Crystal J fires her pistol at Rafter 3C Arena in Fallon during the 2023 The Fastest Gun Alive — World Championship of Cowboy Fast Draw.
Photo by Steve Ranson.
The Cowboy Fast Draw Association (CFDA) is hosting its annual signature event The Fastest Gun Alive — World Championship of Cowboy Fast Draw Thursday through Sunday at the Rafter 3C Arena.
According to Quick Cal Eilrich, director of CFDA and also match director, this year’s tournament is expected to attract more than 200 of the best of these modern-era gunfighters across the United States, Canada, Switzerland and France. This is the 22nd year the Cowboy Fast Draw Association has hosted the Fastest Gun Alive World Championships in Fallon.
Eilrich, who lives in neighboring Fernley, said Monday when the event switched from October to July, the intent was to attract more shooters. He said the economy, though, is hurting many of the competitors who travel distances to compete in Fallon.
But we’ll have contestants from coast to coast,” he added. “And we have more youth this year who are out of school.”
Additionally, he said spectators travel from Northern California, Nevada and many other states to watch not only a great competition but also to learn about a sport with its beginnings dating back to the 1950s.
The main event’s preliminary rounds are held on Friday and Saturday, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Admission is free. The Magnificent 7 Finals are Sunday at “High Noon” featuring the top shooters.
Eilrich said a warm-up day is Thursday where shooters will receive trophies and belt buckles. He said it’s competitive age-based categories.
Eilrich said on Saturday the public may come to the Rafter 3C and try their fast draw shooting skills from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cowboy Fast Draw is a western-themed shooting sport that features wax bullet ammunition allowing competitions to be held almost anywhere, since a thin layer of nylon or archery netting catches the wax projectiles. Safety is always the highest concern. Six-guns and holsters are from the Old West time period and the competitors dress in period-themed clothing as well. Eilrich said it’s a very colorful sport with shooters adopting aliases to compete under, in the spirit of the American Old West.
Men, women and youth compete in separate divisions. Eilrich said one of its primary goals is to educates as many people as possible in the safe and proper use of firearms is one of the primary goals. CFDA, the sport’s sanctioning and rules authority, has established Range Officer and Youth Safety Training Programs.
Accompanying the event will be food, western vintage crafters and western-themed clothing vendors inside on the pavilion level.
Eilrich said he and the city of Fallon have also negotiated the third weekend of July for the fast-draw tournament, which will begin in 2025.
The Cowboy Fast Draw Association moved this annual event from Deadwood, South Dakota, to Fallon in 2008. The event has turned into a major tourist attraction for Fallon with hundreds of competitors and vendors from across the nation spending most of the week in Fallon.
For more information on the sport and the Fastest Gun Alive including informational videos, go to www.cowboyfastdraw.com.
THE COMPETITION
The competition is an elimination format with the bouts determined by “luck of the draw.” Six-guns are never pointed at anyone; instead, both shooters stand side by side with each having a 17-inch metal plate target 15-feet downrange. A digital timer signals a start light on each target simultaneously and both shooters must react to the light, draw, fire, and hopefully hit their target faster than their opponent. The degree of difficulty when “Hip Shooting” these targets at competitive speeds is extremely challenging. This gives a balance between speed and accuracy.
According to Quick Cal, Director of CFDA and Match Director, “It’s not always the fastest shooter who wins, but rather the shooter who keeps a cool head and a hot hand.” Each round requires three winning hits for a competitor to guarantee moving to the next round. The loser in each bout receives an “X,” if a shooter receives four Xs, they’re out of the running for the coveted title of, “The Fastest Gun Alive.”
Source: www.cowboyfastdraw.com.