Call it an arranged marriage that combines the riding skills of Virginia’s horse country with the precision marksmanship of the military installations that surround the Piedmont between Quantico and the Pentagon.

Some people ride bikes. Some people shoot.

In cowboy horseback shooting you do both.

The fast-paced sport is exciting, say participants and fans, and combines horsemanship and accuracy, strategy and a skillful, steady hand.

“It combines everything,” said Paul Henry, president of the local First Virginia chapter of the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association and a 1983 graduate of Fauquier High School. “There’s the Wild West aspect and the competitive aspect. Horses, shooting, a community of supporters and a worldwide network of clubs. Of course it’s about skill and precision, but it’s also a lot of fun.”

Henry said the CMSA was founded in 1991 and opened up to the public what was previously reserved for settlers and ranchers in the American West, as well as for mounted cavalry.

Today there are over 20,000 CMSA club members in over 50 regional and local clubs and the organization says it is the fastest growing equestrian sport.

The First Virginia has members who started out in other western sports, Henry said; others started out in English riding. Some, like himself, jumped into mounted shooting with no previous riding experience.

“You have to focus on it,” Henry said, “but you can learn both at the same time.”

First Virginia held a practice event at the Fauquier Fair in July. It was popular and well received, Henry said. A sanctioned jackpot event is being considered for the 2025 fair. Henry said the club’s current focus is on the large, recognized shows it hosts at the Virginia State Fair at the Meadow Event Center in Doswell from Aug. 22 to Sept. 1.

Henry, owner and operator of Paul Henry’s Window Installation in Warrenton, calls the sport “addictive.”

“It’s a mix of an old west gunfight and barrel racing, with a little bit of costume (flair),” he said. “It’s a lot of fun to watch. And it’s even more fun to do it.”

Mounted shooting is a timed individual event. There are more than 60 patterns, each with 10 balloon targets attached to barrels or posts that competitors can shoot at in an enclosed arena. Most patterns involve wooden markers to pass through or barrels to go around.

High-level riders gallop their courses and rarely miss a target. But the lower-level divisions also offer a safe introduction to the sport. Beginners can complete the course at a trot or even a walk, as accuracy is paramount. Time penalties are added to the elapsed time for missed targets and misdirections.

Winning times range from about 9 seconds at championship level to about 45 seconds at beginner level.

George Lewis, former president of First Virginia, six-time high-point shooter in Virginia and three-time national champion, said, “There is a lot of strategy involved in mounted shooting, not just speed.”

From beginners to the highest level, all participants follow the same patterns.

“All levels have 10 objectives that must be completed in numerical order,” said Lewis. The first five are arranged in a planned pattern but spread throughout the arena. The last five are arranged in a straight line down the middle of the arena and are called the “rundown.”

Dana Hall, a member of First Virginia, said one-handed control is key.

“You shoot with one hand, so you steer with the other,” she said. The sport “tests both your shooting skills and your driving skills.”

The riders carry two holstered .45 revolvers with single-action function, each loaded with five black powder blank cartridges and with an effective range of 3 to 4.5 meters. The hammer must be cocked with each shot.

There is also a rifle class – a pistol and a .44-40 rifle – and a shotgun class – a .410 shotgun, a pistol.

“In rifle and shotgun shooting, the rider literally drops the reins because he uses both hands to shoot,” Hall added. “It’s really hard. You steer with your legs and seat, but it takes a lot of practice.”

There are no restrictions on horse breed or size, but Hall said the classic American Quarter Horse is the most common. Within each category, there are divisions for men, women, seniors and youth.

Riders can choose between classic western, historical or cavalry attire. Hall said women can ride in traditional western attire – jeans, cowboy boots, western shirt and cowboy hat – or in “old-fashioned 19th century clothing,” a long skirt, corset and pantaloons.

Lewis said the main reason to get involved in cowboy horse shooting is pretty simple.

“It’s the most fun you can have on a horse,” he said. “It combines everything good about (equestrian) sports.”