Do the kids ride and shoot? The answer is “Yes” and “No”. Wrangles, kids under 12 years of age, ride the same patterns the grown-ups do, but they don’t shoot real blanks. Kids have the same clothing requirements the adults do and follow the same rules for riding the patterns, however, a “demo” ride may be used to show them how to correctly engage the course and marker cones may be placed to help them navigate the proper path. Lead-line or adult assisted rides will be scored a 60 second ride.
Limited Wranglers, those kids under age 10, must engage the course correctly, but they are not required to carry guns and holsters and do not have to engage or aim at the target balloons. However if they do carry replica or toy guns they will be judged like the older Wranglers.
Open Wranglers, those kids age 10 and 11, must correctly ride the pattern and engage all targets with non-firing replica or unloaded real guns. They are judged and scored like the grown-ups are for misses, gun exchanges and all other penalties.
Wranglers are our future Cowboy & Cowgirl Mounted Shooters. At the end of the day they have the opportunity to shoot real blanks at balloon targets from a standing position while under direct supervision of their parent or guardian. However, Wranglers must never shoot real blanks from a horse.