Cowboy Mounted Shooting: Give It a Shot

If you’re looking for a sport straight out of the old Western movies, this is it.

Cowboy mounted shooting is fast moving and exciting, requiring equine speed and rate, horsemanship, and a skilled and steady hand. The sport was formed in 1991 and is an AQHA-approved event through AQHA’s alliance with the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association.

Chad Little is one of the sport’s leading competitors. A multiple CMSA and AQHA world champion, Chad has set a number of CMSA world records. His brother, Charlie, is also a top-level competitor and world champion. Together, they train and sell horses at Little Performance Horses in St. Michael, Minnesota, in addition to offering clinics and lessons.

Their chosen sport requires multiple skills, as it relies not only on the horse's speed and rider's horsemanship, but also the rider's shooting skills and accuracy, making it a multi-level challenge. Here’s some information to help you get started.

What is cowboy mounted shooting?

Cowboy mounted shooting is a timed event. It uses a set of 10 balloons attached to stands, set in one of more than 50 approved patterns. The patterns can include such maneuvers as turning around a barrel, switching direction and going through a “gate” or relatively narrow opening. The balloon patterns often include a “rundown” – a line of five balloons set on a straightaway.

A rider uses two .45-caliber, single-action revolvers, each carrying five rounds of black-powder blanks that have an effective range of 10-15 feet. The rider must cock the gun before each shot. After five shots, the rider must holster his first gun and unholster his second while on the run. There are time penalties for missing a balloon.

There is also a rifle class, which requires one pistol and one .44-40 rifle. The rider shoots five balloons with the pistol then switches to the rifle for the final five balloons.

Mounted shooting has divisions for men, women, seniors and youth. There are subcategories within those divisions by skill level, from 1 to 6. Riders start in Class 1 and advance after winning a division four times. The Little brothers, who have been competing for more than a decade, are both Level 6 riders.

Safety is a big deal in the sport. At events, guns are kept unloaded until each competitor enters the competition ring.

Gear Required for Mounted Shooting

The necessary items for mounted shooting are fairly simple.

Clothing

Start simple, with a western hat, button-down shirt, jeans, chaps or chinks, and western boots.

Guns

Mounted shooters shoot .45-caliber, single-action revolvers and .44-40 rifles. Each shooter will need two pistols, which can cost from $600 to $1,000 per gun.

“There are all kinds of different brands,” Chad says. “A lot of ladies want a little bit of a smaller barrel, a smaller handle. It’s really just preference, whichever feels good to you.”

He recommends handling a number of different guns to find one that works. Different brands and different models have different feels, so hold the gun in your hand, pull the hammer back and pull the trigger.

“You want something comfortable in your hand that’s easy to pull the hammer back,” he says. “If you have to readjust your hand to pull the hammer back, (that’s not good).”

Once you invest in your guns, though, they are a lasting investment.

“Usually, whatever fits is going to fit you for a while,” Chad says. “A lot of the Level 6’s today are shooting the same little gun a Level 1 (competitor) would start with.”

Holster

Your holster, like your gun, is a matter of personal preference. Find one that places your guns comfortably and with ease of accessibility.

Horse

The athleticism, trainability and speed of an American Quarter Horse makes this breed the preferred mount for the top cowboy mounted shooters, and a great breed for any and every level of rider.

As with any sport, it is best if a new shooter chooses an experienced equine partner, Chad advises.

“You need something that’ll slow down and treat you good in the meantime,” Chad says. “Then in a few years, go up from there.”

Chad trains and sells shooting horses. When he is searching for a prospect, he generally looks for a gentle, broke horse with a good handle, then teaches the horse the skills of mounted shooting.

Cowboy Mounted Shooting Tack

Saddle

A mounted shooting horse needs to be dressed in western tack that would be considered representative of traditional equipment.

“I don’t want something that traps me in there; it has to let you move around a little,” Chad says. “Something comfortable that you could ride all day, yet if you ask your horse to go, it wouldn’t throw you out. Something with a good pocket, a good seat.”

Bridle

Your horse should wear a western bridle. For a shoot, Chad uses a chain curb to give him more control in a high-energy atmosphere. He encourages seeking the mildest bit that allows control.

“It depends on your horse,” he says. “You think you do know if you’re yanking on them out there, but you usually aren’t aware, so the less bridle you can get away with, the better. I don’t encourage people to run out there in snaffles. You’re going to get run off with.”

Training at home, however, is a different story.

“Whatever I ride the horse in to shoot, I take the horse what I consider one step lower to ride at home,” he says. Chad typically schools his horses in a snaffle, unless the horse requires something stronger.

Protective Leg Gear

Chad typically uses puts leg wraps, as well as bell boots, on all four of his horses' legs. It is also optional to use ear plugs for both horse and rider.

Cowboy Mounted Shooting Supplies

Practice Equipment

In addition to balloons, you’ll need a set of balloon holders, which is a road construction cone with a PVC pipe that is capped with a peg that has a valvestem.

AQHA Cowboy Mounted Shooting

AQHA has crowned cowboy mounted shooting world champions since 2012. The AQHA Cowboy Mounted Shooting World Championships has been a joint effort between AQHA and the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association. CMSA handles the qualifying and entry processing, as well as the management of the event, whereas AQHA facilitates the invitations, sponsorships and awards presented to the world championship exhibitors. Honors won at the AQHA CMS World are also recorded on the horses' official records. The AQHA CMS World is held in conjunction with the CMSA World Show in October in Amarillo. 

Many CMSA events offer AQHA-approved cowboy mounted shooting classes, where points earned appear on horses' official AQHA records. To find a show near you that offers AQHA cowboy mounted shooting classes, visit cmsaevents.com. 

The following AQHA divisions are offered:

• Open - Levels 5 and 6 and/or professionals earning remuneration for training, clinics, etc. regardless of CMSA classification.
• Amateur - Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4
• Select Amateur Limited- Levels 1, 2, and 3 (50+ age)
• Select Amateur - Levels 4, 5, and 6 (50+ age)
• Limited Youth - Levels 1, 2, and 3 (ages 12-18)
• Open Youth - Levels 4, 5, and 6 (ages 12-18)

Note: All Amateur divisions require an amateur membership