Category Archives: SASS

SASS

EOT 2015: Main Match Begins

Posted on by kathousekelli70

It's Thursday people! This morning's early wave will be done, mid wave starting and at 1.30pm we will commence the late wave today.

As a side note: at the motel this morning it is a hive of activity. Etta Mae and Claudia Feather have vacated their room early but are standing in hopes of a glimpse of Jeff Bridges. Jeff Bridges you ask? Why? Well there is some filming being done at the Motel, so there are lighting crews, sound crews and production assistants moving gear left right and centre and some of the filming for the movie will take place in Rm18 (Claudia and Etta's room) right next door to ours! Plus the car park and the fields across the road.

 

……….Later that same day out at Founders Ranch, (The important stuff!) safety briefing was held with 12 (of the 36) excited posses ready to hit the range for their first 4 stages of the match.

We are with Posse 32 – Annabelle Bransford, Colbert, Dedo, Duke Skywalker, Hurricane Camille, Jackaroo, James Samuel Pike, John Bohemia, Kathouse Kelli, Max Montana, Rowdy Bill, San Juan, Shenandoah, Tejon Buckaroo, Tex, Texas Flower, Texas Mac, Thunder Man, Tom Payne, Tooth Ache, and V Luna (Viper not in attendance).

We have 2 Aussies, 3 Czech Republic and the rest American. It's a good Posse, everyone is working and relatively fast. So far so good, shot stages 8, 5, 6, then 7 – 1 day down, 2 to go.

 

With worn out feet we withdraw to have our Posse photo taken and we met a tiny little cutie named Clara. She asked for our autograph. So I had a picture taken with her. I actually think she might be Duke Skywalkers daughter. She was a sweetheart though and I hope she does get to be a cowgirl when she can one day.

 

Have a great 2nd day tomorrow those who are here.

Cheers Kat!

Oh, and I got interviewed by Shooting USA today when they were there interviewing the Czech's. 🙂

P.S. 7.32pm – It's still all happening outside! Sneaky pic out the window, I know it's not much but there is gear everywhere out there and soooo many people. Saw a couple of actors waiting on the porch when we came back earlier!! Wasn't game to pull the blind back further so you could see ALL the gear!

 

End Of Trail, Day 1 & 2

Posted on by kathousekelli70

After arriving in Edgewood Monday afternoon and checking in, Tuesday morning brought purpose to this next week of shooting.

It was Warm Up Match. We completed 8 stages for the day. All going good so far. The range is set up with some great stage design, a reasonable amount of movement this year but targets are still generous in size and distance. It will be an interesting match!

A wall honouring previous World Champions has been put together in the Belle Union Saloon. A fantastic tribute to our overall Cowgirl and Cowboy World Champs since SASS began. Some have passed, some don't shoot anymore, and some are multiple champions.

 

There is also a special tribute to the late U.S. Grant (SASS#2) who did so much for our sport and we were lucky enough to have had the pleasure of shooting with him.

Well done to all involved with putting this all together.

Prize draw is different this year too with everyone receiving a ticket in your pack to be placed in the jar relating to the prize. There is anything from guns, ammo, rigs or clothing vouchers to be won.

Into Wednesday and it's going to be another warm one today. This morning there is the cowboy flea market, time to visit vendors and peruse their wares, and, if you care to, take part in the odd side match as well.

 

This afternoon's Opening Ceremonies begins with Handlebar Bob as fabulous MC, introducing the Wild Bunch and proceeding with the colour guard of flags for nations represented at the 2015 World Championships.

 

The Star Spangled Banner was sung beautifully by Miss Autumn (Starr?) who has performed at the famous Carnegie Hall.

SASS Scholarship awards were handed out to some very worthy applicants by Justic Lily Kate, the new 2015 Regulators were announced by Hipshot (and to note, our good friends from Texas – Texas Mac and Texas Flower were part of this years recipients) the Judge was presented with a beautiful portrait photo from Major Photography in appreciation of their 20th year of SASS attendance, providing posse and action photos to Cowboys.

 

In closing Misty Moonshine gave a short eulogy type/let's remember US Grant tribute and a poem by Lassiter about remembering how to be cowboy and the spirit of the game, basically.


 

The canon went off with a bang and we all dispersed to pay respect to US Grant, hit the bar, eat and on to the Cantina for Margaritas!!

 

A good time was had by all and we look forward to a great weekend of shooting.

Aim straight and have fun fellow cowboys n cowgirls!

Kat xo

P.S. Among the vendors today, there is one called 'The Old Pine Box' they make beautiful pine box coffins…..I know, I know but I thought it was amusing and took Jack back by there because he always says he wants 'to go out in a pine box' – simple.

http://theoldpinebox.com

http://www.sassnet.com/EoT/

 

Heading to Albuqurque

Posted on by kathousekelli70

An early start out of Cortez this morning we headed for the 550 just South of Durango.

We went through a few little towns and into New Mexico we came across Aztec – your four corners playground, was the advertising. It was quaint and has a little historical museum and a gorgeous mural of buffalo being herded through town.

 

As we headed out on the open road we passed Angel Peak. Then Turtle Mountain (think it was mountain, remembered the turtle bit).

The landscape is changing fast from the Colorado trees and mountains to rock formations, flats and scrub.

 

We are going via Cuba! Lol!

Not much through there. Anyways made it into Albuqurque, changed and headed for the range, we are checked in, damn hot, off to Motel and settled in for the week.

End Of Trail 2015, bring it on! Hope everyone has a great match! See you on the range.

Cheers

Kat xo

 

 

Side Match Day, CO State

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Slightly on the cooler side this morning but with guns unloaded and then finding out side matches were being held over on the rifle range, the walk made for a great warm up.

We started with the Trail Walk (first with cowboy and then Wild Bunch) good fun! Man at this altitude you are definitely huffing and puffing by the end of your run though!

The San Juan Shooting Range sits at an altitude of 6,600ft and the gorgeous scenery is something to marvel at.

 

After the Trail Walk there was Speed Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun and feel my hands are back from WB use and ready for a cowboy match or 2….or 3.

Lunchtime and this afternoon will be Long Range events, Pocket Pistol, Derringer, 22 match etc. Hopefully they don't get dumped on out there. We decided to leave at lunch and it was black as black, thunder and some very light rain here.

Tomorrow is the start of the Colorado State Championships. In the evening will be dinner at the Turn Of The Century Saloon. After checking out their website, I'm looking forward to going there, as a whole bunch of cowboys is going to look sensational hanging out in a recreated 1890's saloon!

Yee haa, good times

Kat xo

 

Gorge and Pass Travel

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Leaving Cañon City this morning it's looking a little dark and may just get those storms they are predicting.

Now starts the winding road through Bighorn Sheep Gorge beside the river and some small rapids. Passed Spike Buck, Five Points, Salt Lick, Pinnacle Rock, Texas Creek to name a few.

 

We got rain on and off but with a spectacular view of the mountains, who really cares. Just beautiful!

 

Pity we left our rafting shoes at the house, could have done some more white water rafting next week. I'm sure we will find something else to amuse us between shoots though. We can see the first bus loads of adventurists getting ready for their rafting experience.

Salida, 7036ft and surrounded by a snow capped mountain backdrop. Only thing I've achieved on this part of the journey is to paint my toenails and take in the scenery. Lol!

One of our random stops, let's make a trip up the mountain on the Monarch Crest Tramway. A 20 minute round trip to the top of the crest, 11,312 at the top 12,012ft.

The gondola is the oldest one in Colorado at 49 years of age – Haa haa haa should have seen the look on Jack's face when the guy said that!

 

Ok so we get to the top and we are in the observatory. Standing either side of the Continental Divide.

 

Mount Ouray (pronounced u-ray) 13,971ft left of the tower,

 

San Luis Peak which is part of the La Agarita Mountains & Wilderness is 14,014ft but covered in cloud today.

Out there SW is the San Juan Mountains and Gunnison Valley, where we are headed.

 

Spectacular, spectacular, no words of the vernacular! (Lol, bit of a Moulin Rouge twist in there) An awesome quick stop!

Now it's back on the road and get some millinery done whilst navigating the bends.

Into Montrose round lunchtime, headed to the range and checked in, sussed out the beaut facades and chatted a while before heading to the Motel.

We caught up with some of the Aussies here as well and look forward to getting into some side matches tomorrow.

 

Beers and cheers!

Kat xo

 

Old Fort Parker, Groesbeck, TX

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Not many Australian's could claim they have shot out of an 1836 Fort block house and today this became reality for Jackaroo and I.

'On May 19th, 1836, a band of Indians came to Parker's Fort asking for beef, water and a place to camp. When greeted by the Parker's the Indians attacked, taking five captives! The most famous of these was 9 year old Cynthia Ann Parker. She was adopted by a Comanche family, grew up to marry Chief Peta Nocona and later gave birth to the last great Warrior Chief of the Comanche's, Quanah Parker' (as quoted from the Old Fort Parker web page)

By the way, Cynthia Patker is buried in Lawton, Oklahoma.

For the start of Senior Games (being held at Old Fort Parker hosted by the Old Fort Parker Patriots) we attended Long Range in the block house. How cool is that! We borrowed a 30-30 and ammo – thanks Kow Katcher and Bent Barrel Betty and then had a go at the 45-70 single shot, longest barrel I've ever seen, rifle and had a ball! 4 from 5 shots on each rifle. Got to be happy with that.

So below this is the block house.

 

And this is the view from the port where we shot. See the far white targets, right in the back of the picture? The hanging 'sight' target and then the two squares and the circle? That's what we were shooting at across the whole range.

 

Then after this we waited for rain to cease before Wild Bunch and side matches could begin. As luck would have it, it did, and we were able to complete 4 stages and the side matches with only very muddy surrounds but no extra rain!

 

Tomorrow will begin 5 stages and hopefully the weather will stay dry until at least we are finished.

Until then, (as Mister Skye would say) shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Kat xo

http://www.oldfortparker.org

http://oldfortparkerpatriots.weebly.com

 

Chisholm Trail 2014

Posted on by kathousekelli70

A few days relaxing in Milmerran and getting things sorted ready for a week of Nationals Championship fun.

A club shoot at the Gold Coast Pistol Club found our rifle and Jacks shotgun not working as anticipated for the match. Thanks should be noted to Mad Dog for having a look at it and making some minor adjustments.

Next try out would be when we headed to Dalby with a good turn out of shooters having a practice match and lunch prior to getting out to Chisholm Trail 2014.

We caught up with many known cowboys and cowgirls and a few new faces for this year, well many actually which was fantastic to see!

Soooo, rifle still not responding so tried out the borrowed 38 of Trixies (thank you, thank you, thank you Trixie and Dug). Jack got a SKB from Mad Dog which worked well and we were set for the Championship ahead.

Although he did turn it into a 'cap gun'!

Monday 29th September – more cowboys and cowgirls arriving, I helped out with signing in shooters, giving out packs meeting new and old faces and loving the atmosphere this year more than ever. My little girl also texted and said she passed her next assessment with Defence!! One proud Mummy indeed.

Tuesday 30th September – a Chisholm Trail trip is never complete without Toowoomba Tuesday! Off we headed to Toowoomba for shopping in fabric stores, junk shops and having lunch (with Clancy, Ruby Redsmoke, Myskal, Dangerous Dolly and Luck E Shot)

Wednesday 1st October – The Trappers Birthday! Happy Birthday Trap. We went through about 3 bottles of water chatting on the verandah while Jack and others slept off the previous nights activity. Wednesday was Jack's John Wayne Challenge and afternoon warm up match.

Thursday 2nd October – this morning was the Pat Garrett match and we'd like to thank Bronco Billy for the use of his 30-30. We didn't do that crash hot but had a lot of fun regardless!

Saloon night!! Poker or Bingo, choose your poison 🙂 Clancy and Amazing Grace run the Bingo while RC Shot runs the poker game. We ran it hard and fast this year with 4 games and prizes. Congratulations to our winners!!

Friday 3rd October – opening Ceremonies for Chisholm Trail 2014 and first day of main match commences, we completed the first 6 stages, a full day finishing round 3.30pm in the afternoon.

Kick in the Redneck girls roaming around camp, stirring up fun, drinking tequila and freaking the hell out of new shooters! Haa haa haa. 2 choices for dinner, gator and fries or fries and gator – Mary Lou June and Mary Lou July assisted (lol, or hindered!) in the dinner line keeping the crowds calm.

Redneck games ensued afterwards (aka cornhole or horseshoe toss), it went like a well paired Fastdraw Match with our final overall winner being Lily aka Susan Jacobs.

Saturday 4th October – Second day of main match and completing stages 7-12, weather is continuing to be warm and sunny, well what will be will be after today. A few too many misses for the match but will see how it turns out in the wash.

Saturday night banquet and Spanish Grace emerges. Clancy and I check out the costuming for this year and then make a transformation into GI June and July aka Cpl Punishment and Pvt Parts! An eye opener for most I presume who had not experienced Mary Lou June and July before.

Here's Amazing Grace and Lethal Lilly.

What a blast, costume winners were announced and with the entertainment choices of Juan Marlboro aka Mexican cousin of Marlboro Man the GI's took care of crowd control for the men in black and Johnny Cash, helped pump up the YMCA crowd, the Cupid shuffle, Macarena, and the duck song with the kiddies. Didn't my knees pay for that the next day!! Holly thought it was fun and silly if nothing else.

The top 16 men's and Top 8 ladies were announced and festivities continued long into the early hours of the morning (not to mention 'shot glass sports' from the floor!) too funny!!!

Sunday 5th October – it's prize draw morning, saying g'day to all the shooters coming through and heading down to the range for the Shootout! Visitors from the camp oven festival have even turned up from Milmerran to see what the cowboys can do. We went through our eliminations with RC Shot for men's and Jazzi Jess for ladies taking Gunfighter rights for 2014.

Awards were held with top overall honours going to the following – Overall SASA National Champions, Henry Sharps and Violet Rose – Overall SASS Australasian Regional Champions, Henry Sharps AU and Ruby Redsmoke NZ.

To top it all off, Ricochet (aka Jackaroo) finished 15th overall and Australian National Senior Champion 2014. Amazing Grace (aka Kathouse Kelli) finished 3rd Regional/2nd National Lady overall in 23rd place and Australian National Lady Wrangler Champion 2014!

Congrats to my fellow Lady Wrangler competitors with Clancy AU placing 2nd and Myskal NZ in 3rd.

Many goodbyes happened this afternoon and the rest of the hangers on had dinner, conversations and of course the footy finals!

Final goodbyes, laughs, hugs and tears for Monday as we pulled out of camp and Chsiholm Trail 2014 draws to an end.

To all my Aussie, okay – and New Zealand, alright – and the odd couple of American cowboy/cowgirl ring ins, I truly miss you and your company this year, I've had an absolute blast!!

Love Kat xo

 

A Day Out with Friends

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Yesterday we had rain for most of the day, first time in a few weeks or more. Was nice to be able to have the doors open, air con off and it cleared to a sunny late afternoon in time for drinks!

An early start to the day as we head to Stillwater for the last club match here for a while and it's a clear, cloudless sky!

22 shooters formed up 2 posses for 6 stages. Fast but not clean, a hell of a lot of fun and laughs to go with it though.

When we head to Stillwater it warrants lunch afterwards at El Vaquero, the busiest Mexican restaurant I've ever been in. Most head in there after where we can chat and discuss scores over lunch.

Happy Fathers Day to all the Aussie Dad's this morning, mine especially, love you Dad xo See you soon!

Kat xo

 

Shootin’ In The Shade

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Hot Springs, Arkansas, home of the Mountain Valley Vigilantes and hosts of 'Shootin' In The Shade' Annual match (which was also the 2014 Arkansas State Championships).

Hot Springs is known for it's many bath houses and healing waters, it was developed as a bath house town in the 1800's. Their 8 historic Bath Houses maintained by the National Park known as Bathhouse Row on Central Avenue. (See pic below and bottom right corner is The Arlington Hotel – where Al Capone often visited!)

A few have Native American names I noticed and a little bit of research tells me that they of course knew of and used the healing waters for many years and so some of the bath houses were named after different tribes.

Labour Day weekend is also their Blues Festival so it was a very busy little town! Despite an occasional shower of rain.

Check out this marble statue in the middle island of the street.

This huge hotel, bath house looks like it is unfortunately being torn down.

And I had to get a pic of this cake shop! What an awesome name! Love it.

The MVA's range is set wayyyy out in the forest amongst beautiful trees in the Ouchita Mountains, great facades and facilities. Whilst it was extremely humid, there was plenty of shade!

So we had set off Thursday catching up with our Okie mates along the road in Alma at the Catfish Hole and later for drinks, dinner and stories (lies we would say, hey TR?!).

Friday was the Professionals match which we shot with our usual Wild Bunch guns and then the afternoon was filled with practice, speed events and a ladies 'High Tea' where Velvet Glove, Cheeka Bow Wow, Mimsy and Ima Dunnit shared secrets, shortcuts and ideas for costuming for all ends of the spectrum and budget.

Main match commenced Saturday with 6 stages under our belt and a few misses too!! The targets are smaller than we're used too and you will see by the pic's are out there! So a little more precision was required.

The evening ended with the banquet held in Hot Springs at The Regency, filled with cowboys, Victorian Ladies, Saloon Girls, Silver Screen men and ladies and Military. The band if I recall was called '1, 2, 3' and Fast Fingers Green once again picked a couple of tunes with the band!

Annie Shadows took 3rd Place, Mustang Toni 2nd and myself, Kathouse Kelli 1st Place in Best Dressed Soiled Dove.

A great night of laughing, chatting and dancing.

Sunday morning and a low mist looked like we might get rain today for the final 4 stages (we got some rain during the last 2 nights) but it stayed away until just before the awards where there was a short heavy shower and then it cleared for the drive home.

So times weren't blinding fast for this match but the stages were quite good, a nice mix of transitions and we did have a great Posse. Once again we shot with some familiar faces and met some new people with Boomstick Jay and Elle Wood, Buffalo Bill Matthewson and Longbranch Kitty, Dusty Dee and Rusty Rider, Copper Rose and Printer Doc, Kid Koo, Kowboy Koo, Rotten Shot Laura, South Paw Mike, Yell County Kid, Outrider and our Posse Marshall Dewey Cheatem. Dewey's twin cherubs came and helped pick up brass today, cute and very well behaved kids.

So this is what I remember with awards for us and some of our friends.

Senior Category – Jackaroo 2nd Place, Snake Oil George 4th Place (1st I Reckon, 3rd Place and Arkansas State Champion Just Charlie)

B Western – Flat Top Okie 2nd Place

Wrangler – Scott Wayne 3rd Place (1st Place C S Brady, 2nd Place Slick McClade)

Elder Statesman – Tail N Kid 2nd Place (1st Place Arizona Ranger, 3rd Place and Arkansas State Champ Piney Woods)

Silver Senior – Ambler 1st Place, Fast Fingers Green 3rd

49ers – Naildriver 1st Place and Arkansas State Champ

Frontier Cartridge Duelist – Bois D' Arc 3rd Place

Lady Senior – Tacky Jackie 3rd Place (Copper Rose 1st Place and Arkansas State Champion)

Lady 49er – Missouri Mae 1st Place (Mustang Toni 2nd Place)

Lady Wrangler – Kathouse Kelli 1st Place (2nd Place Ivory, 3rd Place and Arkansas Champion Cheeka Bow Wow)

A few more placed but without scores yet, can't remember their categories.

In closing, Top Overall Lady was Missouri Mae and Top Overall Man was CS Brady. Top Arkansas State Champions were CS Brady and Velvet Glove. Congratulations to all winners for this match and to all shooters in attendance.

Now it's time to head back to Oklahoma!! Night y'all!

 

Kat xo

PS 1st Place in Ladies Traditional for the Professional Match with 2nd Place Garbage Gertie 😉

PPS for more information on the Mt Valley Vigilantes, take a gander at the following. Cheers!

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_Springs,_Arkansas

http://mvvcowboys.homestead.com

 

 

Headin’ Out

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Yee haa, car's packed and in the morning we will be heading off to Hot Springs, Arkansas for the annual known as 'Shootin' In The Shade'.

We haven't been to this one before but have heard it's a good'un!

I've got car projects coming out the whazoo so should keep me entertained for the 6hr drive and then some.

Well it's midnight so I'll say goodnight and wish you all a great weekend. Some we will see there and others will just have to live vicariously through another adventure!

Kat xo