Scottsdale
teen wins World Championship
by
LeeAnn Sharpe
SCOTTSDALE
– Faye Leerssen, a 14‑year‑old freshman
from Scottsdale’s Desert Mountain High School, took
the crown as Ladies Champion at the 2006 Mounted Shooters
of America World Championships.
Youth
and experience won the day at the Mohave Crossing
Arena in Bullhead City, Ariz. Leerssen and her Paint
horse “Chief” rode hard and clean to take her to the
top of the sport.
“Chief
has been one of the most important things in my life,”
Leerssen said. “I ride almost every day. My room is
covered with pictures of Chief, my school notebook
has pictures of Chief, everything I do centers around
him.”
What’s
most remarkable is that Chief required extensive surgery
for an intestinal blockage in August
2005, an operation many horses don’t survive. Not
only did he survive, but with Faye’s gentle loving
attention, he has returned to his fully competitive
and now world championship form.
Scottsdale
riding instructor Mariette Kort said of her student,
“Faye has gained so much self‑ confidence in
this sport. She is totally dedicated and has worked
hard to achieve her goal.” Kort has been training
Leerssen since the age of 6. She started learning
the sport of mounted shooting when she was about 9
years old.
Mounted
shooting combines top equestrian skills of riding
with lead changes, rating a horse to the speed needed,
making tight turns around barrels, and being able
to strategize the best route within a course’s requirements
based on the horse’s ability.
The
rider must to all this while shooting a single action
revolver, loaded with a special black powder
blank, to break balloons situated atop cones at distances
of about 10 to 15 feet. Only 5 chambers
in the revolvers are loaded. Competitors are required
to shoot the first five targets in a pattern, then
change guns to engage the second set of five targets.
The
sport requires a combination of top equestrian skills
and precision shooting. Top competitors complete the
course in 11 seconds.
To
win a World Championship title requires years of experience
and skill. And it requires a fast and well‑trained
horse.
“Faye
is the only one to ever ride Chief. She has done all
of the training herself,” said Kort.
This
is unusual as many top competitors often send their
horses to the experts for fine‑tuning.
“Everyday
after school and all weekend long Faye is out riding
and working with Chief.”
