A young Cochrane resident took home a big prize for mounted shooting at the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association’s (CMSA) U.S. Winter Championship.
The championship took place in Arizona from Feb. 18 - 21 and 12-year-old Grace Harvey took home second place in the ‘wrangler open class’ for 12 and under.
Her mother, Tanya Harvey, said the wranglers ride the same course as the adults but shoot targets from the ground using the same .45 caliber single action revolvers and full load black powder blanks that the adults do.
Grace began mounted shooting when she was 10 years old and started shooting with her grandfather.
“Grace is a great kid who is pursuing her passions, loving her horse and showing a wide audience what great kids are raised here in Cochrane,” said Tanya.
Tanya said her daughter is also a member of the local Light Horse 4-H Club and placed first in the club’s public speaking event this year and competed in her first junior barrels at the Labour Day Rodeo.
Grace explained in her speech for the 4-H Club that mounted shooting is the ‘newest craze of the horse world’, where a horse and rider go through a set pattern of 10 balloons anchored down on tall posts and shoot them. She also said the type of ammunition they use allows shooters to pop the balloon without placing spectators or competitors at risk.
“Mounted shooting has a great importance to me. It basically sparked my love for horses,” said Grace in her speech. “The key to success in mounted shooting is a good relationship with your horse. It doesn’t matter what kind of horse you ride, whether it be a performance quarter horse, a Shetland pony, or even a mule, a good bond is key.”
Tanya said Grace currently rides between 15-20 hours a week and that they ‘spend a lot of time in the barn.’ They plan on trying to make it to the CMSA World Championships in October and will attend shoots in Alberta throughout this season.
