DMSC Member Of The Month

Rob Leatham's DrillMaster Shooting Club™

I would like to introduce some of my DrillMaster Shooting Club™ members. Although I appreciate each and every member of my club, I'm selecting one individual each month to highlight them as a shooter (and a person)! So, read on to learn more about a few of the tremendously talented DMSC members! Horse, you'll have to wait ... but I'm sure one day soon, I'll select you! :-) If you would like to be the Member Of The Month or you know of a good candidate, just drop me an e-mail with a photo and a brief resume. Rob

November 2004 October 2004 September 2004
August 2004 July 2004
(click on the month and year to advance to the DMSC member of the month)

November 2004 Member:
Sara Drake of Mesa, Arizona

Sara is 13 years old and is an honor roll student in the 7th grade at Fremont Jr. High School. Though she is currently taking guitar lessons at school, Sara spent 3 years playing the cello in the Salk Elementary School Symphony.

She began shooting NRA 3 Position Small-bore Rifle when she was 10, and has the ranking of Expert. She is now working on her Distinguished Expert. She started shooting USPSA pistol less than a year ago and is eager to begin 3-Gun competition in the coming year. Sara is also on a 4-H team where she really enjoys shooting Trap and Skeet. In addition to the shooting sports, Sara is a big fan of football and most other organized sports.

Sara's pet is a bearded dragon (a lizard) named Felix.
Felix eats live crickets and lives in a large
terrarium at the head of Sara's bed.

Sara's dream is to go to Annapolis
and become a Marine Officer!

Best of luck with your future, Sara. Kip, I, and the other local DrillMaster members really enjoy your company at the monthly DMSC events, because, as you already know,
you ARE a big deal! :-)
Hope you had a happy birthday, too! Thanks for the cake. Rob

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October 2004 Member:
Cody Pultz of Mesa, Arizona

Hi, my name is Cody Pultz and I'm 13. My first exposure to shooting was with my Dad while camping. We also made trips to the desert for some informal target shooting. This was lots of fun and my Dad was quick to point out the proper way to handle firearms.

At age 11, I joined Rio Salado’s Junior Small-bore Rifle League. I shot with them for about two years developing my rifle skills. It was a good start, but I felt the desire to get into a faster-pace type of shooting.

In January 2004, my Dad was headed for Rio Salado range to do some practice shooting. I asked to come along and try my hand at shooting a pistol. Once there, we setup some paper targets. Working with my Dad, I learned the basics of shooting a handgun. Magazine full after magazine, my groups began to get tighter. Later we pulled out some steel targets and the fun increased. The following week, I took the Tuesday night steel new shooters’ class and shot my very first steel match. From this point on, I was hooked on practical shooting! I continue to improve my skills by shooting the paper matches on the weekends. Everyone at Rio Salado is always willing to help and make me feel comfortable with my shooting.

Over the summer, I joined USPSA and have advanced to "C" class. When my Dad heard about Rob's DrillMaster Club, he asked me if I wanted to get involved. He said it would be a great opportunity to get in some good training and practice. Rob and Kip made me feel welcome from the moment I showed up. I watch and listen to everything that is being said during the training sessions. So far, I’ve learned a lot from Rob and look forward to more. Practical shooting is a great sport and I'm glad to be shooting among the very best. Sincerely, Cody Pultz

Cody, you're off to an amazing start! I'm very impressed with your performance and hope that your interest level remains high! Our sport needs more juniors like you! Rob

Cody's best scores for the October DOTM,
4 at 10 in 10

Category 1: USPSA Limited - 57.00 points

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September 2004 Member:
Dave Paasch of Apache Junction, Arizona

Dave Paasch is a hard-working, match directing, just plain ol' decent guy. He's also a good shot! He runs the local IDPA matches at Rio Salado Sportsmans Club and has recently started a "20+ Yards" match, where none of the targets are closer than 20 yards! Good for you, Dave, for wanting to improve your distance shooting!

Keep plugging away at those matches, Dave, and you'll notice a huge improvement in just a short time, especially with the kind of drill that we had this month! Rob

Dave's best scores for the September DOTM,
10, 20, 30 Standards
Category 1: IDPA CDP - 70.00 points
Category 2: USPSA Production - 69.00 points
Category 3: USPSA Limited 10 - 81.00 points
(with Rob's gun that Dave had never shot before!)

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August 2004 Member:
Carly Drake of Mesa, Arizona

Just within the last year, Carly has become interested in Practical Pistol Shooting. Don't assume, though, that she's new to the shooting sports. She's been involved in NRA small-bore competition for 4 years and began shooting air rifle competition in 2002. She's actually an excellent marksman! Earlier this year, she was presented with the NRA's Distinguished Expert award! Congratulations, Carly, on your outstanding achievement! Your Mom, Dad, and, yes, even little sister Sara are extremely proud of you!
On top of all of her shooting accomplishments, Carly is an honor roll student and a musician. She has played the viola for 6 years now, but unfortunately doesn't have time to do it all. A holster and a high-capacity handgun have currently replaced the viola and bow. All in all, her Mom and Dad think she's a pretty good kid, and so do we!

Carly's best score for the August DOTM,
Up, Down, & Up Again
Category 1: USPSA Limited - 17.98 seconds

Carly, If you apply the kind of effort and dedication to practical that you have to small bore, you will undoubtedly be a top-notch contender! Keep up the good work
(and your grades)! RL
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July 2004 Member:
Ben King of Cooktown, Australia

Ten-year-old Ben King from Cooktown Australia is on vacation in Phoenix and likes it so much he wants to stay! In Australia, he would have to been eleven before the law allows him to fire a gun. He thinks he will be able to beat Dad at shooting any day now, but it may take a year or two to beat Rob Leatham. Along with his younger brother Richard, Ben also likes archery, golf, swimming, pool and they sometimes find time for a spot of schooling.

Ben's best scores for the July DOTM,
Lean, Step & Go!
Category 1: DMSC .22 Junior - 20.80 seconds
Category 2: USPSA Production - 19.78 seconds

The following photos are of Ben shooting the July Drill Of The Month, Lean, Step & Go!