Mounted Shooters of America in Phoenix Arizona
Cowboy Mounted Shooting is a lesser known sport around the country, but the heart, the passion and the drive is bigger than many I have seen. I never thought I would have found myself watching cowboys and cowgirls riding around on horseback shooting balloon targets. The skill and courage it takes to be part of this sport makes it worth telling the story. I was fortunate enough to have a sort of behind-the-scenes look at the event. I met people from the owners of the Mounted Shooters of America to the 12 year old new comer in the sport. Everyone involved from the balloon setters to the announcer is what makes this sport something special.
Cowboy Mounted Shooting is a way for the cowboy-at-heart to dive into their passion, which I can certainly relate to because photography is a passion of mine. These people spend much time and money practicing, training, traveling and competing to feed their desire to win. For some, it is a personal win by 'shooting clean' all week. For others, it is a more literal win by taking home a championship buckle. In the end, it's a win for everyone when camaraderie meets competition and everyone holds their breath as the riders cross the time-line.
Here are some of the faces of the Mounted Shooters of America:
Molly is a beautiful woman and a great rider. One of the greatest aspects of this sport to witness is the connection the riders have with their horses. It takes and unequivocal amount of trust and communication, a flick of the heel, a twitch of the reins, to guide these horses around the course, all while aiming a six shooter at a target.
Paul is a cowboy out of San Francisco. I was immediately drawn to his stature and his tattoos. I think his tattoos say everything about his passion. Paul has been around horses his entire life including barrel racing. This MSA shoot in Phoenix was only his 4th mounted shoot.
There are a couple reasons I like this photo. First, it shows a little bit of a weak side of this cowboy. He is waiting to enter the arena for his run at the showcase, the main event Friday night, and is wrenching his arm due to nerves. The second thing I like about this photo is the horse's ears. They are pointed back to the rider waiting for the command, again, displaying the amazing connection between the two.
This cowgirl, Karen, from Double Bar KZ Ranch in Oregon, rolls her own cigarettes waiting for her final ride. She is a strong, hard, and beautiful woman. One of the coolest aspects of mounted shooting is that they don't just 'act' the part, they dress the part too! "Dare to be different", says Karen, who makes her own outfits and makes them unique.
Tammy Billingsley, world champion cowgirl. Always competing for the top spot, Tammy is one of the best in the sport. I was asked to do some sponsor shots for her, one of which is shown here.
Then, there's Sugar Ray Quinn, again, one of the best in the biz. His business, however, is not shooting. He is one of the best announcers in the country, announcing everything from rodeos to hockey. This is the man that keeps the show going and the crowd entertained. Remember, don't look at the face, just listen to the voice...
It was a great week in Arizona. I had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people. One of which, Larry Michael, an award winning photographer and mounted shooter who shared with me something worth sharing with everyone: "...know the technical stuff so you may free yourself to do art." You can view his beautiful artwork at www.LarryMichael.com
And thank you Scoop Anthony for inviting me to be part of this world of mounted shooting. Scoop plays a huge roll in the shooting world, and his photos can be seen all over Western Shooting Horse magazine.
See more of my photos like these in the People gallery at www.BrianSpugnardiPhotography.com.
