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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 2020)
A8 OUTDOORS Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, December 23, 2020 Beam takes fourth in Junior Roughstock Association World Finals SHOOTING THE BREEZE The carbine Prairie City freshman shines in Texas he idea of a shorter, handier rifle is not a new one. Even in the very early days of muzzleloading fire- arms, the horse-mounted cavalry dis- covered early on just how difficult it was to manage the typically longer arms of the day from horseback. Not only were they slower to shoulder and shoot, but reloading from the muzzle end made it that much more problematic. Dale Valade When breechloaders became available, first utilizing paper cartridges and later metallic case cartridges, cavalry units swooned. The military weren’t the only ones to take advantage of the shorter, lighter guns. Cowboys, lawmen, the good, bad and indifferent were also quick to real- ize the value of a firearm that was eas- ier to carry and wield. The military and sporting carbines, which emerged from the likes of Spencer, Sharps, Springfield and Winchester, became instant favor- ites due to their portability and increased firepower. Civilians kept their repeaters in a saddle scabbard, which made for a quicker draw at a moment’s notice. Cav- alry men carried their Springfields on the end of a sling attached to the saddle ring. The sling was worn across the chest like a bandolier and the gun would hang at waist level, where it could be brought to bear without having to untangle oneself from the sling. And if the trooper’s horse was taken down in a skirmish, he could jump free of the wreck taking his rifle with him while leaving both hands free to break the fall. Fast forward to modern day, that idea still isn’t without merit. Although horses are no longer the primary method of transportation, the close quarters of a vehicle can present compelling argu- ments in favor of a shorter barrel. Although I tend to prefer a long-bar- reled rifle as a rule, there are times they just aren’t practical. Allow me to share a personal example. I have two center- fire .22-caliber rifles of similar design and purpose. One sports a 26-inch long barrel and the other a 22-inch carbine type barrel. If a target of opportunity, say a coyote, was to dart across the road in front of my pickup, I would have but a T By Rudy Diaz Blue Mountain Eagle A Prairie City School student recently placed fourth in senior saddle bronc riding at the Junior Roughstock Association World Finals. Frankie Beam, a freshman at Prairie City School, traveled to Texas at the start of Decem- ber and used each eight-second opportunity for bronc riding to display his training and passion for the sport. Beam said he has been bronc riding since July but has been involved with rodeo for a large part of his life. He started riding junior bulls in the sixth grade and rode saddle steers for two years in junior high. “I like to travel and meet new people, and I think that’s one of my favorite parts,” Beam said. “It also gives me an adrenaline rush, and I like that too.” Beam puts in an abundant amount of time preparing himself mentally and physically because the sport requires so much from the rider. Beam practices at Blue Music Ranch in Idaho where they put him on bucking horses and have coaches that help him out. He said riding is about 90% men- tal strength and 10% physical talent. “Once you go into that buck- ing chute, everything kind of just fades away and your body takes over and you can’t really think,” Beam said. “Your body does what you trained it to do.” Beam said competing in Texas was a great experience, but the stakes were higher than usual since it was the world finals. “Going in to it, you have to put a lot of pressure on yourself and stay on because it’s the world finals and you want to win,” Beam said. “I tried to go into it thinking it’s just another bronc Contributed photo Frankie Beam has been involved with rodeo for a large part of his life and enjoys the traveling. Contributed photo Along with bronc riding, Frankie Beam also rides junior bulls and enjoys the adrenaline that comes from competing in the sport. and focus on the basics.” Beam passed the first and sec- ond runs to qualify to the short round, which consisted of the top 10 riders for senior saddle bronc riding. He said in the short round he finished the ride but ended up blowing a stirrup and got disqualified. Beam placed fourth and was appreciative for the experience and opportunity to compete in Texas and for the support from Prairie City School. “We had to have masks in Texas, but we were fortunate to have the event,” Beam said. “I just want to thank the commu- nity for this opportunity and for the support of my teachers and principal.” His mother, Shonna Beam, said she is very proud of him and the fact that he has taken this sport seriously at a young age. “He really works hard at it and loves this more than anything, and that’s why we stand behind him so much because I think that this will be something he does for as long as he can,” Shonna Beam said. “It was quite a journey, and it was good to see him compete (in Texas), and he’ll get better. He’s the kind of kid that’ll prac- tice and stay at it.” Contributed photo A short-barreled rifle is the ticket for time-sensitive hunting opportunities. few seconds to stop the vehicle, take aim and fire before that coyote was to disap- pear entirely from view. I’ll give you one guess as to which of these rifles is the absolute winner of that race each time. When hunting in the thicker-wooded parts of the west, one will often be pre- sented with partially obscured, time-sen- sitive targets on foot as well. A carbine will come to the shoulder much quicker than a long-barreled rifle in this sce- nario as well. Oh, you’ll lose some small amount of muzzle velocity. A hundred feet per second one way or the other won’t be the difference between success and failure. But the milliseconds you save “on the draw” and in target acquisi- tion give you the ability to take your time in a hurry when time is of the essence. Finally, when hunting in the steep country the sheep and goats call home, each ounce of weight that can be reduced for the backpacking hunter is a welcome boon. Long-action cartridges struggle with increased muzzle blast and recoil in lightweight, short-barreled rifles. Short-action cartridges are designed with lightweight rifles and short barrels in mind. Any of the .308 family of car- tridges, or the various WSM or SAUM hot rods can be made to perform very well in such platforms. Whatever your needs as a hunter or shooter, a case can easily be made for procurement of a short-barreled carbine. Are you a fan of carbines? Write to us at shootingthebreezebme@gmail.com! Dale Valade is a local country gent with a love for the outdoors, handload- ing, hunting and shooting. Grace Chapel (EMC ) 154 E. Williams St. Prairie City, Oregon 541 820-4437 Sunday School (all ages) 9:30-10:30 Sunday Worship 10:45-12:00 S211472-1 Pastor Robert Perkins Redeemer Lutheran Church Come Worship with us at John Day Valley Mennonite Church 24/7 Inspirational Christian Broadcasting Meeting every Sunday at Mt. Vernon Grange Hall Tune into KSPL 98.1 FM Sunday School ...............................9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship ............10:50 a.m. For more information, call 541 620-0340 Pastor Leland Smucker Everyone Welcome • 541-932-2861 P rairie B aptist C hurch 238 N. McHaley St., Prairie City Sunday School (all ages) .......9:00 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship .10:30 a.m. Awana (Oct.-Apr.) ................3:00 p.m. Youth Group .........................5:30 p.m. St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church Corner of S Canyon Blvd and SW 2 nd Mon. - Fri. Mass - 12:05 pm Saturday Mass - 5:00 pm Sunday Mass - 9:00 am Holy Days Mass: Noon & 6 pm Confession: Saturday 4:00-4:45 pm Anytime by appointment 541-974-8638 St. Anne Monument - 2nd & 4th Sundays at 12:30 pm Office Hours Monday - Friday 9 am - 12 Noon Sunday Worship • 9AM 2 Corinthians 5:17 Every Sunday in the L.C. Community Center (Corner of Second & Allen) Contact Paster Ed Studtmann at 541-421-3888 • Begins at 4:00pm FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH Sunday School ...................... 9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship .. 10:50 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship .. 10:50 a.m. No Mid-week Services Pastor Jesse Gosnell 300 W. Main, John Day 541-575-1355 627 SE Hillcrest, John Day 1 st Sunday Worship/Communion ..................10am 3 rd Sunday Worship/Communion/Potluck ...4:30pm 2 nd , 4 th & 5 th Sunday Worship .........................10am Sunday Bible Study .....................................8:45am For information: 541-575-2348 Community Church SUNDAY SERVICE..............9 am SUNDAY SERVICE ...........9 am 541-932-4800 EVERYONE WELCOME (541) 575-1326 johndayUMC@gmail.com 126 NW Canton, John Day Food Pantry Friday 3-4PM Like us on Facebook! FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH 541-820-3696 www.prairie-baptist-church.com Pastor David Hoeffner Pastor Keith DeHart JOHN DAY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH MT. VERNON PRESBYTERIAN Sunday School ..................... 9:45 am Sunday Worship ...................... 11 am Fox Community Church ............. 3 pm Sunday Evening Bible Talk ......... 6 pm Saturday Men’s Study ............... 6 pm Full Gospel- Come Grow With Us 541-575-1202 Church 311 NE Dayton St, John Day Pastor Al Altnow Cornerstone Christian Fellowship 139 N.E. D AYTON S TREET , J OHN D AY 541-575-2180 Sunday Worship Service 10 am Sunday Youth Group 3 pm Thursday Celebrate Recovery 6 pm Pastor Levi Manitsas cornerstonejohnday@gmail.com ccfjd.org CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE Sunday School .......................... 9:30 am Sunday Worship Service......... 10:45 am Sunday Evening Service ...........6:00 pm Children & Teen Activities SMALL GROUPS CALL FOR MORE INFO Weekdays: Sonshine Christian School St. Thomas Episocopal Church Join us on Facebook live Sunday 10am Like us on Facebook! Pastor Randy Johnson 521 E. Main • John Day • 541-575-1895 www.johndaynazarene.com 59357 Hwy 26 Mt. Vernon Seventh-Day Adventist Church SATURDAY SERVICES Celebration of Worship JOHN DAY 110 Valley View Dr. 541-575-1216 Head Elder ..........................541-575-2914 Bible Classes (all ages) .................9:30 am Worship ...........................................11 am LONG CREEK E. Main Street 541-421-3033 Head Elder .................................421-3468 Bible Classes (all ages) ......................2 pm Worship .............................................3 pm Jr./Sr. High Youth Connection Sundays 5:30pm Youth: 0-6th Grade Midweek Service Thursdays 6:30pm Youth: 0-6th Grade Wednesdays at 6:30pm Overcomer’s Outreach Mondays at 6pm at LWCC A Christ-Centered, 12-Step Recovery Support Group Pastor Sharon Miller 541-932-4910 www.livingwordcc.com S218721-1
