Event changes dates next year
FALLON – The Fastest Gun Alive-World Championship Fast Draw has announced its shifting dates from October to August next year. This year’s world championship, though, remains from Oct. 12-15 at Churchill County’s Rafter 3C Arena.
According to the Fastest Gun Alive’s (FGA) Quick Cal Eilrich, the fast-draw competition held annually in Fallon will have its signature event in 2024 from July 24-28 for several reasons. For years, the World Championship Fast Draw has been conducted in October, but Eilrich said other issues had to fall into place to move up the date.
“This subject came to my attention only this past weekend at our Nebraska Championships when, time and time again, CFDA (Cowboy Fast Draw Association) members from that area told me that the reason they cannot attend the FGA is their fall harvesting season in the upper Midwest,” he said. “This prompted a thought process which developed quickly into a discussion with a number of our members.”
Eilrich said he contacted the Fallon Convention and Tourism Authority and the Rafter 3C Arena manager. He said both groups were receptive to the new summer date, and the event would beat the hot summer heat by having the fast draw inside the air-conditioned 75,000-square-foot arena.
Eilrich pointed out other concerns that the date change could remedy. He said more youth would be able to attend before they reported back to school for the fall semester. The fast draw doesn’t interfere with the hunting or harvesting seasons.
“Every year CFDA’s titled championship season slows down drastically over the hot summer months, which will not affect the 3C Arena,” he said.
During July, local tourism encounters a quieter time until the annual Fallon Cantaloupe Festival’s three-day run at the end of the month.
Eilrich further said 22 of the 26 title championships this year were completed on or before the second weekend in July. He said nothing has changed for 2023 because the Top Gun Points will still end with the Fastest Gun Alive competition in October.
“We also believe we will see more CFDA-titled championships in the fall months since there’s still good weather in most parts of the USA, which may help alleviate our busy schedule in the earlier months,” he said. “We’re announcing this now since it can affect other CFDA-titled championships for our 2024 season.”
The CFDA moved the event from Deadwood, South Dakota, to Fallon 15 years ago. According to the CFDA, hundreds of competitors and vendors from across the nation spend most of a week in Fallon. Spectators travel from Northern California, Nevada and other states to watch the competition and learn about the sport. More than 250 top competitors worldwide will attend to see who will be named the 2023 Fastest Gun Alive.
