Iron Horse Shoot Out tests riders' skills, draws attention to challenges officers face

The first annual Iron Horse Shoot Out brought both novice and expert motorcycle riders together to test their skills and to learn from each other.

The family-friendly event was hosted by the Amarillo Police Department and was free and open to the public. Riders made their way through a maze of traffic cones set up in the north parking lot of the Amarillo Civic Center.

“We’ve had a great turnout, and our sponsors are awesome. Once this final day comes to an end, we are going to clean it all up and get ready for next year,” Amarillo Police Department Sgt. Wes Hill said Saturday, the final day of the event.

Overall, 15 agencies from across the country came to participate in the event Aug. 4-6, representing seven different states and around 28 cities from Texas. Some of the states included Kansas, Colorado, Alabama and Louisiana. Close to 100 riders, both novice and professional, signed up to show their abilities and speed on the different courses.

More:APD hosting motorcyclists from across US for inaugural Iron Horse Shoot Out

Wednesday as the riders arrived, they got the opportunity to get some practice laps in before the official events began.

“This two-man race is pretty intense because you’re so close to hitting each other. This was a five-and-a-half-hour drive, so only two of us came from Arlington. Every time I come out to one of these rodeos, I improve my skills and become a better rider. Last time I attended one, I was about 10 seconds behind the top guy, and this time I’m around five seconds behind. It just shows that we all get better every time we come out to one of these events,” said Clayton Merrit, a motorcycle officer from Arlington, following his time on the course.

One of the events is called a speed event. It is an individual competition where the rider is competing against everybody. Both speed and technicalities are put into the scoring.

“Not only do you want to go through it as fast as you can, but you also want to make a clean run. This means you don’t want to hit any cones, put your foot down, or drop your bike. All of these are dangerous and count a major amount of points against you,” said Cpl. Cody Moore of the Amarillo Police Department's Motorcycle Unit.

Every obstacle is scenario based and set up as a training event.

“We are calling this a challenge because this is not easy; the competitors will be making 360s, figure eights in 19-foot circles, and 90-degree turns. ... This would simulate obstacles that we face in the real world and doing it quickly and precisely. Ultimately, this is about saving lives. If we can have someone leave here a better rider, we have accomplished our goal,” Cpl. Moore said.

All of the proceeds from the Iron Horse Shoot Out will go to the 100 Club of the Texas Panhandle, which is the “first responder to the first responders” for police and fire and is based in Amarillo. The nonprofit organization covers 26 counties in the Texas Panhandle. “If we get injured in the line of duty, the 100 Club shows up, and they present our family with a check to help cover medical expenses until the city's insurance kicks in,” Moore explained.

Another event is the two-men chase event. Cards were drawn to see who was riding with whom, and throughout this event, there are two lead changes.

“The motor that starts the event will be the last one to leave this event,” Moore said. There were two types of bikes competing in this event: one being the Harley, the American model that is seen around Amarillo, and Metric motorcycles. “The BMWs are going to work better with metroplexes and interstates, while the Harleys work better for our infrastructure and the city patrols that we do,” Moore said.

The way competitors are paired is by their number being drawn. They raced on identical courses labeled A and B, and the start and finish of each course were opposite from each other. “Even though the courses are identical, it makes it 100% different," Moore said. "That keeps you sharp in your skills, because not only do you have to ride hard, but you have to work hard, think about how much gas you are giving it, and even how far you lean to the side. We try to make it a cognitive thing, so the rider is thinking about those things."

One challenge ride was different from the rest: On this course, competitors did not have the opportunity to practice. The course was spray painted in blue and was set up at the end of the day. The riders got the opportunity to walk it and watch a demo ride, as opposed to the other challenges where riders also got practice races of the event.

“I had no idea how much of a challenge this would be. This is something I look forward to doing next year. I was trying to get through the track. Going from one hard corner to the opposite direction was difficult,” said Jason Tripp, a participating civilian rider.

A 20-by-40-foot course was set up for riders Thursday evening. There were no lines. The rider made their own course with a minute and 30 seconds to complete the event. This event started with a coin flip to decide who went first or last.

“If the lead guy doesn’t lose to the following guy in that time the following guy wins," Moore added, or "anybody (who) puts down a foot, hits a cone, or drops their bike automatically loses."

The event was capped off with an Awards Banquet Saturday afternoon at Hodgetown Stadium to recognize all the winners and participants.

The Amarillo Police Department expects to put this same event on for many years to come.

“We want the public to see how hard we train. We train to keep our city safe," Moore said. "Everybody that sees a motor officer may not know how many hours it takes to get here. This really shows the viewer a glimpse of how many hours of training we put into being a motorcycle officer."

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Iron Horse Shoot Out tests riders' skills, show real-world challenges