Shooter Spotlight : Sidekick

I dont know this cowboy very well but that is what this whole spotlight thing is about. From Alabama lets get to know a little about Sidekick!

Where do you live?

I live in North Alabama in a little town called Falkville.

When did you start shooting and how did you get into the sport?

I started cowboy shooting in Jan of 2002.  I got into the sport with my dad who saw a demonstration while he was on vacation in Cody, Wyoming.

Who was your mentor either known to them or not?

There have been a lot of people who have helped me over the years but there are 2 guys who really stand out.  Pistoleer is a local shooter who I have been shooting with since my first match.  He was the first person who showed me anything about shooting faster in the game.  After 18 years he is one of my best friends in the game and we still bounce ideas off of each other.  The second guy is named Tuff Stuff.  I wouldn’t be where I am in this game without him.  In the last four years he has helped me to completely revamp my shooting style and he continues to push me to be better.

How much do you practice?

I try to dry fire once or twice a week.  I usually only live fire practice for a couple of months leading up to EOT.

How many rounds a month do you shoot?

When I’m doing live fire practice I will shoot around 4 to 5,000 rounds a month.

Have you won any state, regional, national, or world championships?

I have been the Alabama Overall state champion 13 times and the Southeast Regional Champion 6 times.

Tell us your most memorable match?

For me my most memorable match was the 1st time I went to Comin at Cha in 2009.  I had heard about that match for years and to finally get to experience it was something I will never forget.

What is your favorite aspect of CAS?

The friendships that I’ve made with people from all over the world.

Is there a story behind your alias and what is that story?

When my dad and I joined I couldn't come up with an alias.  My dad had picked his alias Canoe Creek Kid and he said he needed a sidekick so I wrote it down and thats that.

Do you have a traveling or shooting buddy?

My dad.

Where is your favorite place to shoot?

I would say its a tie between Black Gold and the Bar 3.

What category do you shoot?

Right now I shoot in cowboy but starting in March I will be in Wrangler.

Have you tried other categories? What categories have you tried and how did that go?

I’ve shot Duelist a couple of times at monthly matches and I’ve shot Gunfighter a lot over the years, and this summer I’m going to try Outlaw for the 1st time.

What is your posse job of choice?

Running the timer or spotting.

What is the time of your fastest clean stage?

I’m not really sure but a 10-10-2 stage is probably sub 10 seconds and a 10-10-4 stage is probably in the high 10 seconds.

What was the best advice you got from a fellow shooter and who was it?

My buddy Tuff Stuff told me that when you try to go fast that your conscious mind will get in the way and actually slow you down, and if you want to shoot at your absolute best you have to let your subconscious mind take over.

What advice can you give to some of the shooters reading this?

Never forget that this is just a game.  Its understandable that if you spend a lot of money, time, and effort you will want to see it pay off but at the end of the day its just a game and a bad day at the range beats a day at work.

Is there that one rival that delivers a little extra sting when they beat you?

No not really.

Whats keeps you playing the game?

Definitely the people in the game.

What is the favorite thing to do when you are not on the range or shooting?

Spending time with my 3 daughters.