Big Jake1001 Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 It was NEW and FUN. End of Trail started in 1982 at Coto de Caza, I read about it and went to End of Trail 1985 and shot it with borrowed guns. I started getting to know people like Judge Roy Bean#1 and U.S.Grant #2 and lots of other fine folks. Harper (Judge) would have people over to his house after the shoots and we would talk and drink (not too much) had to drive home. There were only about 200 of us then and a new cowboy club started up in Lytle Creek, West End Gun Club. I was Heavy Duty then and no SASS at that time. When the "Wild Bunch" decided to start SASS was late 1987-early 1988, 6 EoT's had happened by then. When I joined SASS, I changed my name to Big Jake. A pard of mine was Pinetop Pete and changed his name to Big Medicine. He joined as a life endowment member and was given # 19. I joined as a regular member and asked Harper if I could have #1001. Right side up...up side down....backwards in a mirror, or drunk...it's all the same. SASS had the first 200 #'s for Endowment members, 201-400 for future life members and regular members started at 401. I would have been 454, but it sounded like a big block Chevy engine, so I asked for 1001. Funny how people now want lower numbers, when back then I went higher and it took 3 years to catch up to me. You knew everyone and picked who you shot with, no posse system then. No gun carts, everyone carried their guns. Only 3 guns then. Timed with a stop watch, yelled "Reload" and the timer would stop the clock while you loaded 3 more rounds in your Winchester '94 30-30 (legal back then) and yelled "go!" then you would start shooting again. End of Trail was the biggest Party of the year. Shooting was fun, but come sundown the FUN would start. Bar-B-Q's everywhere, you just went from camp to camp grazing and drinking. Pawnee Bill would show up with a Huge tent complex with gambling and Girls to sit on your lap to squeeze and kiss while your drinking and playing cards. There was no Big Top Tent till 1988 for the awards, just a flat bed lowboy trailer. OH how your asking about how it was then brings back a flood of memories.IT WAS FUN! I shot every month at Coto de Caza and started going to West End for "SHOWDOWN" their annual event. I went to Gunsmithing School for 3 years and fixed everyones new guns and tuned them up. I ate, slept, worked and breathed Cowboy for years and years. Then in 1992 we had to move out of Coto and ended up in Norco, Calif. Been there, done that. EoT was there until 2004, then they(wild bunch) dropped the bomb, they bought New Mexico land and moved out in the middle of the night, Surprise!!!!! So I got 20 years of End of Trails under my belt....1994 World Champ...modern class. China Camp was #1 Traditional. I haven't been to EoT in New Mexico but thinking about going this year because it's Ghosts of Past EoT's. It's still fun but not the same as back then.....too many rules now....too many changes, not enough old time stages where ya got to whoop and hollar. Have to get as many shooters through beep to beep as possible. I'm thinking I would like a time machine and go back to 1985 again. Where is that DeLorean when ya need it. Well, I've been a blabberfingers again I see...so see ya sometime Big Jake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Jake1001 Posted July 15, 2011 Author Share Posted July 15, 2011 Aunt Jen asked me what it was like back then and this was my answer. I'm cleaning out my messages and didn't want to delete this, so I posted it. Info about walker 47 is old, no swap meet this Sat. Just sayin' Big Jake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Complicated Lady Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Thank you for sharing with all of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Good story, Jake... thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvey Mushman Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Thanks for posting this Jake - I've heard some similar descriptions and only wish I'd known of it back then - missed 25 years of enjoyment, but I'm determined to catch up fast!!! Harvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Muley Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Big Jake, thanks for this interesting history lesson. All this reminds me of the first time I met Judge and Tex at a gun show in Anaheim, 1982 I believe, when Tex came running up to us asking to come over to his booth and check out cowboy action shooting. I was impressed, but could not join because of distance and work schedule. I did lighltly follow SASS articles and visited EoT a few times when it went to Norco. In 1999 I joined up and went and watched a few monthly matches in Cajon, West End, and Norco. In 2000 I waddied at my first EoT and did it until they left Norco. Wish I had joined in those early years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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