FeaturesCMSA Calvary Class
This division stands at the forefront of everything the CMSA wishes to represent—patriotism, pageantry, civility and fashion, all mixed in with horsemanship and straight shooting to create a unique competitive experience.
Patriotism, Pageantry & Competition In The Mounted Arena
The soldiers number seventeen. Dirt streaked, some sporting bandages of scrap materials, they ride fifteen gandered horses and two commandeered mules. The last watering hole hit the morn before. Cautiously they approach the Union soldiers’ reported locale. Despite the early hour, rivulets of sweat form and slide over brows into blinking eyes. Suddenly, a trumpet blares from enemy turf. A cannon explodes. “Charge!” The command comes from the captain. Sabers are drawn, pistols unholstered. Pounding hoofs stampede wildly through blinding gun smoke and a hail of bullets.
Welcome to the age of chivalry brought back into focus by the Cavalry Class of the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association. This division stands at the forefront of everything the CMSA wishes to represent—patriotism, pageantry, civility and fashion, all mixed in with horsemanship and straight shooting to create a unique competitive experience. Hearts swell when the Cavalry Division enters the arena in formation. And interest continues to grow.
According to CMSA founder Jim Rodgers, it all started with an idea. A Civil War and Indian Wars buff, Jim felt a call to preserve and share this important part of American history. As popular as re-enacting had become, perhaps the time was ripe to incorporate a cavalry class into the format.
“My heroes were different than those of the kids today. Their heroes are not among the Western heroes of the movies I grew up with,” says Rodgers. “I felt that we had lost some of the aspects that made this sport great. Everybody laughed at the ‘old dudes’ out there until they discovered the gun change wasn’t so easy to do,” he laughs.
So Rodgers went to Phil Spangenberger, CMSA founding member and historian, asking him to make it happen.
“I called Terry Martin, who was already competing in the CMSA as a cavalryman, along with Kenny Howell, Ron Norton and several others, for their help in putting this new class together. After several meetings I wrote the rules and then had numerous discussions with the panel for fine-tuning. Finally, we submitted the rules and regulations for the new Civil War Class to the CMSA board,” Phil remembers. “Kenny Howell donated a great deal of his time and equipment at no cost to help this come about. His R&D Gun Shop and later Kirst Cartridges worked to make cartridge conversion cylinders adaptable to Civil War-era percussion revolvers to create the illusion of authenticity, while allowing the use of CMSA .45 blanks, which allowed for a level playing field. From a distance the pistols appeared to be real cap and ball sixguns,” Phil comments. “Kenny’s contributions were invaluable.”
In 2003, the first Civil War Class was hosted at the World Championship Match. Twenty riders entered, wearing Union or Confederate clothing, bringing color and ceremony to the forefront.
Of course there were complaints. The pistols were costly. The required saddles and clothing were also expensive. But Phil, being the historian and authenticity buff, stuck to his guns (so to speak). Still, changes came about. Responding to numerous requests by military buffs in the CMSA, the class was expanded to cover all of the cavalry eras of the 1860-1900 period, thus adding more color and attracting a wider audience. The dress code now requires historically correct uniforms from the Civil War (1861-1865), Plains Indian Campaigns (1870-1879), Southwest Campaigns (1880-1889), or Spanish American War (1898). Now however, pistols may be any CMSA approved revolver.
The diverse and colorful costuming—along with period correct styles of tack—is evidence of contestant pride. Originally a judged and timed event based upon authenticity of the rider’s equipment, it is now strictly a timed event. A separate competition for the best-dressed contestant encourages the exhibitionism of that era when soldiers loved to show how proud they were to serve in the military.
Strong loyalty to the Southern culture is evidenced by “…a preponderance of Confederate uniforms,” says Spangenberger. “The 19th century flamboyance and pomp is everywhere. You have to remember, in the days of old, the cavalry was the elite of the fighting forces. Being a cavalryman was the equivalent of being a jet fighter pilot today. The cavalry soldiers first learned to ride, and then to fight, while automatically commanding his horse. In the early days of Europe, only the landed gentry could afford horses, thus a horseman was considered a ‘gentleman,’ as evidenced by the Spanish word, ‘caballero,’ which means both horseman and gentleman. The French and Italians have similar phrases, so horsemen and gentlemen became synonymous.”
Who is attracted to this form of grandeur and refinement? Why go to the bother of donning special costuming and adding the challenge of working from the humbling military-style, flap-buttoned holster? Lisa Dippel, a predominant female force in the division, says she was drawn to the character that went with the uniforms. She ordered her first period style saddle at the CMSA Worlds following the premier of the Cavalry Class. “I have always loved the movie She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, with John Wayne. This is all about having fun—and there is the big challenge of the gun change,” she says.
Lisa isn’t the only one drawn to the division. Phil says, “In the last six months the Cavalry Division has picked up a spark. We have seen a tremendous increase in payback thanks to sponsorships from several individual Sundowner Trailer groups [Sundowner of Oklahoma City, Sundowner Trailer Centers of Memphis, and Sundowner Trailer Centers of Nashville] and Burkhalter Trailers of Livingston, TX.”
Thanks in large part to the work of Brady Carr and Kin Barker, each of the seven biggest CMSA events will offer $500 to $1,000 in added money. These national level sponsorships entice more people to try their hand at it.
So where is the Cavalry Division headed in the next five to ten years? Kin Barker, who succeeded Spangenberger as chairman of the cavalry committee, says, “We hope to see continued growth in entries along with the increase in sponsorships. I hope to see it grow as much as the Rifle Division, which basically started the same way. When I took over the Cavalry Division, there were only about five or six contestants. At the 2008 Jeffers Nationals in Tunica we saw 28 entries. Long range we would like to see more women and the same divisions we have in the rifle competition.”
Another regular, Florida based Tom Block, is doing his part to make that happen. He developed what is called the “Cavalry Lite” Class to assist growth. “Basically,” he states, “we go by the 30 foot rule. This means that if you look cavalry from 30 feet away, then you are cavalry.” This allows people to try the Cavalry Class (at local shoots only) without going through the expense of purchasing a separate saddle. And it’s succeeding. “Our shoots now boast about 20% of the entries as being in the Cavalry Class. At all of our matches the cavalry enters the arena in two-by-two formation while martial music is played. A narrator explains the historical aspect of both the time period and costuming then we gallop out. It’s an absolute rush!”
The swashbuckling walk of years past lost somewhere between battlefields, the weariness of too much death evaporates as the grim-faced soldier gently spurred his exhausted bay up the dusty road. Battles lost and won matter little now. He wipes his brow with a torn sleeve. Looking down at the gold braid he wonders if he could ever be the gentleman he was at the beginning of the war. Although he would live to see the country unified he would never know the effect he would have on future generations of today’s cavalry—the cowboy mounted shooters.
For a complete list of Cavalry Division requirements go to cowboymountedshooting.com  Related posts:
|
|||||||||||||||||
Tags: 
Discussion
No comments for “CMSA Calvary Class”
Post a comment