A touch of the wild west to descend on Wairarapa

The Wairarapa Pistol and Shooting Sports Club will host the 10th Pistol New Zealand Cowboy Action Championships at its Gladstone country shooting range complex from November 5 to 8.
The event,which is also a Single Action Shooting Society (USA) regional championship, is one of the largest cowboy shooting events in the southern hemisphere and involves the use of firearms of the period 1840 to 1899...revolvers, rifles and shotguns, including American western period firearms and firearms used in the early part of New Zealand's history. Period attire is essential, as is a suitable alias, such as :Wild Bill Hickup", "Rusty Chambers" and "Rowdy Gates".
Enacted at the championships will be some of the famous gunfights, like the Gunfight At the Gladstone County Corral and Butch Cassidy and the Sunburnt Kid, plus a number of long range rifle events, including the Quigley Down Under.
WPSSC president Neil Hayes said the Gladstone country range, which has been in existence since 1902, had been greatly enhanced for the event with close to 100 shooters expected to participate, including two from the United States.
Hayes said 20 different countries currently participate in western action shooting and that competition could best be described as "serious fun".
"There is a fun element to it but, at the end of the day, everybody wants to perform well too," he said. "But it is entertaining, that's for sure".
The opening ceremony for the Gladstone event will take place on Friday, November 6 at 9am and will be attended by the Mayors of Masterton, Carterton and South Wairarapa plus the M P for Wairarapa, John Hayes,