I mentioned recently that I had the joys of watching the Moto-Stunt International team at the Heart of the Forest Festival on 22nd June 2013. Another display at the same event was the Lincoln County Regulators and their wild west show, which felt a bit like Gunfight at the Measham Corral. The original Lincoln County Regulators were made up of such wild west folk as Richard M Brewer, Frank McNab, Doc Scurlock and Billy the Kid. The group, though, at the Heart of the Forest Festival, were formed in 1981, and were involved in the making of the film Tombstone and various television programmes.
The corner of the Festival field was the venue for the Lincoln County Regulators camp, and the site of what I referred to as the Gunfight at the Measham Corral. Through most of the day, the public could walk around and in to the camp and the cabins that made up the apparent village. It was all very peaceful, until, and intervals during the day, a gunfight broke out. The inhabitants of the various cabins that made up the village would have a dispute, that would result in shooting, and most of the group dying in dramatic fashion after being shot.
The group did a great job of not just entertaining, but explaining to the crowd what was happening and why. It was a fantastic show, and seemed to be very popular with those watching.
When the gunfighters were not shooting each other, they were showing what life was like in the Wild West, with all sorts of authentic looking props. Those attending were able to look in their cabins, see their cooking utensils and other tools, and chat to the frontiersmen about what life was like. Later on, some of the children there even got to have a go at firing one of the guns, which was well received by those trying it.
The Lincoln County Regulators gave a great show, which went on all day, and was very professional, as well as being both entertaining and educational. I suspect that there will be a few more children in the area playing at being cowboys over the next few weeks.