Locals face world champions in fourth annual mounted shooting competition

Cowboys and cowgirls of all ages were firing up a storm and popping balloons left, right, up ahead and from behind while zipping around the Boot and Bottle arena on Saturday and Sunday for the fourth annual Shoshone River Shootout hosted by the local Wyoming Desperados Mounted Shooters.

The shootout drew in competition from multiple states, such as Wisconsin, South Dakota, Iowa, Montana, Idaho and Colorado as well as other parts of Wyoming. Although the Desperados is a fairly new group, their fourth annual Shoshone River Shootout brought in nationally known competition.

“We have a good reputation with the (shooting) community and the word is getting out,” said Powell mounted shooter Scooter (Nicole) Singbeil.  She recently won the title of 2015 Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association’s Wyoming State High Point Champion.

Among the visiting shooters was Jim Hanson of Sturgis, South Dakota, who has won world and national champion titles multiple times over the last 15 years.

“Jim is the bomb,” Singbeil said.

Hanson wasn’t the only shooter in the Boot and Bottle arena with widespread notoriety in the sport last weekend. Montana’s Amber Larson was the world champion for her division, Singbeil said.

Mounted shooting is a sport for riders of all ages and skill-levels, but unlike other equestrian sports, gunfire is added into the horsemanship equation. Riders zip around the arena in randomly selected patterns, firing at 10 balloon targets with single-action .45s, loaded with black powder blanks, as they compete for the fastest times with the most accurate shots.

Unlike barrel racing or pole bending, mounted shooting features 53 different patterns and contestants don’t know which pattern they will have to run until the morning of the match. This means their horse can’t memorize the pattern, so the rider and horse have to be in constant communication.

“My first shot was a little slow, but the second round was really good — Lucy (the horse) likes wide open spaces,” said Powell shooter Mark Urlacher.

Not only do the horses need a cool temperament, but they have to be able to be directed with just one hand and essentially read their rider’s mind, Singbeil said.

The main event places adult and senior shooters into one of six levels. Level one is for novice and beginning competitors, and shooters move up based on performance. Level six is world-champion caliber.

The Desperados include Powell residents Singbeil, Urlacher, Albert Kukuchka, Caryl Wilkerson and John Cipollone as well as many from across the Big Horn Basin who are relatively new to the sport compared to level 6 shooters such as Hanson who has been shooting for over 20 years.

“The shooters from here have all been turning into good shooters and are becoming competitive,” Singbeil said. “I see competitors out there and not novices — I am so happy I could cry, they’ve really worked at it.”

Hanson noted the high level of competition experienced at last weekend’s shootout.

“There are strong competitors here, it’s hard to move up (in level) in small clubs — but there are strong shooters here,” Hanson said. “It’s a great competition too, very hospitable.”

This is the first time in three years that the Boot and Bottle arena has held a shooting competition, said the Boot and Bottle vice president Terry Franks. Discussion was held about how to make the event even better for next time, said Boot and Bottle president Rich Butcher.

The Desperados will have a shooting exhibition during the Park County Fair at 5 p.m. on July 29 as a way to get the word out about the sport to the local crowd.

“I couldn’t be happier, it is such a cool sport and people don’t know about it,” Singbeil said.

Outside of the Big Horn Basin, mounted shooting is regarded as the fastest growing equine sport in the world, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association.

“We’re really pushing it and spread out practices and are drumming up new shooters,” Urlacher said.

The sport is growing a bit slower in some parts of the country than others, Hanson said, adding that it’s particularly popular in the southwestern part of the country.

“Back in 1998, we had 10 competitions in the country, now it is every weekend,” Hanson said.

Earlier in the spring, the Desperados hosted a beginner's clinic in Thermopolis and last month they brought in multiple-time world champion Tammy Billingsley for a clinic in Greybull, Singbeil said.

“She is young to be so accomplished, but a real good teacher and excellent horsewoman,” Singbeil said.

Up next, the local shooters will be heading to competitions around Montana, Idaho and South Dakota before returning to their home turf on Aug. 26-28 for the Battle in the Basin shootout at the Park County Fairgrounds.

The Desperados are also hosting shootouts in Afton and West Yellowstone in August to get clubs started in those communities as well, Singbeil said.

The follow are the results from the Shoshone River Shootout:

SATURDAY

Mens Overall: Jim Hanson

Ladies Overall: Teri High

Mens Reserve: Rick Farnsworth

Ladies Reserve: Scooter (Nicole) Singbeil

Ladies Class 1

• Kara Hamar, 114.6

• Amber Larson, 167.7

Ladies Class 2

• Scooter (Nicole) Singbeil, 71.41

Ladies Class 3

• Teri High, 60.2

• Lisa Grimsley, 76.2

• Elizabeth Kluesener, 83.8

Mens Class 1

• Mark Urlacher, 76.8

• Chris Heyer, 81.1

• Willie Lawrence, 86.6

• Brett Farnsworth, 108.9

Mens Class 5

• Rick Farnsworth, 62.1

Senior Ladies Class 1

• Caryl Wilkerson, 128.1

Senior Ladies Class 2

• Joan Brust, 102

• Deann Soults, 103.9

Senior Ladies Class 3

• Vicky Millard, 75.9

Senior Ladies Class 4

• Suzy Beauregard, 76.9

Senior Mens Class 1

• Rod Wilson, 78.3

• Albert Kukuchka, 97.4

• Lyle Spence, 98.9

• Don Brust, 116.5

Senior Mens Class 2

• Mike Lukenbill, 71.4

Senior Mens Class 3

• John Millard, 74.5

Senior Mens Class 6

• Jim Hanson, 58.1

SUNDAY

Mens Overall: Rick Farnsworth

Ladies Overall: Teri High

Mens Reserve: Jim Hanson

Ladies Reserve: Scooter (Nicole) Singbeil

Ladies Class 1

• Kara Hamar, 119.6

Ladies Class 2

• Scooter (Nicole) Singbeil, 74.2

Ladies Class 3

• Teri High, 68

• Elizabeth Kluesener, 76.1

Mens Class 1

• Mark Urlacher, 79.4

• Chris Heyer, 106.6

• Brett Farnsworth, 167.2

Mens Class 5

• Rick Farnsworth, 68

Senior Ladies Class 1

• Caryl Wilkerson, 144.2

Senior Ladies Class 2

• Joan Brust, 92.9

• Deann Soults, 112

Senior Ladies Class 3

• Vicky Millard, 96.4

• Candiss Jett, 180

Senior Ladies Class 4

• Suzy Beauregard, 92.7

Senior Mens Class 1

• Albert Kukuchka, 78.4

• Don Brust, 89.5

• Lyle Spence, 109.8

• John Cipollone, 154.4

Senior Mens Class 2

• Mike Lukenbill, 77.9

• Rod Wilson, 84.3

Senior Mens Class 3

• John Millard, 79

Senior Mens Class 6

• Jim Hanson, 71.4

Shotgun results

• Don Brust, 74.4

• Albert Kukuchka, 85.5

• Elizabeth Kluesener, 87

• Rod Wilson, 95.5