Eric Stroh, right, instructs How the West Was Won Trap Shoot participants on how the event is structured.

The 8th Annual “How the West Was Won” Trap Shoot fundraiser for Carousel Ranch attracted 24 teams and 120 participants to the Oak Tree Gun Club in Newhall Friday.

“This is a record number of teams and participants,” said Denise Redmond, executive director of Carousel Ranch. “We had 12 teams and 60 shooters in 2008 and have doubled attendance since we started.”

Organizer Eric Stroh said the event has raised more than $200,000 to benefit programs at Carousel Ranch over the past eight years.

Redmond said the event has become so popular, it sells out quickly.

“We sold out a month in advance of the event,” she said. “We normally are only able to have 21 teams, but Oak Tree Gun Club opened up an additional bay so we could have 24 teams. This is our best turnout ever.”

Redmond said the trap shoot netted $29,000 last year.

The Wesely Thomas team, “Stack Em and Pack Em” begins their turn trying to earn points by shooting clay targets.

“This year we hope to raise at least $32,000 with the additional teams,” she said. “This event raises a lot of money for the kids.”

The event offered three rounds of trap shooting as well as gun rental, ammunition, targets and a barbecue lunch catered by Salt Creek Grille for teams of four or five shooters each. Trophies and prizes were awarded to participants.

Stroh welcomed teams to the event and explained how the event would be structured.

“We try to make this event fun and to keep you busy,” Stroh said. “We want to make sure you have fun.”

During the event, three teams rotate in and out of each shooting bay, and activities were provided for teams when not shooting.

Teams were able to buy “Mulligan packages” that allowed shooters to participate in other activities including archery, shooting Heckler & Koch pistols and meeting with the Benelli Rifle representatives and shooting at special targets.

A gun safety demonstration was also provided.

The Galpin Santa Clarita team “Auto Be ‘Dan’ed” lines up to begin shooting at the How the West Was Won Trap Shoot.

Teams were encouraged to think up fun names, such as Princess Cruises with the team name, “We Sail With Cannons,” and Galpin Santa Clarita with the team name, “Auto Be Dan’ed,” in honor of team organizer Daniel Sterkel.

“Carousel Ranch is a great organization, what they do for kids,” said Sterkel. “They are a fantastic charity organization, and this is unique and fun fundraiser.”

Sterkel said one of the perks of the event is the noise.

“I can’t hear my cell phone ring,” he said.

Other team names included: Santa Clarita Concrete, “A Shot in the Dark;” Action Fishing and Tackle, “Shooting Fish in a Barrel;” Rebar Engineering, “City Slickers;” Holliday Rock, “Short Load;” White Cap, “Shoot Happens;” CUB/Intertex, “Cali/Tex Mess;” The Redmond Bunch, “The Scatterguns;” Mitchell Bros., “Not Top Gun;” Shipley Rebar, “Men of Steel;” Williams Homes, “Five Guns N Plenty of Dry Powder.”

Trap Shoot participants fill out raffle tickets.

Also: Hays Companies, “Quick Draw;” Sharp Interiors 1, “Henry Mayo Marauders;” Sharp Interiors 2, “Clay Killers;” Design Masonry, “Block Heads;” Triangle Enterprises, Inc., “Trigger Happy Triangle;” Nissan of Valencia, “99 Dollars Down Delivers;” Wesely Thomas, “Stack Em and Pack Em;” HUB, “We Has It;” Mission Valley Bank, “Mission Impossible;” CEMEX, “But No Reflex;” Lundgren Management, “Tough as Nails” and The Lone Shooters, “Mavericks.”

Carousel Ranch provides equestrian therapy for disabled children using unique and individualized programs to meet each child’s specific needs and goals. The program utilizes a combination of vaulting (gymnastics on a moving horse) and therapeutic riding (both English and Western).

For more information, visit www.carouselranch.org.

Eric Stroh, right, and a representative of Oak Tree Gun Club instruct participants in gun safety before they head to the shooting range.

Trap Shoot participants were able to buy raffle tickets for prizes that included a Benelli shotgun, gift certificates, golf packages and various baskets of “gun swag.”

Teams sign in at the registration table for the How the West Was Won Trap Shoot held at Oak Tree Gun Club in Newhall.

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