OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE TUSCO LONG RIDERS The Shooting Makes It Fun, the People Make It Special June 2018 Writer/Editor: Baby Doll Blue June 2nd Another perfect shooting day at Tusco and 64 shooters made it even better! Congratulations Stone Creek Drifter, our Top Men s and Overall shooter, as well as Honey B. Quick, our Top Ladies shooter. Welcome to Tusco Deathwind and Bluestocking Belle. We hope you enjoyed your shoot and will be back soon. Thank you to Life-R with Patriot Casting for his donations to the prize table. A huge thank you to all who came out early to help set up our stages as well as all our shooters and visitors. You all make this club great! Top 20 1. Stone Creek Drifter 2. Cripple Creek Kid 3. Cheyenne Culpepper 4. John Barleycorn 5. I.M. Crossdraw 6. Swiss 7. Buckaroo Bubba 8. Prairie Cole 9. Black Run Butcher 10. Kid Clove 11. Life-R 12. Mossy Pops 13. Shotgun Chavezz 14. Raging Thunder 15. Cheatin Charlie 16. Hooliga Howes 17. Honey B. Quick 18. Swiftwater Jack 19. Sixgun Seamus 20. Split Rail Clean Shooters Clay Pike Kid Colorado Coffin Maker Flint N. Steele Hooligan Howes John Barleycorn Kid Clove Last Gun Raging Thunder Santa Fe Steve Shenango Joe Short Gun Shorty Shotgun Chavezz Stone Creek Drifter Swiftwater Jack Thunder Creek Kid In this Issue Prairie Dawg s Little-Known Facts of the Old West EOT 2018 High Noon 2018 2019 Tusco Wall Calendar Next Shoot: July 7th 2018 Rain or Shine 1 P a g e
Hooligan Howes Stone Creek Drifter Rye Miles John Barleycorn Cayenne Kay Prairie Dawg 2 P a g e ~Photographs provided by Baby Doll Blue with KK Photography~
Prairie Dawg's Little-Known Facts of the Old West The great film Tombstone is the theme of this year's High Noon. This month, we will take a step back into one of the best scenes in this film. I don't know about you, but re-visiting this scene made me want to watch the movie again...so I made some popcorn, slipped the DVD into the player, and transported myself back to Tombstone, Arizona in the 1880s... A Tombstone 25th Anniversary Special -- The Colt/Cup Spinning Showdown A behind-the-scenes look at the Johnny Ringo/Doc Holliday bar scene Adapted from two True West magazine articles: A 2006 article by Joey Dillon, and a 2018 article by John Farkis https://truewestmagazine.com The cup-spinning scene in 1993 s Tombstone is still a fan favorite. When Johnny Ringo shows up at the gaming tables, a drunk Doc Holliday tells him in Latin, "In vino veritas" (There is truth in wine). Ringo responds in kind, eventually patting his gun and saying, "Juventus stultorum magister" (Youth is the teacher of fools). "In pace requiescat" (May he rest in peace), Holliday responds, to which Sheriff White interjects, telling them both to cool down. Holliday won t let it die though, saying, Evidently, Mr. Ringo s an educated man. Now I really hate him. Well, who wouldn t be ticked off at that? Ringo whips out his Colt, and the games begin. He points the pistol at Holliday s face, but relaxes and pulls the gun back, only to point it back at Holliday once more. Now Ringo s ready to roll. He performs a series of forward and backward spins. Over and over again, Ringo attempts to antagonize Doc with these tricks. 3 P a g e
Holliday s response to Ringo is truly a classic moment in Western film. When Ringo is done with his gunplay, Holliday simply picks up his silver cup and spins it by the handle, repeating the motions Ringo performed with his Colt. What magic did Val Kilmer conjure to perform such a trick? It s simple: The production crew put a weight in the cup. When then-director Kevin Jarre first spoke to Val Kilmer about the gun-twirling, cupspinning scene, Kilmer was a bit apprehensive. I was very concerned that the whole movie would be in trouble if I didn t beat Ringo in that moment, Kilmer admits. And so I said to Kevin, You know, what if this isn t funny -- who knows what it will look like, a little tin cup kind of swirling around in these fancy gun moves. What if it s not funny? And he looked at me and said, Yeah, I guess that s a problem. So what I did was, for a couple of months, work the gun routine with both hands. I basically taught myself to do all that stuff with the.45 with the right hand, and also with the left hand -- I was doing it with the.38. It s really tough to do that stuff. Guns are heavy. And it s also weird when you mess up -- it s like hitting yourself with a hammer. Cast and crew frequently saw Kilmer strolling around the Tombstone set with two guns, twirling them every chance he got, determined to make the scene believable -- and funny. I ve got two guns, one for each of ya, drawls Holliday, in one of the film's scenes. The first of those guns was a 4¾-inch, nickel-plated, ivory-gripped,.38-caliber Colt Lightning Model 1877. The second was a 4¾-inch, nickel-plated, ivory-gripped,.45-caliber Colt SAA clone from gun importer EMF. Kilmer became extremely proficient in handling these Colts. He could twirl one forward and one backward at the same time. As for his lightweight tin cup, a weight was installed at the bottom to offset the balance and thus help in the twirling motion. Prior to filming the cup-spinning scene, Kilmer came up with an unusual technique to get into character. I m sitting in my cast chair outside the bar, says Forrie J. Smith, who played Pony Deal (or Diehl) in the film, and Val comes out and tackles me. We re in the dirt wrestling around. I finally get him in a compromising position. He goes, Okay, Okay, Okay. I asked, What the hell was that all about? Well, Kilmer told him, I had to blow some steam off before I do the scene with the damn cup. The wardrobe gal was all upset because he had dirt all over him, and they had to brush him off. 4 P a g e
Michael Biehn, who played Johnny Ringo, opposite Kilmer's Doc Holliday in the scene, worked equally hard at his gun-twirling skills. He worked with Thell Reed, an exhibition shooter and movie industry gun-handling consultant. Thell Reed and I worked together to create a unique gun-twirling routine, he says. I made up a trick here, and Thell made up a trick there, and we put that routine together in a matter of two or three months. Biehn practiced about two months to get his Colt twirling down. I even put in things that gun wranglers had never seen before! he says. Biehn practiced so much, he frequently broke the gun s grips, recalls Buckaroo crew member Jake Johnson, who adds, Thell wanted Ringo to look more like a show-off outlaw than a Johnny Mack Brown vaudevillian burlesque performance of gun-spinning, and I think that s the difference you see when he s doing that. Biehn looks like he s serious, and knows how to handle a gun. You can see from some of the angles that there were multiple takes, but he was capable of doing the entire routine in one take. Before filming began of scenes inside the saloon, the cast would hear the opening bars of Warren Zevon s Werewolves of London over and over again, to get the crowd in the mood, so to speak. When we did the scene, Biehn says, my hands started sweating. Those.45s are heavy. Dana Delany and Bill Paxton were sitting right below me. I didn t want to hurt them with a gun, and that was kind of nerve-racking, but we did it. I m pretty sure that s the only take we did, recalls Kilmer, describing his cup-spinning debut. And you always know when you re doing something right, because the crew laughs. They re usually just waiting for lunch, while the camera s rolling. But you know it s funny when you get applause from the extras and the crew and the camera guys and the other actors. After filming was completed, Kilmer sent one of the cups to George Cosmatos, who got the director credit after Jarre was fired. The actor inscribed the cup, To George, from Doc. Perhaps Kilmer should have sent the cup to Kurt Russell, who starred as the iconic Wyatt Earp. True West broke the news, in 2006, that Russell was the one who actually directed the 1993 movie. The credit for the thrill of the gun-twirling, cup-spinning sequence, though, goes to Kilmer and Biehn, not only for their dedication to authentically twirl their Colts, but also for making sure the serious contest between these adversaries got the audience laughing. 5 P a g e
Here's how world champion gun handler Joey Dillon breaks down Johnny Ringo's famous Colt-spinning scene: Ringo performs a series of forward-backward spins: one flat spin in forward rotation to the right of his body, then a single forward spin, a single backward spin, and another single backward spin with a twist of the arm, so he can end with the single flat spin to the right of his body. So...Would you like to spin your Colt like Johnny Ringo? Well, Unload your Colt and follow these instructions! Forward Spin: Move your lower three fingers straight and out of the way as you let the barrel fall forward, twirling on the middle of your trigger finger. Keep the momentum going by moving your rigid hand in a circular motion. The gripframe will come back around. Backward Spin: Move the barrel up and back, then straighten your fingers out of the way and let the barrel fall backward. Again, your rigid hand makes a circular motion, but in reverse this time, to keep the momentum flowing. At the end of Ringo s scene, this spin is used to let the barrel come backwards and into the holster. Forward Flat Spin: Hold the gun horizontally, pointing inward, and move your arm outwards, straightening your fingers out of the way and doing a very fast circular motion like waxing a car. Let the gun twirl around on your crooked trigger finger. End by catching the gripframe with the gun in a vertical hold. Reverse Flat Spin: Start with a vertical hold and begin a backward spin. Just as the barrel falls back, have your wrist make a circular motion (like you are waxing the car in the opposite direction this time) and catch the gun by the gripframe in a horizontal hold, pointing inward (the start of the forward flat spin). Film history buff John Farkis lives in Brighton, Michigan. This article contains edited excerpts from his forthcoming Tombstone book, due out Winter 2018, I m Coming and Hell s Coming with Me! He is the author of Not Thinkin Just Rememberin : The Making of John Wayne s The Alamo, and Alamo Village: How a Texas Cattleman Brought Hollywood to the Old West. To learn more about Joey Dillon and the products he sells to promote his gun handling techniques, visit https://www.joeydillon.com/ 6 P a g e
High Noon 2018 High Noon 2018 is sold out. If you want to get on the waiting list, please send in a registration form with payment. Checks will not be cashed until you get moved onto the shooters list. Thank you to all who signed up! We are looking forward to another great High Noon! End of Trail: SASS World Championships Good luck to all who are attending the SASS World Championships on June 14 th -24 th in Edgewood NM. Shoot straight and shoot fast! 2019 Tusco Wall Calendar The 2019 Tusco Wall calendar will be for pre-sale now through High Noon. No orders will be taken after High Noon 2018. All calendars will be delivered at our charity shoot on November 3 rd. Cost is $22 and all proceeds go to our charity, the Barnhill/Midvale shared Christmas Program. 7 P a g e
Tusco News & Notes Six Stages We shoot six stages at Tusco. A few people have told us that they drive a good distance to shoot at Tusco and would like to shoot as much as possible. Obviously we only have room for five shooting bays. So what we do is shoot the first stage you start on twice. Consider it a warm up stage. Only five stages will be scored. You can take your best time on your first stage. If you don t want to shoot it twice you do not have to. This would provide more shooting for our shooters. New SASS Magazine With the new release of the SASS Quarterly Cowboy Chronicle, I once again would like to start collecting any unwanted issues of the magazine. We will use these for our promotional events, like our Tusco Long Riders Day at Kames Sports. Please either black out or cut off your name and address or I will do it before they are passed out. Thank you! Facebook Page When you make a post about Tusco or share pictures on Facebook, include #TuscoLongRiders. Let everyone see what we are all about. New Shooters Shoot for Free at Tusco The Tusco Long Riders will be offering FREE SHOOTS to ALL FIRST TIME SHOOTERS AT TUSCO. This is ONLY for a shooter s first ever shoot at Tusco. (*this is only for monthly matches, excluding High Noon 3-day Shoot in October, and the Charity Shoot in November.) Cowboy Swap Meet at Monthly Shoots As a reminder, feel free to bring your old Cowboy Gear, Guns and Equipment to sell at our monthly shoots. It s a good opportunity to sell some of your unwanted stuff to your fellow shooters. Your items are your responsibility. Pre-Paid Shoots Looking for that perfect Gift for your Cowboy Friends and Family? How about a Pre-paid Shoot to a Tusco Monthly Match. They cost $10.00 each at a shoot or they can be mailed for $10.50. Contact Buckaroo Bubba at pittfandwr@aol.com or 330-348-5637 if you would like to purchase them. Help Wanted at Tusco If you are available to help set up target stands/props before our shoots it would be greatly appreciated. We start setup at 7am on shoot days. 8 P a g e
Contact Information Tusco Long Riders 2132 Midvale Mine Rd SE Dennison, OH 44621-9019 http://www.tuscolongriders.com Tusco Long Riders on Facebook www.facebook.com/tuscolongriders President Buckaroo Bubba Dan Ranker 330-348-5637 pittfandwr@aol.com Vice President Prairie Dawg Lou Polsinelli 216-932-7630 lpolsi@yahoo.com Treasurer Angie Oakley Angela Haun 330-209-4500 angelahaun@gmail.com Secretary Baby Doll Blue Kristina Hall 740-319-4107 kk-photography@outlook.com Club Sheriff Split Rail Tim Watson 330-364-6185 vandtwranch@roadrunner.com Club Deputy Dewey Shootem David Keeler 440-752-9336 deweyshootem@windstream.com Club Deputy Six Gun Seamus Ken Flanagan 330-904-5166 sixgunseamus@gmail.com Match Director Muleskinner Mike Legg 740-922-1290 pamlegg@wildblue.net Territorial Governor Stone Creek Drifter Achim Obernyer 330-339-7561 stonecreekdrifter@gmail.com Supporting Clubs Big Irons Middletown, Ohio www.bigirons.com Blackhand Raiders Nashpost, Ohio www.blackhandraiders.com/home.html Brown Township Regulators Malvern, Ohio www.browntownshipregulators.com Firelands Peacemakers Rochester, Ohio www.firelandspeacemakers.com Greene County Cowboys Xenia, Ohio www.gcfng.com/gccowboys/index.html Henderson Wild Justice League Williamstown, WV http://hendersonwilds.com/ Logan s Ferry Regulators Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania www.logansferrysportsmens.com Miami Valley Cowboys Piqua, Ohio www.miamivalleycowboys.org/ Ohio Valley Vigilantes Mount Vernon, Ohio www.ohiovv.com/ River Junction Shootist Society Donegal, Pennsylvania www.riverjunctionshootistsociety.com/ Sandusky County Regulators Gibsonburg, Ohio http://scsclub.org/events/cowboy-action/ Scioto Territory Desperados Chillicothe, Ohio www.sciotodesperados.com Shenango River Rats Masury, Ohio www.brookfieldconservation.com/cowboy.html Wild West Point West Point, Ohio www.affox.com/casscores/westpoint.html 9 P a g e
Tusco Long Riders Mercantile Brought to you by: LouAnn s Sewing Shoppe One-Shot Al & Needle-Eye Annie 10 P a g e
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PATRIOT CASTING " BULLETS OF THE CHAMPIONS" STATE REGIONAL NATIONAL LIFE-R SASS# 44051 614-736-1077 3400 BRUCETON AVE. COLUMBUS, OHIO 43232 lifermike@gmail.com 12 P a g e