NRA Shooting Program
Please CLICK HERE to download a copy of the NRA / NHSRA Smallbore Rifle Rules.
Changes planned for 2013 Trap Competition
With the increasing popularity of NHSRA Shooting Sports, it was anticipated that the skill levels of the contestants would be on the rise, as well. Organizers of the shooting knew there would come a time when they would have to consider changing the course of fire or risk spending hours doing shoot-offs into the wee hours of the night.
While this request came to NHSRA as a proposed "rule change" at our annual Mid-Winter Meeting, the changes that will be implemented this season have been in the planning stages for awhile; waiting for the right time for implementation. After a five-way perfect score tie in the National High School Finals Rodeo competition in 2012, and the top 47 scores coming in at 22 or higher, it appears that the time has come.
For the 2012-2013 season, the NHSFR trap event will change to the following:
1. All contestants entered in the competition will be allowed to shoot at 25 clays in the first round.
2. Contestants who break 22 or more clays will move to a second round of 25 targets.
3. After the second round, those contestants who shoot 44 or more out of a possible 50 will move to a third round to shoot at another 25 targets.
4. Contestants who shoot 66 after the first three rounds will move to the final round to shoot at an additional 25 targets.
5. After the final round, scores of 88 up to perfect scores of 100 would progress to a shoot-off of a full 25 targets each. Any ties under 88 would be broken by "runs from the right" on the final-round scorecard to round out the top 5 (if necessary) in the shoot-off.
Please note that with the implementation of this change, it is the responsibility of the contestants who qualify to progress to subsequent rounds to be available to shoot. There is no way to predict the actual time of each round. The NHSRA WILL NOT call contestants back to the range and cannot guarantee what time they will shoot again, so it is the contestants’ responsibility to be available for the duration of the competition.
The NHSRA hopes that this change reflects the caliber of the national qualifiers to this event. If you have questions regarding these changes, please contact Lyn Larsen at llarsen@nhsra.org or 800-466-4772.
There are no changes to the Light Rifle competition.
2012-13 Brownell's/NRA National Youth Shooting Sports Ambassador
Dallas Beshears of Arizona
As a rodeo cowgirl who loves to shoot, Dallas Beshears was the perfect choice to represent NHSRA as the 2012-13 Brownell’s/NRA National Youth Shooting Sports Ambassador. The Arizona cowgirl made her first appearance at the National High School Finals
Rodeo in 2012, qualifying for both the light rifle and trap shooting competitions, which are sponsored by the National Rifle Association. While she might have hoped for better results in the competitions, the chance to shoot at the NHSFR was a dream come true. As ambassador, Dallas will travel the country representing the NHSRA’s hundreds of shooting members, all while having the chance to make memories that will last a lifetime.
Dallas is the third woman to serve in the role since its inception in 2008 – meaning there have been more women than men representing NHSRA in the program. She joins an ambassador group that includes representatives from several other youth organizations.
The ambassadors will make trips to both the NRA SHOT Show in Las Vegas and the NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits in Houston. Other ambassadors for the year include:
• Royal Rangers: Cris Herrera, 17 years old from Lafayette, La.
• Boy Scouts of America: Maxson Boyd, 16 years old from Austin, Texas
• Boy Scouts of America’s Venturing: Ryan Mitchell, 20 years old from Grapevine, Texas
• USA Shooting: McKenna Dahl, 16 years old from Arlington, Wash.
As the NHSRA representative, Dallas, 17, will also travel to the NHSFR, regardless of whether she qualifies to compete there. But, she plans on earning her way to Rock Springs, Wyo., and exploring some other avenues of competition during her year in the spotlight.
"I really want to get more involved in competitive shooting," she said. "So far, I’ve only been competing in high school rodeo shooting competitions. I’ve talked with Claudia (Olsen, NRA’s National Youth Program Coordinator) and she said she can definitely get me involved in some other events."
Dallas got her start around firearms at just 3 years old. Shooting and hunting offered her more chances to spend time with her dad, Charles.
"It’s something we’ve always been able to do together," she said. "I’m really close to my dad, so going on hunting trips with him meant a lot to me."
While Dallas has always enjoyed just heading out into the nearby desert to shoot at random targets, she wasn’t introduced to competitive shooting until she qualified for the National Junior High Finals Rodeo in Gallup, N.M.
Dallas qualified to compete in various rodeo events at the NJHFR all three years she was eligible, earning a spot in the field in five events (barrel racing, girls goat tying, pole bending, ribbon roping and team roping) her eighth-grade year.
As a freshman, Dallas made the decision to play club basketball instead of competing in rodeo.
"We traveled the country from the West Coast to the East Coast, playing in organized tournaments," she wrote in her application essay. "This was a great experience, however, I truly missed my rodeo family, and I begged my parents to let me go back to the sport I love."
Charles Beshears had assisted shooters from Wyoming at the NJHFR in previous years, so once Dallas returned to the sport, it seemed only natural for the family to take on the role of building a shooting program in Arizona.
"My father was elected director of the Arizona NRA/NHSRA," Dallas wrote. "We agreed that my dad would teach the team, my mom (Deanne) would handle the administration, and I had the obligation to promote and get others motivated and involved."
Dallas didn’t qualify for the NHSFR as a sophomore, but earned a spot in the field for both light rifle and trap as a junior in 2012.
"This was the first time I had attended a national event and had not qualified to participate in the rodeo," she wrote. "I am truly grateful that the NRA has teamed up with the National High School Rodeo Association to afford its members the opportunity to compete, but more importantly to learn a great deal about our country and the wisdom and insight of our founding fathers. I have a great appreciation for our Second Amendment rights."
Part of Dallas’ interest in the program came from knowing Dylan Jensen, the first NHSRA ambassador in 2008-09.
"I grew up around him," she said. "Our families are close, so my dad heard a lot about his experiences as the ambassador. I heard a lot about it from my dad, and that’s what convinced me to apply."
In addition to a variety of apparel with the appropriate logos and several all-expenses paid trips, Dallas will receive a $2,000 stipend for her year of service. As part of her duties, she’ll be submitting articles to both the NHSRA Times and NRA’s InSights magazine. The ambassadors are also routinely asked to test equipment from various manufacturers.
"I was pretty excited when I got the call," Dallas said. "I’m really excited about going to the SHOT Show and seeing all the new toys that are coming out. That’s going to be a great trip. I’m also excited about the meeting in Texas, because I just love Texas."
In addition to competing in a handful of rodeo events within the Arizona High School Rodeo Association, Dallas will shoot both light rifle and trap once again this year.
"I’d probably say I like the light rifle more, but that’s just because I have more experience with it," she said. "I like shooting trap too, but I haven’t been doing that as long."
Dallas credits much of the growth of the AHSRA shooting program to her father, who has helped secure sponsors.
"We have a lot of fun," she said. "We have sponsors for the ammunition, but we also get some fun things to shoot at. If you’re trying to build a program in your state, you’ve got to let people know what you’re doing and get the word out. We’ve had local gun shops who have sent people to us, so we’re getting a lot of new members who are just shooters.
"We’ve got a range pretty close to the house, but sometimes it’s just fun to drive out to the desert and shoot. I love just going out with a .22 and finding random targets to shoot at."
Dallas missed the first AHSRA rodeo of the year due to a variety of illnesses that kept her out of school for more than 20 days, but she’s on the mend now and looking forward to a great year of representing NHSRA.
"I will strive to get others involved and excited about the opportunities that are offered," she wrote in her essay. "This experience has given me the chance to further understand our country, my parents, and most importantly the ability to develop my own values. Once again, thank you for your consideration of my application, and God Bless America."
Previous NHSRA Shooting Sports Ambassadors
2008-09: Dylan Jensen – Arizona
2009-10: Jessy Hagey – Illinois
2010-11: Bailey Conner – Missouri
2011-12: Jesse Rogers – New Mexico
