The Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association

The Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association, better known as the CMSA, is the national organization that governs the sport of Cowboy Mounted Shooting. Dubbed by many as the “ultimate western shooting and riding challenge, “ Cowboy Mounted Shooting is sighted in for shooters and horsebackers who want to combine the romance of the Old West, with the excitement of a high speed shooting and riding competition. Imagine riding hell bent for leather at breakneck speeds, while blasting 10 balloon targets with a pair of six-shooters, as you pair fast action sixgunning with an all-out, against the clock horse race! That is what this fastest growing Western equestrian and shooting sport is all about.

Here they come, galloping out of the pages of history…it’s the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association! Cowboys and cowgirls of all ages, and from all walks of life, are riding hard and shooting straight in fierce-but-friendly competitions, while preserving America’s Western heritage.

 

 

 

 

 

Many contestants dress in colorful 1800s Wild West clothing in this full-tilt, timed event where they fire frontier-era single-action revolvers, while putting their mounts through some rodeo style barrel racing, pole bending, a bit of reining competition, and lots of speed.

 

Cowboy Mounted Shooting traces its roots back to the Old West, when proficiency with both sixguns and horses were a necessity. Eventually, with the coming of the Wild West Shows and early rodeos, feats of mounted shooting, became featured exhibitions at these spectacles. Legendary performers like Buffalo Bill Cody, Pawnee Bill, and Annie Oakley, thrilled audiences worldwide with their shooting and riding prowess.

 

In the past 15 years, the sport of Cowboy Mounted Shooting has grown from small exhibitions, involving a handful of competitors to full-scale competitions, sometimes involving 200-300-plus contestants who come from all over the nation. Specially loaded blank cartridges, which can safely break a balloon at a distance of about 15-18 feet, are used in this arena sport, with 5-second penalties for missed targets, not following the prescribed course and so on. The action is non-stop, with a rider racing through the course about every 50 seconds!

 

The Old West truly comes to life through the sport of Cowboy Mounted Shooting. At a CMSA competition, you’ll see some of the country’s finest performance horses, colorfully outfitted cowboys and cowgirls, rifle shooters and cavalry troopers, and some mighty interesting saddlery and tack. It’s a sport the entire family can enjoy watching or taking part in. For more information on Cowboy Mounted Shooting, contact the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association, 14227 E. Rock View Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85262, or call   (480) 683-0485  . www.cowboymountedshooting.com.