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SASS; the Middle Ages...


Frederick Jackson Turner

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I started SASS circa 2000, so I can't really post on the early years thread.  But!  When I started, it was not uncommon to shoot rifles at 50 yards or more, throw yourself on the ground and shoot from under a wagon, then clamber back up and run across a creaky bridge, or some such.  We threw tomahawks, shot bows, and fished cartridges out of bean pots.  Fun stuff, good times, and great folks.  I've gotten to witness the evolution of Cowboy Action Shooting from those days, to the more modern speed racer matches, and had a great time, through it all.

 

Here's a couple of favorite pics from the Pre-Modern era.

 

Jump in!

 

Cheers,

FJT

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Lefty Longridge, Lusty Lil, Lead Dispencer, and Frederick Jackson Turner at "The Last Stand, in Florida.  Circa 2003...

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Badlands Bud, Autumn Sky, and FJT at EoT...Perhaps 2005?

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Team Shoot; Boots Robb, J.T. Wilde, Evil Roy, Long Hunter, and FJT.  Hell On Wheels, ca 2004? (There's a truly legendary video clip of the Top Gun Shoot-off Finals between BR and FJT.  If anyone has it and wants to post it, the embarrassment has somewhat abated...)

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Swifty Swede (R.I.P.) and FJT, fighting over a plywood saloon girl's honor.  That was one well-traveled prop, btw...!

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Rick O'Shay and FJT in the Top Gun Shootoff at the Northwestern Regional, ca 2004.

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FJT, Rattlesnake Wrangler (now Matt Black) Shotgun Boogie, and Colt Faro, Bordertown...several years back.

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I started in 1996, we had a lot of those "old timey stages". Fun stuff. It's still fun today but different.:)

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I remember The Siege at San Juan.18 stages in 2 days.The Widow Maker-Running across rope bridges

standing on old bed springs & shooting-On & On

               

PS No way I could do that today.:mellow:                                                                                                                                                                  Largo

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2 hours ago, Rattler said:

I seem to remember a “waitress” that confronted me one time!!:wacko:

Gotta be a big man with a good sense of humor, for that to work.  You know; like...You!

 

Cheers,

FJT

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47 minutes ago, largo casey #19191 said:

I remember The Siege at San Juan.18 stages in 2 days.The Widow Maker-Running across rope bridges

standing on old bed springs & shooting-On & On

               

PS No way I could do that today.:mellow:                                                                                                                                                                  Largo

I shot there in 98, didn't want to even look at a gun for a week after that match. Was on a posse with Evil Roy, Wicked Felina, Holy Terror, Ramblin Rose, Mad Dog Too, and others.

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Did not start till 2011.  FJT says it all.  It is the people that make CAS so remarkable.  Raised two children with their help.

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The pictures sure bring back a lot of fond memories. Think that pic of us was around 2003 if not mistaken. Remember the first time I met FJT at EOT about 19-20 years ago when we were on the same posse. All we knew about FJT was he's new and was a college professor.  He was the life of the party on our posse and we affectionately named him our Nutty Professor. We didn't say it to his face because we just met and didn't want to hurt his feelings. Little did we know at the time what a great addition FJT was and is to this game!! Hope you plan on EOT this year my friend so we can catch up. Those middle years are tuning in to the old years now.  

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Great pictures!  And yeah, we not only used to do all that stuff, but we messed with people into the bargain.  One time Boot Hill (RIP) took about 20 minutes to stage his shotgun for easy retrieval from the outhouse, and when he went to the line & started his pistol run, we moved that shotgun behind the door so he couldn't see it.  And we had a stage where (on the clock) you had to start by pulling a bunny out of a hutch & throw it into a cook pot; Little Jake pulled out the possum baby I had put in the hutch & we threatened to give him a procedural.  And we had a real big fellow who shot with us, so we had to get a bigger barrel to make a horse, and Oklahoma Charlie figured to make a running mount from behind and it didn't go well.  And at State matches, each stage was not only sponsored, but written, set up, and manned by a club from within the State.  Less hassle for the match director, and a chance for local clubs to show their creativity.  I distinctly remember a raft made from bedsprings under a board.  Yes, a bunch of us are too old for that nonsense now, but I am so glad to have been a part of it.  Good times!

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I remember that sign in the 1st picture.....I painted it. I don't know if that gator is still in the pond. I know that during one of the Last Stand matches in Orlando, that lake was going to get a '92 thrown in it but I couldn't figure out how to do it without sweeping everybody when I threw it as hard as I could by the barrel.

 

Good times back then, still having good times now.

 

Thanks for the pic, brings back memories!

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The alligator is still in the lake.  She is 8’ now instead of 5’ like back then.  
 

On the practice day before the match, someone (Weewahootee I think) told me that you were the World Champion Duelist.  Since I was shooting Duelist at the time (no Gunfighter category yet), I walked up and introduced myself to you and jokingly asked you to give me a duelist shooting lesson.  To my surprise you did!  We commandeered a berm and you gave me about an hours instruction.  One of the high points of my shooting experience.

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Sure feels good to talk about the old times. Going back in time always remembering the shoots and the folks around you saying yeh I remember that.

 

Thanks for all those memories pilgrims.

 

Jackrabbit Joe #414

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10 hours ago, Long Hunter SASS #20389L said:

The pictures sure bring back a lot of fond memories. Think that pic of us was around 2003 if not mistaken. Remember the first time I met FJT at EOT about 19-20 years ago when we were on the same posse. All we knew about FJT was he's new and was a college professor.  He was the life of the party on our posse and we affectionately named him our Nutty Professor. We didn't say it to his face because we just met and didn't want to hurt his feelings. Little did we know at the time what a great addition FJT was and is to this game!! Hope you plan on EOT this year my friend so we can catch up. Those middle years are tuning in to the old years now.  

Bringing back memories was what I was thinking LH.  Do you and FJT remember the night we, including H Doc and Miss Ann, went to a party over at Paul's (been trying to recall his name but I'll try Paul for now).  Anyway it was Saturday night and we discussed how each of us shot and how we might place.  I recall all worried about Choctaw.  Great party and seems we even ran into Bounty Hunter that night all dressed in his biker outfit.  FJT's pictures remind me of one I need to find of you two, H doc, and Miss Ann.....we are all three holding our bronzes after WR awards.  What a great moment and one Miss Ann cherished thinking so much of you three. ( Yea, Mark you made into her heart also, along with her "two sons".)  Tears guys.

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15 hours ago, Rattler said:

I seem to remember a “waitress” that confronted me one time!!:wacko:

Probably not the first waitress who confronted you.....no, no not the first waitress YOU confronted. I got it wrong. :rolleyes:

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10 hours ago, MizPete said:

Great pictures!  And yeah, we not only used to do all that stuff, but we messed with people into the bargain.  One time Boot Hill (RIP) took about 20 minutes to stage his shotgun for easy retrieval from the outhouse, and when he went to the line & started his pistol run, we moved that shotgun behind the door so he couldn't see it.  And we had a stage where (on the clock) you had to start by pulling a bunny out of a hutch & throw it into a cook pot; Little Jake pulled out the possum baby I had put in the hutch & we threatened to give him a procedural.  And we had a real big fellow who shot with us, so we had to get a bigger barrel to make a horse, and Oklahoma Charlie figured to make a running mount from behind and it didn't go well.  And at State matches, each stage was not only sponsored, but written, set up, and manned by a club from within the State.  Less hassle for the match director, and a chance for local clubs to show their creativity.  I distinctly remember a raft made from bedsprings under a board.  Yes, a bunch of us are too old for that nonsense now, but I am so glad to have been a part of it.  Good times!

Now Pete this is almost to much for one thread....bringing up the name Oklahoma Charlie.  That fellow could drink up my "clear liquor".  Great guy.

Heck I think he and I Girl were also at party I mentioned in another post here.

Man-o-man....them good ol'days.

 

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Being new at this I've got a question for those that did the old stages i.e. where you had to run over a rickety bridge.  How did you handle the older shooters that would have problems or possibly hurt themselves doing those things?  I ask because I've been on posses where there were shooters that had trouble just moving from position to position.  

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We had to climb up and shoot from the top of a stagecoach at the Rocky Mountain Regional Raid. That was around 2000. No one complained and Peg Leg Pete, complete with prosthetic leg, climbed up with the rest of us. People didn't complain as much, they were having too much fun.

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Been around for a bit and did a lot of that stuff too; enjoyed it. But fast approaching 60 and a good bit "broken". :D

Not being facetious but how many 70 and 80 year olds were shootin back then? We're all getting older everyday and being physical on stages isn't quite as easy as it used ta be. I'm all for doing fun things both on and off the clock that don't require much physical "acrobatics"; try to write em into the stages whenever I can get away with it. The climate of any game will change over time and in a timed, competitive game like ours, we will see actions and attempts to make things faster and faster. Yes, practice and natural talent play a big part in "faster" but dropping fun actions from stages in the interest of increased speed makes us more like any other speed shooting game and less how we fondly remember days gone by.

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1 hour ago, Tequila Chase said:

Being new at this I've got a question for those that did the old stages i.e. where you had to run over a rickety bridge.  How did you handle the older shooters that would have problems or possibly hurt themselves doing those things?  I ask because I've been on posses where there were shooters that had trouble just moving from position to position.  

Most of us were younger, by a lot.  Others did it anyway, and if they were older or unable to do some of the movements, they were allowed to bypass them.  No one really cared if they did.  We had a quadriplegic shoot at the matches for a little while and he only shot the rifle, which was placed on a table secured to his wheel chair.  One time, one of the guys fell off  of a saddle that was on a wooden barrel, simulating a horse, and broke his leg.  Yes, the good old days when things were a little different.

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18 hours ago, Frederick Jackson Turner said:

I started SASS circa 2000, so I can't really post on the early years thread.  But!  When I started, it was not uncommon to shoot rifles at 50 yards or more, throw yourself on the ground and shoot from under a wagon, then clamber back up and run across a creaky bridge, or some such.  We threw tomahawks, shot bows, and fished cartridges out of bean pots.  Fun stuff, good times, and great folks.  I've gotten to witness the evolution of Cowboy Action Shooting from those days, to the more modern speed racer matches, and had a great time, through it all.

 

Here's a couple of favorite pics from the Pre-Modern era.

 

Jump in!

 

Cheers,

FJT

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Awesome pictures. Looks like you guys are having a lot of fun. So not much different then today yeah? Oh and I had no idea you were so short, I mean you sound much taller on the radio :lol:

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1 hour ago, Dutch Wheeler said:

Captions under the photos of who is who please.

 

Don't know about the rest of the pics but the 1st pic from left to right is Lefty Longridge, Lusty Lil, Lead Dispenser and FJT at The Last Stand (Fl. State Championship) in Orlando about 2002 or 3.

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1 hour ago, El Hombre Sin Nombre said:

Awesome pictures. Looks like you guys are having a lot of fun. So not much different then today yeah? Oh and I had no idea you were so short, I mean you sound much taller on the radio :lol:

 

Well, that's an easy one.  I AM taller on the radio!!!

;-)

 

Cheers,

FJT

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3 hours ago, Tequila Chase said:

Being new at this I've got a question for those that did the old stages i.e. where you had to run over a rickety bridge.  How did you handle the older shooters that would have problems or possibly hurt themselves doing those things?  I ask because I've been on posses where there were shooters that had trouble just moving from position to position.  

 

There were a number of more "seasoned" shooters then, as well.  I recall they just took it slow, and there was never a shortage of willing hands, if help was needed.  I am a bit less springy now than I was then.  I'll still wrangle with whatever you put in front of me; this game is fun, any way you play it, and at whatever speed you can do it! ;-)

 

Cheers,

FJT

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57 minutes ago, Frederick Jackson Turner said:

 

There were a number of more "seasoned" shooters then, as well.  I recall they just took it slow, and there was never a shortage of willing hands, if help was needed.  I am a bit less springy now than I was then.  I'll still wrangle with whatever you put in front of me; this game is fun, any way you play it, and at whatever speed you can do it! ;-)

 

Cheers,

FJT

Love that Picture with Swifty...damn...he always brought a smile to my face whenever I saw him at a match...

 

Can you believe it's been 16 years since I first shot/met you?

 

Miss shooting with you my friend.

 

Phantom

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15 hours ago, Kid Rich said:

Freddie that feller on the right side of the third foto looks suspiciously like Wild Bill Blackerby.

kR

Ps specially since he has his gunbelt on backwards.  ;)

 

 

That would be Wild Bill, indeed!  Fun time back east; we all had a hoot!

 

Cheers,

FJT

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18 hours ago, largo casey #19191 said:

I remember The Siege at San Juan.18 stages in 2 days.The Widow Maker-Running across rope bridges

standing on old bed springs & shooting-On & On

               

PS No way I could do that today.:mellow:                                                                                                                                                                  Largo

Yo Largo: Ref to San Juan shoot did that one in 1997 great shoot . Great time, Took 1st place Senior that year.

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