MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Ryan Chambers may spend his weekdays working as an engineer in Great Bend, but come the weekend, he’s saddling up for a high-speed, adrenaline-pumping sport that’s anything but ordinary.
Chambers, originally from Pretty Prairie and a Hutchinson Community College and Kansas State University alum, competes in cowboy mounted shooting — a sport that combines horseback riding with live-fire marksmanship. Riders maneuver their horses through a timed course, shooting at balloon targets with replica 1800s-era single-action revolvers.
“It’s kind of like barrel racing, but with guns,” Chambers explained with a grin. “You want to be fast, but you also need to be accurate. Every missed balloon adds five seconds to your time.”
Chambers first tried his hand at the sport after graduating from K-State, following in the footsteps of his younger brother, Tyler, who’s already earned a world championship title. Ryan’s debut came at the Kansas State Fair, where he placed dead last — even behind a 12-year-old competitor. But he stuck with it, eventually becoming a two-time Men’s High Point Champion in Kansas.
“You just keep working at it,” he said. “It’s humbling, but fun.”
His interest in statistics also ties back to family. Chambers’ grandparents, Neil and Ardith Thompson, were long-time statisticians for Hutchinson Community College starting in 1979. Chambers followed suit, helping with stats while a student and continuing to assist at Blue Dragon games and national tournaments to this day. He also works with the sports information department at K-State, where he covers home football games and other athletic events.
Balancing his engineering job with his passion for mounted shooting — not to mention bowling — takes planning. But with a homemade arena on family property, Chambers and his brother find time to train regularly.
“The horse has to be in shape, just like the rider,” Chambers said. “And they have to be used to the sound of gunfire. That takes time and the right kind of horse.”
The revolvers used in competition are .45 Colt single-action pistols, replicas of 1890s-era firearms. There are also divisions that include shotguns and lever-action rifles. The primary division, however, remains the pistol class — open to competitors of all ages, including an 86-year-old rider who competed in Las Vegas recently.
Chambers helps run a club based in Great Bend, which draws shooters from across Kansas — from Fowler to Topeka and Oakley to Wichita. Organizing events can be a challenge, but the community it fosters makes the effort worth it.
“We just pick a date and hope the weather cooperates,” he said.
The Kansas state shoot is scheduled for April 18–20 in Topeka, with other major events planned for Dodge City Days and the Kansas State Fair. On the national scale, Chambers has his eye on the upcoming CMSA (Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association) national shoot in Lincoln, Nebraska, scheduled around Memorial Day weekend.
“Some people golf, some bowl — I ride a horse and shoot balloons,” Chambers laughed. “It’s definitely a conversation starter.”
With a supportive community, a strong family legacy in stats, and a passion for a sport most have never heard of, Ryan Chambers continues to leave his mark — both in the saddle and behind the scorer’s table.