Four Corners, Rule 17, and Resurrected Shooter!

The 2016 Four Corners shoot is in the book. Although Ruah did not show up Everett did and took copious mental notes.

The shoot ran well with few problems. Although Arizona Gunslingers were the primary host the Rio Salado Vaqueros pitched in with one range.  Many thanks to them and especially Muletrain and Southwest KC. The San Juan Shootists provided equipment, guidance and did the scoring with help from Miss Betty. Wench can run one of these in her sleep, many thanks! Our club was a little short on tear down labor, but those bandits from down south (Old Pueblo Gunfighters) helped get the club in a box back in the box in just a little over an hour.  It is amazing how help just seems to appear from out of the crowd, I am thinking of all the range officers, for example that cowboy from Idaho who is not only dangerous on the line but behind the mic

One of the great strengths of CFDA is how the folks all pitch in and get the job done but that is also one of the weaknesses.  It was humorous how the board had spend a lot of time discussing and making decisions on minor details and then when the workers went to work all that planning went out the window. You can't make water run uphill, all you can do is shrug your shoulders and go with the flow.

Ground Breaking Event:  Don't know how many noticed but we had the first ever Territorial Tenderfoot Championship with Lil' James taking Coyote Kid to three matches in a Magnificent Two. Also first time at a titled event that three Magnificent shoot-offs were held simultaneously on one range.  We were prepared for 15 shooters, would have had 8 except Dismal could not handle the heat after a week of flu. We had separate championships and awards for Billy the Kid, Anne Oakley and Tenderfoot.  We got a prep talk from the newest Annie Oakley before the first round was fired on how it was okay to lose as long as you were having fun.

The Resurrection: We did have a Second Chance Shoot, which is many times misnamed as a resurrection match. Top five there received "Almost Made It" bottles filled with wax so they could practice more.  Following CFDA rules the true resurrection occurred in the ladies' main match . After 11 rounds 6 were left with 5 having 3 Xs and 1 having 2 X s. Round Twelve ended with Southwest KC getting her 3rd X and Slow Poke and Holli Day being eliminated. That left only four for a Magnificent Five, so following the rules, Holli Day and Slow Poke squared off in a resurrection shoot off to get back into the match.  Slow Poke being the more accurate shot her way back into the fifth seed.

Slow Poke then proceeded to show that though she had been eliminated she was the best gunfighter there by gunning down the next four seeds in a row.  The world record holder, Honey Badger, fought back from the loser bracket and defeated Slow Poke in their second match of the Magnificent Five.  (Slow Poke had been lamenting that she had been 2-2 with Honey Badger in the main match only to have Honey Badger win the match setting a new world record, which Honey Badger did twice over the weekend.) The third match went to 2-2 before that ice in the veins gunslinger from Washington DC, Slow Poke, won with a accurate shot on the plate to Honey Badger blazing miss.

From facebook comments I learn that some of the credit should go to WOW who helped her get a stuck cleaning brush out of the barrel and the hand judge, Cowboy Up, for reminding Slow Poke to breathe. Slow Poke won best dressed ladies award and 50/50 raffle.  But all good fortune has to be paid for and I understand as I write this that Slow Poke is still stuck in the airport gridlock trying to get home.   I am sure glad she can't be holstered and heeled or someone would have to be repainting TSA staff.

Men"s Magnificent Five:  When I made it to the top seven, I thought I had a chance to make the Magnificent Five or at least a resurrection shoot-off to get in. The men's event was unusual in that the top five had really conserved their X s with Master Gunfighter being in jeopardy being eliminated.  Only one, I, was eliminated in round 13 and  only one, Pork Rind, was eliminated in round 14, so there was no resurrection shoot-off.  Lawless Speed was first out followed by the Draw.  Rodeo Romero was on (better than 60%) hitting in the low 3s but not quite quick enough.  The Championship was determined in three matches between Marshall Cooper and Master Gunfighter with the final match going to 2-2 with Master Gunfighter hitting and Marshall missing.  Master Gunfighter had also won Fridays jackpot shoot.

School is in Session: A CFDA event is a great place to learn life skills.  It is especially good for our kids. They learn discipline, responsibility, courtesy and respect.  Before you play you got to work.  We sold souvenir cups and magnets for shoot for the stars and I tasked AZ Gunslingers and Rio youth to solicit donations. I look around and see Buckeroo Ben with the cutest gal he can find at the time in tow working the crowd. Every time he came to me to report his results he had to tell me how proud of how his little brother, Coyote Kid, was doing with donations. Together they had over half of the total of about $700 in sales.  Many thanks to all who bought magnets and cup.  Each are individually designed so it will take me a while to work through the orders.

Rule 17:  Before the event started the Comish, Quick Cal, announced there would be a change in how Rule 17 would be enforced from what had been published.  In essence, the enforcement of the rule was being changed from guilty until proven innocence to innocence until proven guilty. I don't know if this is going to be published or just announced at titled events.  The rule was not a problem and there were no loss of shot penalties but two warnings issued. I will tell you that it is a little stressful to have Quick Cal take the range when you are the only one on the line that may have a problem. But what the heck, the gunfighter facing you is a more important worry.

Summation:  It was a fun event.  Sure glad we have a full time Trail Boss running the show.  Now if I just could find another 20 milliseconds, maybe I could get back to hearing some clank in my tin. I'm afeared Shady been looking for a more worthy opponent.  Been trying to get Doc into marbles but she won't take the bait.