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Arizona Rangers to revive 'Territorial Days'
Thelma Grimes/San Pedro Valley News-Sun
It's going to be a blast from the past at the Arena Bar on Valentine's weekend as the Benson Company of the Arizona Rangers will be hosting Territorial Days, featuring a Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association competition.
The two-day event starts Saturday, Feb. 14, at 10 a.m. While competitors will fill the rodeo arena in a sport that has been declared by many to be a pure adrenaline rush, there will be plenty of side entertainment outside the shoot.
Attending the event will be local band Exit 303, the meet and greet of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp from Tombstone, the Tombstone Cavalry and a glimpse of old-time fashion from the Tombstone Vigilettes.
Territorial Days is the first major event being hosted by Benson's Ranger company, which was chartered just over a year ago.
Company Captain Kevin Rasch said Feb. 14 is fitting for the event because it marks the anniversary of Arizona statehood. But statehood would not have been achieved in 1912 had the Arizona Rangers not cleaned up the territory first.
"This is going to be an ideal celebration for the Rangers," Rasch said. "We want an event that brings forth some history and is fun for the entire community. We wanted an annual event that could some how be associated with the Rangers."
The Rangers will be hosting the mounted shooting tournament throughout the weekend as a way to raise funds for scholarships and essential equipment.
The mounted-shoot tournament is being put on by the Old Pueblo Peacemakers, and to date there are about 60 competitors set to saddle up to shoot.
Event organizer June Underwood said, "Mounted shooters are a modern-day group of charming and charismatic individuals typifying the idea of a superhero from days gone by."
Cowboy mounted shooting became a recognized sport in 1992, originating in Arizona and now has grown to every state, and several other countries. It is a multifaceted equestrian sport in which contestants compete in timed stages using two single-action 45 caliber revolvers loaded with blank ammunition to break balloons while negotiating a specific course on horseback.
"It is a combination of a Wild West show, exhibition shooting, cavalry drills, reining competition, barrel racing and historical reenactment," Underwood said. "A truly unique aspect of the sport is the emphasis placed on a period clothing, firearms and other equipment typical of that available in the American West during the late 19th Century."
Underwood said the Benson event is expected to draw competitors from all over Arizona and several other states. Competitors range in age from 16 to more than 70 and a winner will be declared in each of six levels of competition. Winners receive cash prizes.
Besides competition from all over, the special two-day event is drawing an interest from some local competitors.
Carolyn McGinnis, 66, recently won the World Championship Mounted Shooting competition with the Single Action Shooters Society.
Diana Olson, of St. David will be participating and is range master for the event. Olson, a CMSA level 4 world champion, is well-known by many of the competitors because she spends a lot of her time outside her day job training others horses for competition.
In the fast sport, Olsen said the horse's ability to run the course counts toward about 60 percent of the success among competitors. The horse has to be able to tolerate the gun shots, the balloons popping, the fast course and the applauding crowd.
It can take several months to prepare a horse for the challenges of competition.
Also competing in the upcoming event is John Weist of the Tombstone Ghost Riders, Weist said the sport is definitely humbling, but at the same time he hopes to be competitive next weekend.
Weist has been training for competition with Olson as well.
Besides competition and entertainment during the day on Saturday and Sunday, the Arizona Rangers will host a dance from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday night.
Admission is free, but the Arizona Rangers will be accepting donations at the event they hope will become an annual celebration.
It's going to be a blast from the past at the Arena Bar on Valentine's weekend as the Benson Company of the Arizona Rangers will be hosting Territorial Days, featuring a Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association competition.
The two-day event starts Saturday, Feb. 14, at 10 a.m. While competitors will fill the rodeo arena in a sport that has been declared by many to be a pure adrenaline rush, there will be plenty of side entertainment outside the shoot.
Attending the event will be local band Exit 303, the meet and greet of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp from Tombstone, the Tombstone Cavalry and a glimpse of old-time fashion from the Tombstone Vigilettes.
Territorial Days is the first major event being hosted by Benson's Ranger company, which was chartered just over a year ago.
Company Captain Kevin Rasch said Feb. 14 is fitting for the event because it marks the anniversary of Arizona statehood. But statehood would not have been achieved in 1912 had the Arizona Rangers not cleaned up the territory first.
"This is going to be an ideal celebration for the Rangers," Rasch said. "We want an event that brings forth some history and is fun for the entire community. We wanted an annual event that could some how be associated with the Rangers."
The Rangers will be hosting the mounted shooting tournament throughout the weekend as a way to raise funds for scholarships and essential equipment.
The mounted-shoot tournament is being put on by the Old Pueblo Peacemakers, and to date there are about 60 competitors set to saddle up to shoot.
Event organizer June Underwood said, "Mounted shooters are a modern-day group of charming and charismatic individuals typifying the idea of a superhero from days gone by."
Cowboy mounted shooting became a recognized sport in 1992, originating in Arizona and now has grown to every state, and several other countries. It is a multifaceted equestrian sport in which contestants compete in timed stages using two single-action 45 caliber revolvers loaded with blank ammunition to break balloons while negotiating a specific course on horseback.
"It is a combination of a Wild West show, exhibition shooting, cavalry drills, reining competition, barrel racing and historical reenactment," Underwood said. "A truly unique aspect of the sport is the emphasis placed on a period clothing, firearms and other equipment typical of that available in the American West during the late 19th Century."
Underwood said the Benson event is expected to draw competitors from all over Arizona and several other states. Competitors range in age from 16 to more than 70 and a winner will be declared in each of six levels of competition. Winners receive cash prizes.
Besides competition from all over, the special two-day event is drawing an interest from some local competitors.
Carolyn McGinnis, 66, recently won the World Championship Mounted Shooting competition with the Single Action Shooters Society.
Diana Olson, of St. David will be participating and is range master for the event. Olson, a CMSA level 4 world champion, is well-known by many of the competitors because she spends a lot of her time outside her day job training others horses for competition.
In the fast sport, Olsen said the horse's ability to run the course counts toward about 60 percent of the success among competitors. The horse has to be able to tolerate the gun shots, the balloons popping, the fast course and the applauding crowd.
It can take several months to prepare a horse for the challenges of competition.
Also competing in the upcoming event is John Weist of the Tombstone Ghost Riders, Weist said the sport is definitely humbling, but at the same time he hopes to be competitive next weekend.
Weist has been training for competition with Olson as well.
Besides competition and entertainment during the day on Saturday and Sunday, the Arizona Rangers will host a dance from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday night.
Admission is free, but the Arizona Rangers will be accepting donations at the event they hope will become an annual celebration.
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Randy wrote on Feb 24, 2009 6:05 AM: