A group of cowboys gathered for a unique competition on horseback in Milan, Illinois.
The Star Spangled Shootout was held at Schone’s Friendship Farm on Saturday, July 6, 2013. Cowboys and cowgirls rode horses through a course with the goal to pop balloons using six shooters. The event was hosted by the Eastern Iowa Cowboys Shooting Association.
There were 65 riders competing, each rider got three rounds of shooting.
One participant described the event as a bunch of adults playing a kids game. Another said it was an addicting sport.
The event is a speed event, and riders have to move as fast as they can. Competitors are judged on how quickly and efficiently they made it through the course.