Women, Shooting, Luxury Travel

Forbes has an interesting article on women, shooting, and luxury travel.  I'm heartened to see this in a high-end magazine, because it reflects my own experience in the shooting sports.  He extols the values and joys of shooting Sporting Clays  on Maryland's eastern shore.

Her one-liner also pricelessly captured a transformation happening to both luxury travel and politics in America from the lens of a small Maryland Eastern Shore town that is ranked #5 in millionaires per capita in the U.S. and one of the most popular places in the country for waterfowl hunting and shooting sports. 

He also talks about the economic impact that women make on sport shooting.

 While the NRA reports a 77% increase in the number of women who own firearms between 2004 and 2011 overall, it isn’t just for personal protection. According to a recent study called “Girl Power” by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the number of women hunters increased 84% from 2001 to 2013. Say goodbye to the good old boy days of chiggers, marsh slogging, and freezing in a duck blind. The Pinot Grigio, golf-cart era of shooting sports has officially arrived.

It's true, women spend money on shooting.  According to the NSSF, on average, $870 on firearms purchases, and $405 on accessories.  That doesn't count what their loved ones spend on gifts.  I myself have purchased guns for Milady on a couple of occasions.

As a plug to the Cowboy Fast Draw Association, we love our women shooters and couldn't survive without them.   They serve as Match Directors, Regulators, score-keepers, instructors and shooters.  Without the women, the CFDA would be a pale imitation of itself.  The ladies give us color and depth and style.  They drive economic activity, because comfort is important, and accessories are a must-have.

Wench, from Colorado and Blue-Eyed Belle from Louisiana

While I make-do with a single, well-worn, belt-holster rig for cowboy shooting, my lady needs a minimum of two, because a black rig doesn't go with the things that a brown rig might go with.  And, as grandson Zach said last year, "I like traveling with y'all because you stay in nice hotels and eat at fine restaurants."

Indeed, in April, we're traveling to a match in Fort Worth, TX.  Five days of shooting.  And, as Zach said, we're going to stay in a nice hotel and eat at fine restaurants.  We're also going to a chuckwagon meal, and tourist around the historic Stockyard district of Fort Worth.  We'll probably buy a tee-shirt.  Shooting drives economic activity.

Our ladies keep us straight, keep us on the high road, and worry about the things that men might not worry about if the ladies weren't around.  One example might be this gal, below.

Texas Rose.  Staunch competitor, gracious host.

That's CFDA's Texas Rose.  She's a club president, a Regulator (In the CFDA, a Regulator is a trusted adviser who is entitled to interpret rules and certify training.), She's also a steadfast competitor, recognized last year with the second-place ladies Top Gun award.  She shoots in lots of matches.

In CFDA, the ladies are an integral part of the organization. They coach, they organize, they help us have fun, they set standards, and they lend color and dignity to the sport.

The ladies, strapped and gun-fighting.

As happy as I am with Forbes article, I'm surprised that they haven't recognized earlier that the women are shooting.  Our organization couldn't function without them.