Understand I am a little biased.

My 8 year old riding and shooting pretty well. She won her second buckle this last weekend.

Here is a pic of her first buckle from the state shoot, last month:

This last weekend:

Waaaaaaaaaay cool.....always good to get them started early.

MM

Here she is unloading the .45s, making sure all is clear. I make sure she very meticulous in the process of loading and unloading. There is nothing rushed.

From around 8 to 12 or so, is a great age for being with your kids..........enjoy it.

MM

You have earned the right to be one damn proid pappy

Yes Sir I really enjoy my time with her. She had it rough with me being gone for years overseas.

It was pretty bad when I came back on break one time with long hair and a beard, and at the airport she asked my wife "is that my daddy".

I knew it was time for a drastic change. She latched on to me when I hung up my traveling guns and has kept a close eye on me since then.

Here she is carrying the state flag:

I'd have to say your a good father! And she has got to be having fun riding and shooting. Good life experience.

Awesome.........

Wow, you have to be proud of her!

Nice looking girl and some great accomplishments. Congrats.

Damn awesome. My daughter is 14 months right now and the idea of stuff like this in my future with her just brings a smile to my face.

Thank you for sharing.

OH MAN, that just tickles my fancy pink! GREAT JOB DAD!!!

Great pictures. You have every right to be proud. That is an awesome accomplishment.

Wonderful stuff - way to go!

Thanks for the kudos guys.

She is the reason I walked away from what I was doing. I figured I had only one chance to be a dad and be involved in watching and participating in her growing up.

You have every reason to be proud.

She is a cute little Lady.

I love to tease kids especially girls. In her case I think I'll walk away.

Great pics and great shooting!

Dink

Outstanding

EXXXXXXCCCCEELLLEEENNNTTTTTTT!!!!

Good for her......those are great pics Mackay!! She's a beauty......

Awesome.

Sure wish my parents would got me into pistols early on. They were quick to start me on rifles and dirtbikes. But handguns were strictly to keep loaded in the nightstand drawer and that was it. Didnt get to play to much with them until I was old enough to buy one myself.

These important years only come around once and there's not enough gold in the world to replace the times you'll share with that keen eyed little cow girl. You'll reap huge rewards for your wisdom.

As a guy about your age who's living with a few regrets, it puts a lump in my throat to see someone doin' it all right. Thanks.

"Some may enjoy these pics..."
....no, we loved those pics!

Congrats on the decisions that you've made---I wish that I had been more like you at that time of life.

Wonderful story and pictures. Thanks for sharing, and keep up the good work. The lack of good parenting is, in my opinion, the main reason for the decline of our country in general.

Okay that's just uber-cool, and she is just cute as a bug's ear.

Geez, how'd I miss this thread for a whole day??

GREAT pics! Way to go!

Great job Dad!
Keep up the good work
( and enjoy your time with her now )



They grow way too fast!

Very impressive, Mackay. Both her and YOU for realizing what's really important in life. I tell people that the most significant thing I ever did was to be a Dad. Odviously, you feel the same way.
Do keep up the good/great work. E

How absolutely wonderful! You are so Blessed to have such a lovely child and live in such a naturally beautiful place!

Enjoyed those pics, Mackay!

Kudos to you and your family - and I don't need to tell you, you made the right choice!

Getting here kinda late, just wanted to tell you how much the wife and I enjoyed those pictures. We have our first grandchild here at the moment, she is 17 months and we're loving every second with her. We have two adult children that we are very proud of, they are super people and very successful in life. Congrat's to your little lady, she's a cutie. And congrat's to you dad, looks like you are doing a great job of being - dad. And nothing has a greater responsibility, is more challenging, or more rewarding.

Awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great pictures, and I can see why you should be so proud! I'm glad to see you made a good career choice.

Wow, that buckle is nearly as big as she is - great pictures of some great times - enjoy!

You have every right to be proud. I sure would be if she was mine!
whelennut

Again, good job.

I hope you and your daughter have a long lasting great relationship.

Wish you and your family the best.

Outstanding! Wonderful memories being made there. You�ll never regret time spent with your children.

Paul

Very good Mackey...you have a right to be proud! Great choice

Mac;

As a fellow Dad who spends FAR too much time away from his little girl (same age as yours), I'm cryin'.

You made the right call. You already knew that.

And, she's a wonder. You knew that, too.

My thanks for you sharing those pics, and that insight, goes deeper than you know, though you can likely guess.

When I finally meet you, I've just another couple reasons now to shake your hand and say "thanks".

From one dad to another....ya done good, real good!

Keith

Outstanding! Both you and your lovely daughter.

Awesome my friend...

Men,

When I read the responses and the strength behind them, at first I was surprised a bit. Quite obviously I knew that my perspectives were a bit different than many men, for various reasons.

After a bit of contemplation however, I am not. It is one of the reasons I enjoy this section of the fire. Aside from the wide array of knowledge that is available to gleam off of, there is a strong moral fiber here, for the most part.

Using Kevin as an example, talking about selling off his guns to fund guns more appropriate for his kids to play with, is a perfect example.

We do have some jackassery that floats to the surface from time to time, but overall we have some.. this is where I struggled for a few minutes... just plain good men... here in this section.

The strength of character is obvious.

Thank you.

I get a kick out of a little girl being methodical about loading and unloading a .45!

These belong to her coach, a gal I rodeoed with years ago in college (the first time I went, talk about a small world).

I have a feeling I am going to have to "pony up" for a pair of own her pretty soon. I think next season she will need her own.

For some reason I was expecting this...

Great pictures.

That buckle is almost as large as that little beauty's smile!
You've got a great little partner there.

Kudos to you! You are not just a father you are a DAD! That pic of your daughter riding with the flag instilled another burst of patriotism in me!

Thanks for posting

PAMac

I wish either one of my parents would have taken a simple interest in me.

Thats pretty cool, you're a great dad!

MtnHtr

Outstanding! Congratulations to all involved.

I do have a question. What exactly is WSSA? I do some SASS, Cowboy Fast Draw, and Wild Bunch shooting but am not familiar with WSSA.

mickey i had a daughter once at the same rspective age. We use to go dove/quail hunting together. Today she is a middle aged woman, but can still plug a shotshell casing at about 15yards with a sig p6
Got another girl type in the family that was prescott frontier days rodeo queen a few years ago. Lot of the old women i know today had roots exactly in the same type of behavior.
One of the reasons i knew i had a good woman in my wife was that kind of stuff with her father when she was young trying to make a go of a farm in s.e. colorado. Ain't easy work sometimes, but it does as you say build character.

WSSA is western states shooting association. CMSA is cowboy mounted shooting association.

In my daughters age group, she has to ride and shoot seperately. The adults ride and shoot at the same time.

Thanks.

It is pretty fun to watch, as there are some rather impressive riders. Many of those who compete grew up riding, working on family ranches, farms, etc, and it shows. Good family fun. Nice atmosphere. Very friendly group of people.

Tuckered out little cowgirl..

Oh great.

That�s all we need is another generation learning the reasonability of using firearms and the leadership skills of dealing with 1100 lbs animals that need care very day.

What the heck don�t they have video games in Idaho???

Nice job Daddy, Maybe the world will be OK after all.

She sure has a head start.

What an awesome little girl.
You can be justifiably proud of her. There's just one thing I have to ask you to do..... Buy her a coke and yourself a shot of good whiskey from me.

I have two 13 year old boys who I've started in CAS and I know the pride you feel when they are doing so well.
Congratulations to you both.

That one could have been of my "little girl" about.......... oh..........30 years ago. Hers was a chestnut mare that she had for almost 25 years.

Much later in her life:



And just a couple years ago:

Mackay - That is too cool! A good friend of ours has a Daughter (Tammy Townsend (Tammy Billingsly)) that is a top mounted shooter and horse trainer from Darby, MT. She is one sho-nuff certified cowgirl if I ever saw one, and your daughter looks to be set to travel much of the same path. How great it is, that you are the great dad and mentor that you are!

Regards from Lolo, MT
Shortside

Mackay,

Great stuff. Enjoy that little girl of yours. When they hit 12yrs. of age it's a hole new ball game. At least it was for me.

Outstanding, Ted!
She sure has grown up a bunch.

That's some good parenting. Congrats!

Awesome job,seems through your choice to be a good parent you are watching out for our future,thanks

From one dad to another, thank you for posting this.

I have a 9 year old boy that loves to go to the range with me, I'm going to make sure that we make it out their more often from now on.