Right out of the old west

BIDDEFORD (Feb 24, 2007): Cowboys are known for hard riding and good shooting and those skills are still valued today by horse and gun enthusiasts who compete in mounted shooting events all over the country.


Bill Ledoux, of Biddeford, got hooked on the sport of cowboy mounted shooting five years ago, and now his whole family participates. Ledoux’s daughter, Sheri Robicheau, and his grandson both compete in shooting events, while his wife, Patty, often scores the events.

“I’ve always loved horses and guns. When I was a little boy it was great fun to play cowboys and Indians. I guess I just haven’t grown up yet,” Ledoux said of his enthusiasm for mounted shooting.



Bob Ledoux of Biddeford sits atop his horse Wamps Illini Teddy, which he rides in cowboy mounted shooting events. (Image courtesy of Patty Ledoux)



In cowboy mounted shooting, riders go through a variety of 50 possible course patterns while using single-action .45 revolvers or rifles to break balloons tied to cones. No live ammunition is allowed. The riders all use black powder cartridges, which can pop a balloon from about 15 feet away.

Ledoux and his daughter are members of the New Hampshire Mounted Cowboy Shooters club, but Ledoux also wants to start a Maine-based club.

During a shooting match, the riders are given 60 seconds to do the run and to shoot as many balloons as possible. Ledoux said the better riders are able to get through the course in 15 to 30 seconds.

In addition to the strict rules regarding the guns used, all riders must adhere to a dress code. Clothing must be authentic to the 1800s, which means no zippers on pants, no collars on shirts and all leather tack and holsters.

Women can wear pants, but are encouraged to wear skirts and tailored shirts with either petticoats or bloomers underneath.

Mounted shooting is open to men, women and children. There are separate divisions for men and women. Kids are broken up into divisions based on age. There is also a senior division for adults.

Ledoux heard about cowboy mounted shooting when he read an article in a cowboy magazine. He did some research on the sport and knew it was something he would enjoy doing.

Ledoux went to a shoot hosted by a New Hampshire club and was hooked. He then told his daughter, “You’ve gotta try this.”

To generate interest in the sport, and to attract members to the Maine club, the Ledouxes are hosting two clinics in March to introduce people to cowboy mounted shooting.

The first clinic will be held on Sunday, March 11, in Brownfield. The focus of the day will be getting familiarized with the guns used in cowboy mounted shooting events. “It’s all about safety,” Patty Ledoux said.

The second clinic will be held on March 25. That day will be devoted to running horses through some of the course patterns used in cowboy mounted shooting events. The riding clinic will help riders determine whether the sport is something their horse can be trained to do.

Each clinic is $40. Call Bill Ledoux at 282-2821 or 205-4929, for more information. Also go online to www.mainecowboymountedshooters.com to learn more about cowboy mounted shooting.

“I think I was born 100 years too late,” Ledoux said of his love for the sport. “I grew up watching Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and John Wayne. I wanted to be just like them.”

Based in Saco, Staff Writer Kate Irish Collins can be reached at 207-283-1878 or by e-mail at kcollins@keepmecurrent.com.
By Kate Irish Collins
Staff Writer