shooter dude

Hi All, I can't say enough thanks to all involved with the production of this year's Gator Classic. The RO's were superb and they made my job very easy. I hope to be blessed with the same crew next year. The set-up crew was the best we've ever had. This match is nothing without the RO's and staff. They are the best anywhere. Thanks to Gary and Barb for another fine one. There is no way to measure the time and effort put in by those two. There are others who work in the background, too, and you know who you are. The match is team effort, of course, but Gary and Barb give it life. The team reflects their ability to recruit and delegate. And, thanks to all the shooters. I hope you're all back next year. And, bring along a couple of friends who have never been here, too. Also, thanks to all the sponsors. It would be difficult to produce the quality of our match, and particularly the prize table, without their help. See ya' next year. doc

Actually, the stages are more revolver friendly than they appear on paper. We knew we would have quite a few wheel gunners, around a dozen, so far. The stages are mostly "run & gun" and will require a lot of reloads for wheel guns, but there are only a few spots that require more than six rounds from any single spot. They always look different on paper. Once they are constructed, the round distribution will become clearer.

WORKING OR NOT, ONLINE SQUADDING IS NOT THE OFFICIAL SQUADDING FOR THE MATCH. THE INFORMATION IS WRONG ON THE SITE. PLEASE DISREGARD THAT MESS. THAT SQUAD LISTING WILL NOT BE HONORED BY THE MATCH. SQUADDING REQUESTS THAT HAVE BEEN MAILED IN WILL BE HONORED. THIS IS THE OFFICIAL WORD, STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH: UNLESS YOU HEAR SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM GARY THIBODEAUX OR MYSELF, DOC, THERE WILL BE NO ONLINE SQUADDING FOR THE GATOR CLASSIC 2008. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ASK HERE OR VIA DIRECT EMAIL: drjkev@msn.com Thanks. doc

Doc, I must be missing something. It only allows me to select the "unsquadded" squad, saying I'm already squadded in squad O. Is it not fully operational at this point or am I just dumb...on second thought, please don't answer the latter question Curtis Sorry Curtis, online squadding has been scrapped due to circumstances beyond our control. The old fashioned way of squadding will still work. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Thanks. doc

PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO THE USPSA WEBMASTER'S RUDENESS AND LACK OF PEOPLE-SKILLS, SELF-SQUADDING HAS BEEN SCRAPPED. ALL COMPETITORS WILL BE SQUADDED THE OLD FASHIONED WAY. ALL SQUAD REQUESTS WILL BE HONORED. SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. THANKS.

Hey, a couple of us went on a business to New Orleans once in the mid-80's during the world's fair and stayed in Pat O'Brian's for some 7 or 8 hours arguing about what color the commemorative Fair drink was (it's blue, it's green, better order another round to make sure). We got out around 4 a.m. and found to our shock that Bourbon Street does in fact close down SOMETIME! The intelligent thing to do would have been turn around and go back Pat O'Brians. But no, we made away through the darkened and deserted streets back to the Hilton! Scary! Hmmm. Sounds like a typical night for tourists in the Quarter. ;-) Musta been a good time. Have had similar debates myself in Pat O's and other local dives. There's always someplace open in the Quarter, ya' just have to know where to look.

Doc here!! The LA GATOR CLASSIC 2008 is on, as most of you already know. Though some of the man-made structures at the range did sustain some damage, the Gator Classic will not be hindered in any way. Hotel rooms are available and there will likely be more leading up to match time. Worst case scenario is having to utilize hotels in New Orleans, Laplace, Gonzales or Baton Rouge. Things are pretty much back to normal and FEMA people are leaving everyday. As previously mentioned, Day Inn in Thibodaux has set aside 30 rooms that they have guaranteed will remain available for the Gator Classic. Those rooms are filling up and you must mention "Gator Classic." It is not the only hotel in the area. Hotels in Houma should have rooms available in the coming weeks, as well. The match will be the usual 12 stages and over 325 rounds of "run & gun" fun. We do have the couple of obligatory "speed" shoots. But the remaining 10 will prove to be as fun and challenging as ever. Please feel free to direct any questions regarding this match to me. If I don't have the answer, I will find it. You can count on it being the "official word." You may also email me: drjkev@msn.com ONLINE SQUADDING IS NOW AVAILABLE.

Firstly, thanks to all those who attended. I hope we see all of you, and more of your friends, back next year. I would urge you all to get your entries in early because the match was very close to capacity and we can expect a waiting list next year. Gary and Barbara Thibodaux worked tirelessly on match details and putting the fabulous prize table together. They deserve tons of thanks and credit for the success of the match. Great thanks to all who helped set up the stages, prepared the range and assisted with details leading up to the match. Lastly, and most importantly, that match cannot happen without the dedicated RO's and staff. They are all volunteers, including yours truly, who take time off work and from their families to work their butts off and make the LGC what it is. The RO's were exemplary in their performance and they made me proud to have worked with them. The comments on this sight and in private emails have all been positive. Everyone says they'll be back. Get ready for next year. We'll work hard to at least repeat and top this year's production. Thanks again. doc RM, LGC 07

Doc here......been at the range since sunrise.....gorgeous day!! The range has some wet spots but should be in excellent shape by match time. The water that is standing is along the edges of the bays in question. It does not affect the shooting even at this point. It will only get better. The shooting areas on every stage are hi & dry. There's lots of grass and we had sunshine and a breeze all day. We got all but two of the stages set up today. The only two left are 1 & 2, a medium course and the classifier. We'll take care of those first thing in the a.m. The RO's will begin shooting before noon, for sure, and probably by mid-morning. The stages look good and there's plenty of challenges for every level and each division. We still have room for a few more shooters.......no squad requests, so don't even ask....shooters will be plugged in as singles where openings are available. So, there you have it......onward!!

A few other points: The match is nearly full. We should reach our goal of 200 shooters by match time. There are a few slots left but very few. Squad requests are no longer guaranteed. Any shooters registering from this point will be plugged into the match, as singles, on a first-come, first-served basis. All shooters will be on the range on Sat & Sun. We will shoot 9 stages on Sat. and 3 on Sunday. The schedule and squad lists are not posted. Most of you have found the stages. The link is listed in a previous posting. Shooting begins at 8am with a shooters' meeting at approx. 7:40 on Sat am only. The stages are set at 45 minutes. The chronograph will be included in Stage 2. So, get your "special" ammo and strategy together for that. Of course, RO's are instructed to reserve the right to pull ammo at any time during the match if they feel someone might be fudging or grabbed the "wrong" ammo by mistake. We ask that you please be sure to let the range owners, Ricky & Merryl Pellegrin, know just how much you appreciate the use of their range. They will greatly appreciate it. Onward. doc

Hi Guys. I am here for my annual "clear-things-up-" posting on the forum to eliminate any confusion. I am the RM for the Gator Classic and I can answer any and all questions without speculation or conjecture. Some of this will be redundant and most of what was posted is correct. So, here goes....... The match is 12 stages, 3 medium courses (with classifier) and 9 field/assualt courses. The match is approx. 340 rounds. Bring lots of ammo. We prefer hi round counts with target-rich environments for your shooting pleasure. We are a "run & gun" match. Some of the stages are revolver neutral. Others are revolver friendly. Great care will be taken at set-up to prevent the stages from favoring more of one Division over another. However, it will impossible to please everyone all the time. There will be challenges for every Division and Class of shooter but fun for everyone, for sure. The Gator Classic 2007 is a LEVEL I match. We will have to "graduate" to Level II next year for various reasons. We'll worry about that then. We have no intention of going to Level III. The benefits of Level III don't even EQUAL the expense. The prize table last year had a retail value of over $30K. This year it will exceed a retail value $50K. Some of the prizes are purchased outright, usually with special accommodations from vendors, manufacturers, etc. The rest we have to beg, borrow or steal. Much of it is donated by vendors, manufacturers and local businesses. It takes a lot of work and just about all year to put that together. Gary and Barbara Thibodaux are solely responsible for the prize table and they are to be commended for their tireless and unceasing efforts. This is a privately run match. However, everyone involved is a volunteer. No monetary profit is derived from this match. Some funds are set aside for unforeseen expenses after the match and for seed money for next year's match. The remainder is put back into the match. Please feel free to direct any questions to me at this site or to my email: drjkev@msn.com . I will be happy to answer any and all questions concerning the match. Thanks. doc

I will try to have the squads and schedule posted on the web once finalized. If not, you will be able to obtain a schedule when you check in. We are holding a final meeting next week to hash out the last details. I want input from the match directors before I wrap up the scheduling, etc. Shooting starts for everyone @ 8am both days. You will shoot 9 stages on Sat and 3 stages on Sunday, as it stands right now. Also, sign-up should begin around 6:45 or 7am on Sat. Packets may be picked up then or anytime Friday at the range. We will be on the range from sun-up until dark starting Wed and thru Sunday. If you need anything, please email: drjkev@msn.com Cell #: 504-559-7888 Thanks doc

ATTENTION EVERYONE: LA Gator Classic 2006 Update Shooting will begin at 8:00am on both Sat & Sun. Stage times are 50 minutes. Squads have around 11 to 13 shooters per. Plenty enough time without rushing if everyone does his part. Lunch break on Sat will be in two sessions so the caterers aren't overwhelmed. We will try to have the shooting schedule posted on the web for everyone's perusal once finalized. We will shoot 9 stages on Sat. and 3 stages on Sunday. Shooting should be finished before 11am on Sunday barring any interferrence from Mother Nature. So anyone needing to finalize flight arrangements can take that to the bank. Both New Orleans & Baton Rouge Airports are at least an hour away from the range. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at : drjkev@msn.com Thanks. doc

Level II, CRO certified? or Level I?

Hey Ray, Where's your entry? You gonna RO?