Founders of Cowboy Action in Australia : Have you
ever wonderedhow
and by whom and when did Cowboy Action get started in Australia ?
Western Action as it was first called was started by Jesse James and Zeralda
James in the early 1990's in South Australia.
This is How did
they do it ?
Jesse and Zeralda firstly made up a couple of make shift facades and each weekend they loaded them
into their vehicle, put on their cowboy clothes and off they went to different
clubs to demonstrate how Western Action was to be played.
This
introduction of
a new shooting sport brought about quite a bit of rejection and hostility by
some Clubs/Organisations and shooting disciplines that thought Western Action should not be
promoted. It was not how a shooting sport should be.
Yes there
were threats and
abuse, hideous phone messages from those that tried to stop the introduction of
this great sport we now have the privilege of competing in..
However Jesse and Zeralda persisted and over time the new shooting sport grew to
what it is today.
Thankyou Jesse
James and Zeralda James
for giving us Cowboy Action in Australia we will continue to "Keep the
Spirit of the Game" alive here at "The Last Frontier" shooting
range.
Pictured
left to right
is Zeralda James, Jesse James, Minnie Ha Ha and The Sheriff of Tinstone at
Theebine Historic Hotel October,2006.
Cowboy Action
Shooting at The Last Frontier is a combination of historical Re-enactment
and a Saturday/Sunday morning at the movies or matinee.
Participants may choose the style of costume they
wish to wear, but all clothing must be typical of the late 19th century, a
B-western movie, or western television series. Every shooter is required to
select a shooting alias representative of a character of profession from the Old
West or the western film genre. No duplications are permitted. ie. There can
only be one Wyatt Earp.
As the game of Cowboy Action Shooting has evolved,
our members have developed and adopted an attitude towards their participation
we call, "The Spirit of the Game". Competing
in "The Spirit of the Game" simply means you fully participate in what
ever the competition asks (really its nothing more than good sportsmanship).
What ever you call it, if you don't have it, Cowboy Action Shooting is not for
you.
Equipment
used are Originals and Reproductions of firearms manufactured during the early
1800's including Colt sixguns, Winchester rifles, Marlins, Smith and Wessons,
double barrel shotguns, Sharps and Henry rifles shooting steel targets at
distances out to 200 metres.