The video above captured some of my best performances at the 2022 Texas State Championship at the Mission160 Range. It is a great facility for a match and the weather was great too; temperature was warm, everything was dry, and the sky was bright with occasional gusts of wind to keep you on your toes. I pulled together a Compact Carry Pistol division win against some awesome competition. That was, at least partly, because I also earned Most Accurate – Iron Sights. I’m thankful they awarded that, and I think every match should.
This was the first solid finish I’ve had since the Sheepdog CCP Championship. Arizona State, Tennessee State, and The Indy CCP/CO Classic all were great matches. However, each of them had me spending most of my time trying to escape from a burning dumpster. While not everything went according to plan this time either, I didn’t have a devastating performance meltdown.
The match was noteworthy in other ways too. It was the last major match of the 2017 rules, with the new rules having gone into effect just a couple days later. It was the last match of my 50th year, the very last day of it, in fact. I may also have been the last match for my Iron Sighted P10C that I’ve been running ragged and near exclusively for the last several years.
But even beyond all that, this match held some significance for me.
I proudly dedicate my performance to the memory of my brother, Lcpl Daniel Walker of Whitehouse, TX. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if the only reason I won was because he was providing air support. I do know that if history had been just a little different, he’d have been standing with me at the match, rather than above me.
Semper Fidelis.
For more about my brother Danny, his family, and his sacrifice, here is a Washington Post article from 1991.
For more information about the match, the sponsors. as well as a link to the matchbook and the results, check out the match page at the Collin County IDPA club website.
And to learn more about the International Defensive Pistol Association, how we compete, and how to get started, click here.