Star Valley’s annual Mounted Cowboy Shootout, taking place at the Lincoln County Fairgrounds main arena, opens this Friday, August 21 at 5 p.m. and continues Saturday, August 22 with competition beginning at 9 a.m. Admission if free to the public.
Presented by Silver Star and the Afton Tourism Board, this event features registered members of the national U.S. Mounted Shooting Organization working to shoot ten balloons accurately while mounted on a running horse. Similar in format to a barrel racing event, the mounted shooting requires that competitors shoot as many as 10 balloons in a predetermined pattern and must complete their task faster than any other competitor in the round.
“There are about 100 patterns in the official pattern book,” said organizer Kylie Trantvein. Four patterns are selected for the competition. Each pattern has a prescribed route that requires competitors to shoot ten balloons in a specific order. Riders trigger the timer and they enter the arena and must guide their horse while shooting the ten balloons according to the pre-selected pattern.
Each cowboy or cowgirl carries two single-action revolvers loaded with five shots of black powder each, and no projectiles. The black powder shot has an effective range of 15-20 feet. “It’s the burning powder that pops the balloon,” said Trauntvein. “This sport is spectator safe. It still makes a loud boom like a gunshot does, but there is no projectile that can harm the audience, and they are at a safe distance away.”
Shooters navigate the course while shooting five balloons and then holster the first revolver. The second revolver is drawn on the run, and they fire the remaining five shots. “If they miss any balloons, it’s a five second penalty,” said Trauntvein. “It’s kind of like barrel racing, but a lot more exciting, because it’s not just three barrels. It’s a full course of ten balloons and they are shooting and riding at top speed.”
Trauntvein expects 50-60 teams, which is one horse and one rider, to enter the event. There is a youth division for teams with riders as young as eight years old, who ride the pattern without shooting. With each competitor riding all four patterns, spectators can expect to see over 250 runs throughout the weekend.
Star Valley FFA will serve as balloon runners, replacing balloons that have been eliminated in the shooting. “Essentially 10 balloons need to be replaced before each run,” said Trauntvein. “We will be compensating them financially. It’s something they do to raise money for the FFA as they provide that service for us. They fill the balloons and then replace all balloons between each run.”
During the mounted shooting, the fairgrounds will also host the Star Valley Street Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Burnt Ridge Hats will be on site selling cowboy hats. There will also be a vendor offering cryotherapy services to competitors and the public.
Anyone interested in learning more about the sport or getting involved can find the Star Valley club on Facebook at Wyoming Desperados Mounted Shooters: Star Valley where the club posts information and receives messages.
Trauntvein hopes that community members will come for the action and excitement of the event. “We are really just looking for spectators to come out and recognize our sponsors, observe something that’s fun to watch and enjoy the day.”
