (2) Jackson Longstreet
Cowboy: (1) Hurricane Charly (2) Marshal W.D. (3) Jimmy the Kid
Classic: (1) Saddle Burr Jack (2) Smokin’ Dave
Lady Gunfighter: (1) Appalucy
Gunfighter: (1) Pleasant (2) Unpleasant (3) Koda Joe
Frontier Cart. Gunfighter: (1) Outcast (2) Judge’m All Duncan
SR Gunfighter: (1) Reno Mustang (2) Kid Ziggy (3) Keystone
Silver SR Gunfighter: (1) Tenn Critr
Outlaw: (1) Fast Harley (2) Loose Cinch
Duelist: (1) Long Wolf
Silver SR Duelist: (1) Sudden Sam
Silver SR Double Duelist: (1) Steely I. Justice
Elder Statesman Duelist: (1) Horseshoe John (2) Shenandoah Will
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