SPECIAL FEATURES
SAMANTHA MADAR, STANDARD-EXAMINER FILE PHOTO
A cowgirl competes in the Cowboy Mounted Shooting competition during the Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo on Wednesday, July 24, 2019, at Ogden Pioneer Stadium in Ogden.
Utah Mounted Thunder bringing Old West, cowboy lifestyle into the 21st century there’s a flourishing organization in Standard-Examiner Utah that allows him to get his fix. Casperson is a member of Utah’s OGDEN — For JD Casperson, a true Mounted Thunder, one of many outfits 21st century cowboy, there aren’t many things better than shooting a gun while across the nation associated with the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association. riding a horse. The sport, which Casperson says is And thankfully, Casperson says, BY MITCH SHAW
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quickly gaining in popularity, harkens back to the Old West. According to UMT’s website, contestants compete in the timed event on horseback, using two .45 caliber single-action revolvers. Rifles and shotguns are also used, though those variations are typically
more difficult and not as common. Firearms are loaded with five rounds of specially prepared ammunition. For the pistols, cartridges fired are called .45 caliber Long Colts. The brass cartridge is loaded with black powder, just like what was used by Western cowboys from the Western Wasatch - November 2020 12
