Over the years, the annual World Championship of Cowboy Fast Draw held this weekend, through Oct. 15, at Churchill County’s Rafter 3C Arena has become a passion for the event’s executive director.
Fallon, which has hosted the Cowboy Fast Draw (CFD) for 16 years, has grown with its number of participants who come from just about every corner of the United States. The annual event had been held in Deadwood, South Dakota, before moving west to the Oasis of Nevada. CFD Director Cal “Quick Cal” Eirlich of Fernley said he’s extremely proud of the Fallon Convention and Tourism Authority’s support of the Fastest Gun Alive (FGA) Tournament.
The event, which is held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day, is free for spectators. Saturday also features its annual car show and allows spectators to try their luck with the fast draw.
“The FGA brings hundreds of competitors and their families each year to Fallon, which benefits the community’s hotels, restaurants, casinos and retail stores,” Eirlich said.
From 2008 to 2013, the fast draw competition was conducted in the rodeo arena and then moved to the grassy area from 2014-2021 where other annual events are held.
“In 2022 FGA was invited to move the event into the new and fabulous Churchill County 3C Rafter Arena, where it broke its attendance record,” Eirlich said. “The event is expected to break that record again with over 300 competitors and opens to spectators (on Oct. 12), with the championship finals on Oct. 15.”
With the move to the Rafter 3C Arena, the CFD has found an ultra-modern facility. Eirlich said the World Championship of Cowboy Fast Draw is the last tournament of the year for the Top Gun of the Year points race. He pointed out the championship weekend is the culmination of points accumulated during the season from 26 Cowboy Fast Draw Association titled championships. The competitors began the season with the Arkansas State Championships in March.
“Deadwood still hosts our National Cowboy Fast Draw Championship on a revolving schedule every few years as it moves around our nation,” Eirlich said. “The CFDA National Championship was in Deadwood in 2022, and is currently in the middle of a two-year run in Oroville (California).”
For spectators and competitors, Eirlich said the CFD is a sport where competitors use American Old West single-action revolvers, which are pulled from holsters. The cowboys and cowgirls are firing special wax bullets at a target. Eirlich emphasizes the CFD enforces strict, but common-sense safety rules. At the targets, the competitors ready themselves to react to a start light, and then draw, cock and fire their six-gun. Wax bullets impact a 17-inch round target set 15 feet down range.
“Every shooter draws an opponent for each round by luck of the draw, and the first shooter in the pair to reach three winning hits wins the round,” Eirlich said. “The loser receives an ‘X’ when any shooter receives four Xs and they are eliminated from the overall championship.”
At high noon on the last day of the event, Eirlich said the Final 7 for the men, women and youth have their own World Champion Finals. He said the top men and women shooters are awarded with the trademarked title of Fastest Gun Alive. He added the top shooter earns the right to wear the coveted Black Badge, the highest honor in Cowboy Fast Draw.
“Even though Cowboy Fast Draw can be a highly competitive sport, the CFDA’s motto is ‘Safety First, Fun Second and Competition Third,’” Eirlich said.
