Who runs Bordertown?

West Sedona resident Greg Kirkham and his two children made their case, all winning state championships Oct. 26.

Also known as the Arizona state cowboy action shooting tournament in Tombstone, Bordertown crowned Big Park Community School’s Cody Kirkham and his sister Jessica, a former Sedona resident, fastest couple after Cody placed fourth overall and Jessica was fastest woman at the competition.

“This year, there were 320 shooters,” said father Greg Kirkham after winning the senior division championship, placing 17th overall. “Not only do the best shooters in Arizona attend, but Bordertown draws shooters from Canada, Germany, Australia, Norway as well as many other states.”

Cody Kirkham was overall men’s state runner-up to Chino Valley’s Matt Carlson — placing second to Dylan Hulsey, from Texas, in Bordertown’s junior division.

“This was a remarkable event for Cody, having one of the best matches he has shot in the four-and-a-half years he has been competing,” Greg Kirkham said. “Cody broke his trigger finger last year and had to take off five months from shooting.”

But the Big Park eighth-grader showed no rust on the Tombstone range, as he was the fastest shooter in one of the 12 stages of the competition, posted the second-fastest time in another four and was the third-fastest in four more stages.

Kirkham, 14, who shoots under the name of “Cody James” at the competitions, was the world’s first 24th-fastest cowboy action shooter coming into Bordertown. He won his first world championship in his age group three years ago.

For the full story, please see the Wednesday, Nov. 19, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.