Written by; Beth L. Jokinen, Lima News
KENTON - Jim Miller calls himself a 56-year-old cowboy. And he has the hat, gun and holster to prove it, not to mention a pretty fast draw. Miller, of Orwell, spent Saturday in Kenton competing at the Ohio State
Championship Fast Draw Match.
"When I was a kid, I watched ‘Bonanza,' ‘Gunsmoke' and all those," he said between rounds.
The contest, which has "cowboys and "cowgirls" competing for the quickest draw and best accuracy, is
part of the annual Gene Autry Days. Activities celebrating the life of the likes of Gene Autry, who visited
Kenton in the 1930s, continue today at the Hardin County Fairgrounds.
Onlookers watched competitors dressed like the cowboys of old shoot wax bullets at a target. Some young onlookers, also dressed as cowboys, imitated their seniors.
Paul Elliott, of Ashtabula County, stood with a slight bend ready to draw and shoot. He's been competing for three years. The key, he said, is shooting "right out of the holster." "We let our minds aim the gun," he said. "Your mind points your hand in the right direction. It's practice, practice. You work on accuracy, and speed comes along as you
go."
Tom Lechner's dad used to shoot and compete, so he naturally followed. Lechner, of Lancaster, Pa., says it's all about the mind-set, something he is still practicing. "You have to control your nerves. I get excited," he said, adding that a big part of the attraction is the "whole cowboy thing."
Most competitors take it seriously and practice multiple times a week if not every day. Not the case for Dale Searls, who has been at it for 48 years, along with his wife, Susie. "The only time we shoot anymore is when we go," said
Searls, who says he may not be as quick anymore, but still tops most when it comes to accuracy. He rarely misses a target. Searls, of Norwalk, also grew up watching Westerns on television and likes being around others with the same interest. I enjoy talking about the Old West," he said. "But there were very few real gunfights. Just a lot of Hollywood gunfights."
KENTON - Jim Miller calls himself a 56-year-old cowboy. And he has the hat, gun and holster to prove it, not to mention a pretty fast draw. Miller, of Orwell, spent Saturday in Kenton competing at the Ohio State
Championship Fast Draw Match.
"When I was a kid, I watched ‘Bonanza,' ‘Gunsmoke' and all those," he said between rounds.
The contest, which has "cowboys and "cowgirls" competing for the quickest draw and best accuracy, is
part of the annual Gene Autry Days. Activities celebrating the life of the likes of Gene Autry, who visited
Kenton in the 1930s, continue today at the Hardin County Fairgrounds.
Onlookers watched competitors dressed like the cowboys of old shoot wax bullets at a target. Some young onlookers, also dressed as cowboys, imitated their seniors.
Paul Elliott, of Ashtabula County, stood with a slight bend ready to draw and shoot. He's been competing for three years. The key, he said, is shooting "right out of the holster." "We let our minds aim the gun," he said. "Your mind points your hand in the right direction. It's practice, practice. You work on accuracy, and speed comes along as you
go."
Tom Lechner's dad used to shoot and compete, so he naturally followed. Lechner, of Lancaster, Pa., says it's all about the mind-set, something he is still practicing. "You have to control your nerves. I get excited," he said, adding that a big part of the attraction is the "whole cowboy thing."
Most competitors take it seriously and practice multiple times a week if not every day. Not the case for Dale Searls, who has been at it for 48 years, along with his wife, Susie. "The only time we shoot anymore is when we go," said
Searls, who says he may not be as quick anymore, but still tops most when it comes to accuracy. He rarely misses a target. Searls, of Norwalk, also grew up watching Westerns on television and likes being around others with the same interest. I enjoy talking about the Old West," he said. "But there were very few real gunfights. Just a lot of Hollywood gunfights."
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