bspradlin

I will never forget my first IDPA Nationals. I was classified the week before, and received my new IDPA gun the day before I met Burkett in Tunica. My first stage I burned every target in the stage including the non threats. Ive never seen 2 S.O.s laugh so hard. I think I got a penalty on every stage. After the S.O.s all quit laughing at me, they started explaining the rules as I went. I had a blast, and they were all friendly to me in my Team SV uniform. Things havent changed much, and I still wonder if I did anything wrong after I shoot a stage. But I have met a lot of nice people, and they still help me when I ask questions. Its hard to compete in multiple sports. Going from IPSC to IDPA to Steel Challenge to Sportsmans Challenge and everything in between. But its all fun, and I try to laugh along with them.

Moderator Edit: I'm going to break out the relevant questions in their own paragraph for emphasis. These are the questions to be addressed, not Taran's DQ. Im new at this forum chat thing, so help me through it. My name is Bobby Spradlin. I have been with Strayer Voigt Infinity since 1996 as a sponsored shooter. I have been teammates with some of the best shooters ever to walk this earth, but I have never met a nicer person than Taran Butler. I've never seen him mad. Everything that happens he just seems to shrug off. Taran stayed with me for the IDPA Nationals, and we squaded and shot together Thursday. I have shot IDPA on and off since the first Nationals, but I am not that familiar with all of the rules. I was aware of the air gunning rule, but neither of us understood the rehearsing rule. I was called down on 2 different stages for looking at targets, but no one explained why. Neither of us knew about this, and we shoot IDPA pretty often. I think now we all know about the existance of this rule, but who defines the guidelines of someone looking at a course or rehearsing it. For my future reference, just what can you do? Can you stand in position to see the targets, or do just try to sneak a peek while we are taping. I was always told to do a walk through for safety reasons, just so you would know where to stand to engage targets, especially with the 180 rule in effect. Is there a happy medium we could all come to for safetys sake, and for the sense of fair play? There is not a person that shoots this game that doesnt try to have a stage memorized before the buzzer goes off. A man would be foolish not to. Not to wear out my welcome, and on a closing note. Taran called me from L.A. when he got home. He found out he had neen DQd. He never raised his voice, he didnt even cuss, all he said was "I just hope I can shoot next year, I really like this sport". Thats the Taran you need to know. This man makes a big part of his living shooting and giving instruction. I feel the D.Q. call was wrong, and it does affect a mans integrity and reputation when something like this is tagged on you. I have requested a formal complaint from IDPA headquarters listing all offenses and infractions with S.O.s names attached. I am friends with everyone on both sides of this issue, and hopefully we can all stay that way. I think the IDPA guys are great, and everyone makes mistakes.