A sixth grade member of the Lafayette County 4-H has cracked a code in Lone Jack, Mo.
Graeme Irey stands with his dad, Brady Irey, in front of a table where a rifle, a shotgun and two pistols lie. Decked out in attire from the 1800s, Graeme is dressed in a bowler hat, suspenders and a pocket watch as he loads the guns, prepping them for a mock competition. But this costume isn’t just for show; it’s a persona he’s built for Western Heritage, or “cowboy,” shooting — a sport Graeme happens to be really good at.
“I’m a Pinkerton agent, working with the Chicago and Alton Railroad to prevent train robberies,” he says, speaking of his character named Agent Ruben Daggen.
Western Heritage is a three-part competition, offered to 4-H members across 13 states. Participants fire a rifle, two pistols and a shotgun through timed, themed stages.
“There’s a scenario that you want to follow,” Graeme says. “You want to go fast, but not too fast, so you can hit the targets, and you want to get it in the right order.”
A solid shot isn’t the whole job description for this private detective. Western Heritage competitors also have to deliver a speech in front of a panel of judges about their character’s backstory, and pass a written history test. Graeme says the test is the section he’s the best at, despite the curveball questions thrown his way — including the old names for underwear.
Graeme’s good at it all — the test, his speech and the target practice. Last season he placed second at the national competition.
“It was pretty exciting,” he says. “It was fun, and meeting all the different people and seeing the older boys and watching what they could do. It was really cool.”
Mentors Behind the Marksman
Every good agent needs a coach, and Graeme’s adviser is Warren Hoenshell. He first connected with Graeme through family ties; his grandfather helped get the Western Heritage program started in Missouri long before Graeme was old enough to pick up a rifle. Through the tight-knit community the sport builds, Graeme, his dad, and his mom, Jennifer, got connected with Hoenshell’s training group.
Hoenshell has coached out of Cass County for more than 20 years and is mentoring roughly six kids this season. Last year, that meant a 1,700-mile trip to Tombstone, Ariz., for competition, proof of just how far this niche sport, and its young shooters, are willing to travel.
While safety tops Hoenshell’s list of lessons for his students, he says there’s far more to gain from the sport than marksmanship alone.
“There’s a lot of stuff that’s not told in the books and stuff about the old West, and that’s what really intrigues me,” he says.
Today, that history lesson is literally in Graeme’s hands — a rifle more than 100 years old, loaded and checked with the same practiced clicks and calls used on the range for generations. Waistcoat buttoned, suspenders snug, Graeme steadies his aim and finds the bullseye once again.
For this undercover agent, every shot is unlocking a little more of yesterday while helping him work toward his future, one clean run at a time.
This video story was captured and edited by CJ Christy.
