The Ohio Triple Crown Match is waiting for its first champion. To win the Triple Crown, a competitor must win at all three competition sites: the Cardinal 4Gun Match at the Cardinal Center in Marengo on July 1-5; the Canton-McKinley Regional Match at the Canton-McKinley Rifle and Pistol Club in Canton on July 7-9; and the National Matches at Camp Perry in Port Clinton on July 10-15. The event is hosted by the Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association (ORPA).
The Ohio Triple Crown is an aggregate match derived from the top three 2700 pistol matches in the state. No one has yet won the Triple Crown, now in its third year, but even if there is no Triple Crown Champion, competitors can still walk away with cash prizes.
The competitor who has the highest overall aggregate of the three combined 2700 scores, but did not win all three matches will be named the High Aggregate Winner. Competitors can win with the highest aggregate score in their individual classes as well. Classes are High Master, Master, Expert, Sharpshooter and Marksman. This is where this match gets really fun, since you are only competing against your peers in your class.
“It’s not just for the elite shooter,” said Dane Hogle of Mt. Vernon, who has been competing in the Triple Crown since its inception. “It’s for all classes.”
To qualify for awards, competitors must pay a $50 entry fee and shoot in all three matches. Competitions at each site will require 90 rounds each using a .22 pistol, a .32 to .45 pistol and a .45 pistol.
In addition to testing their skills in the popular matches, competitors will also have the opportunity to visit three of the top marksmanship venues in the state.
The Cardinal Center Pistol Range, located at 3547 County Road 225 in Marengo near Columbus, has partnered with the Ohio Department of Resources and the Ohio Division of Wildlife to promote shooting sports across the state.
“The Cardinal Center is one of the top three ranges for pistols,” said Jim Henderson, who is the Pistol Manager at the Cardinal Pistol Range and the CMP Pistol Coordinator. “It has nearly 600 camping spaces, 35 Action Pistol bays and a 100 point turning target range that has target lines at 25 yards and meters, 50 yards and meters and finally 100 yards.”
The Canton-McKinley Rifle and Pistol Club at 5527 Tyro St. NE in Canton is nearly a century old.
The club was formed in 1926 and is a CMP Affiliated Club with over 1,000 members and 30 years of experience.
Camp Perry in Port Clinton is a National Guard training center and is home to the National Matches since 1906 and the Gary Anderson CMP Competition Center and the CMP’s Petrarca Range, which is equipped with modern Kongsberg Target System technology. Camp Perry lies on the shores of Lake Erie, which offers water activities such as boating, fishing and island jaunts.
Ohio Triple Crown organizers hope the very first winner will be awarded this year during the competition’s third match at Camp Perry. Gun manufacturer, Accuracy X, has added an extra incentive to the competition.
“Accuracy X will give $3,000 to the Triple Crown winner,” Henderson said.
Hogle is grateful Henderson helped institute the Triple Crown in Ohio.
“Instead of everyone going to one single match, they can come to the State of Ohio and shoot the three biggest matches in the U.S. in less than two weeks,” he said.
The Triple Crown creates a unique challenge for marksmen.
“Anybody can go and shoot one good match, but to win the Triple Crown, you have to shoot all three,” Hogle said. “It’s kind of the ultimate of the ultimate.”
Hogle said the Triple Crown is like running a marathon.
“Everybody shows up at Cardinal, and then it’s basically 18 days of nothing but shooting and camaraderie,” he said. “It’s an excellent two weeks.”
Register here for the events:
- Cardinal 4 Gun Showdown – https://www.redfeatheroutfitters.com/4-gun-showdown-match-2023/
- Frank J. Bickar Memorial Canton CMP Championship – https://cantonmckinleyriflepistolclub.com/2023-regional/
- CMP “Match Gun” 2700 – https://thecmp.org/cmp-matches/national-trophy-pistol-games-matches/
For questions or additional information, contact Jim Henderson at hendo.cardinalcenter@yahoo.com or jhenderson@thecmp.org.
— Sheri Trusty, CMP Feature Writer
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a federally chartered 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation. It is dedicated to firearm safety and marksmanship training and to the promotion of marksmanship competition for citizens of the United States. For more information about the CMP and its programs, log onto www.TheCMP.org.
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