OklahomaHorses Magazine November 2021

November/December 2021 • OklahomaHorses 29 STILLWATER 502 E. 6th Ave Stillwater, OK 74074 405-372-2766 DAVIS 205 South A St Davis, OK 73030 580-369-2354 CLAREMORE 721 W. 6th St. Claremore, OK 74017 918-341-0933 PERRY 205 Gene Taylor Perry, OK 73077 580-336-2168 For all of your holiday and winter animal needs! *Items pictured may not be available at all stores growth, boasting a whopping representa- tion of clubs in 23 states (seven clubs in Texas alone) and members from 46 states and Canada. The 2021 world finals are predicted to have an estimated 225-250 contestants from Oct. 21-23 at the Taylor County Expo in Abilene, Texas. The exponential growth of the USMS has not been overlooked by businesses tailored to horsemen either. Sponsors now include Total Feeds, Justin Boots, Bishop Trailer Sales, Bloomer Trailers, Wrangler and Basic Equine Health, to name a few. CEO Dale Armstrong credits much of the phenomenal growth of the USMS to his appointed board. “I have an amazing team. They are unbelievable. They are the ones who made all this success happen. Kenny Pecora, my chief operations officer, well, I can’t say enough about what all he does,” Armstrong said. In addition to the main match format, futurity and maturity divisions have been added. The futurity is open to all nomi- nated horses four to five years of age who have never competed before in any shoot for money, prizes or points at any time. Futurity horses have one year of eligibility. Once a horse competes in the futurity, it is eligible to compete in the maturity the succeeding year. This next year, the USMS plans to cut short the fiscal year to better accommo- date families with students. Hosting the finals in the fall limits these families who would like to attend. Armstrong met with the board of directors, and a decision was made to change the point run to June of each year. The 2021-2022 year will be shortened, ending with the world finals on June 10-12 at the Lazy E in Guthrie. Mounting shooting is long reputed as a family-oriented sport. Shooters everywhere are making positive comments about the USMS hosting increasing numbers of matches. Said longtime shooter Lauren Crudup of Claremore, “There is more camaraderie with the nondivisional old- school attitude shoots. Every stage is a new game, and I love the format.” Armstrong’s long-range plan to make mounted shooting a professional sports venue is attracting the attention of new shooters across the nation. The L/C Law’s 150-Fest Showdown held Sept. 25 in Vin- ita drew nearly 70 contestants from nine states, including South Dakota, Alabama, Iowa and Illinois. More than $15,000 in prize money was paid out while raising money for the internationally acclaimed Craig County Technical Task Force (com- pletely volunteer driven renowned for high water rescues) and the Vinita Rotary High School Scholarship fund. This event included a “Showdown” on Saturday evening drawing more than 1,000 spectators. The show included trick riding, live music, multiple food vendors and a fast- paced shootout featuring the top shooters of the day from each “D” division. Armstrong loves hosting combination events with the USMS matches. And apparently so do spectators, as well as the contestants. With the 2022 year on the horizon, look for bigger and better events and payouts. Don’t miss an opportunity to attend one of these events. For more infor- mation, go to usms2020.com.