By Linda Moody
DARKE COUNTY — Ten young women are planning on competing the Miss Annie Oakley Shooting Contest just prior to this year’s Annie Oakley Festival, which is set for July 24-26.
The girls who have agreed to participate in the annual shoot-out are (in alphabetical order): Alyssa Baumgardner, Hannah Bingham, Daisy Brim, Tara Goubeaux, Hannah Gulley, Morgan Hissong, Katie Hurd, Courtney Osborne, Shawna Osborne and Rebecca Thornhill.
They gathered Wednesday night at the Annie Oakley Park to turn in their applications, to receive information about the competition and for a photo shoot.
Dennis Soward, who oversees the contest with the help of wife Shelly and sons Daniel and Shaun, informed the girls that practice will be July 21, with the preliminaries the following night followed by the finals on July 23, all beginning at 6 p.m.
The event will be held at York Woods, north of Greenville off of U.S. 127 at the intersection of Reed Road/State Route 242. The actual address is 6129 Reed Road, Versailles.
The three-day festival will include a pilgrimage, parade [on Saturday], historical bus tours, Western Arts Showcase, entertainent, family fun games, melodrama, fast-draw competitions, talent show, car show, Parelli Horsemanship demonstrations and cowboy mounted shootings and story time with Annie and Buffalo Bill. Once again, the Ohio Cardinal Semi-Pro Football Team will make an appearance.
The festival times are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Admission and parking is free this year.
