CMSA World Championship


The Limit- ed Amateur Division Gerald McK- elroy had a bang-up time at the World Championships. During the AQHA CMS World, Gerald, who is from Waco, Texas, took home two trophies. He is the first AQHA limit- ed amateur cowboy mounted shooting world and reserve world champion.


McKelroy & WWR Kings Lone Star


Gerald “It feels fantastic to be a world champi-


on,” Gerald says. “It’s been a lot of hard work for those horses to do that well.”


Gerald took home the world title on


WWR Kings Lone Star, a 2012 brown mare. WWR Kings Lone Star is an AQHA Ranch- ing Heritage-bred mare by Mr Forty Six King and out of Dr Gay Sadie by Tru Tru King. The mare was bred by Fred and Elaine Gist of the Wagon Wheel Ranch in Midland, Texas. Gerald bought WWR Kings Lone Star


and his reserve world champion horse, WWR Wyo Hancock, from the Wagon Wheel Ranch as 2-year-olds. WWR Wyo Hancock is a 2012 dun stallion by Blues Wyo Rip and out of Phat Phanny by Tzar Hancock. Since Gerald had two 2-year olds on his hands, he began train- ing both horses for cowboy mounted shooting. Once the horses were trained enough to start showing, Gerald would always video his runs and buy the professional photographs as a frame of reference to see where he and his horses could use improvement. He would point out all of the areas he wanted to correct, and then he would focus his next training ses- sion on those areas.


“It was a lot of self-examination and cri- tiquing, and then taking the horse home, and starting all over again to build a foundation un- til you get the horse exactly where you wanted it,” Gerald says.


Gerald got things corrected to his pic- ture-perfect frame of reference, and then he started really clicking with his horses. Gerald has enjoyed training and showing his horses, and he credits their love for cowboy mounted shooting for his success.


“They love their job, and they love going into the arena,” Gerald says. “They hunt the balloons for me, and they just eat it up.” w


The Youth Division


Biven Chapman and DW Dash Of Whiskey were surrounded by family as they won the youth world championship.


“It feels pretty cool to be a world champion,”


Biven says. “It’s exciting to have come a long way with my horse.” DW Dash Of Whiskey is a 2005 sorrel geld-


ing by Dashers Vanzi Bruce and out of Tuff Bar Di- amond by Tuff Ole Cowboy. He was bred by Debra and George Harty of Lusk, Wyoming, and is owned by Biven’s mother, Deanne. Biven has only been riding DW Dash Of Whiskey for about a year and a half before winning her world title. She says it has been an adjustment getting used to her horse’s personality. “He’s such a goofball and spaz sometimes,” Biven


says. “He gets distracted easily, but it’s kind of fun to work with him.” It took a lot of riding time and competitions for the


duo to clinch their world title. However, Biven has been involved in cowboy mounted shooting since she was 6. Before that, Biven barrel raced alongside her mother.


While Biven and Deanne were busy barrel racing, her fa- ther, Paul, was involved in trap shooting. Since everyone was going separate ways for competitions, the Chapmans began looking for a way to combine their two passions.


The Limited Youth Division The third time’s the charm for Chance “Bo”


Buss. On Bo’s third trip to the World Champion-


ships, he was able to win the 2017 limited youth world champion cowboy mounted shooting title on Smart Little Oakey.


“It feels pretty good to be a world champion,”


Bo says. “I’ve been going there for three years. I’ve slowly been working my way up to the top.” Smart Little Oakey is a 2011 chestnut mare by


Bobby Smart out of Miss Orphan Oakey by TAMU Nu Bar Rey. She is owned by Bo’s father, David Buss, of Hunter, Oklahoma, and she was bred by the Terry Ranch in Hardin, Texas. David bought the mare as a 4-year-old from


Bryant L. Pace of Sanger, Texas, who also trained her. It wasn’t until Bo had gone to a friend’s house and saw others practicing mounted shooting that he became interested in the sport. Bo talked to his par- ents about pursuing the sport, and they agreed. It was an easy transition for Bo, since he already had a horse and the guns to get him started. Three years ago, Bo started taking riding and


shooting lessons to refine his skills. Bo’s hard work paid off, as he finished in top 15 at the 2016 AQHA Cowboy Mounted Shooting World Championships.


Bo Buss & Smart LIttle Oakey


Bo says none of his success would have been possible without Smart Little Oakey, and the people involved in his jour- ney the past three years.


“I owe quite a bit to all of the people that have helped me out,” Bo says. Bo hopes to return to next year’s cow- boy mounted shooting world champion- ships, but until then, he looks forward to traveling to different states and meeting up with friends made along the way. w


May 2018 SouthWest Horse Trader 11


Biven Chapman & DW Dash Of Whiskey


“We never really got to see


each other, so we combined the two sports so we could travel together,” Biven says. The family has competed in cowboy mounted shooting for the past 11 years, and have enjoyed ev- ery minute of it.


“I plan to go in with a big win


next year – that’s my hope,” Biven says. w


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