The SK Lone Star Cup – A Major New Silhouette Championship Opportunity:
The final “Southern Nationals” in Winnsboro, LA was held in 2015 and represented the last of the really great championship matches in the Southern USA. Many of us attending the “Southern Nationals” had traditionally marked the 1st weekend in June on our new calendars and summer vacations revolved around those Winnsboro dates.
Fast forward to late 2023, when Daniel Salazar & Chris Cawthorne had lengthly discussions about filling the void left by the loss of the “Southern Nationals”. The opportunity was there to organize a big new Silhouette Smallbore Championship in the NASSA South Central Region. The city of Houston offered the ideal location and Bayou Rifles Inc. had the facility to fulfill our Vision.
After lengthly conversations with many top shooters in the Southern USA and Northern Mexico, it was confirmed the demand was great and we could be successful in hosting such a major championship. Participation would mostly come from the major silhouette clubs in the USA NASSA Southwest & South Central “Silhouette Corridor”, as well as the numerous silhouette clubs in Northwest & Northeast Mexico.
Discussions with SK Ammunition and the Capstone Precision Group began in early 2024 for a possible major sponsorship. Upon NASSA submitting a formal SK Lone Star Cup Proposal and Letter of Intent, our discussions culminated in August 2024 with SK Ammunition agreeing to be the Title Sponsor for our Inaugural 2025 SK Lone Star Cup. This lead to the very successful 2025 Inaugural SK Lone Star Cup conducted in Houston on June 7-8, 2025.
Planning and preparation for the 2026 SK Lone Star Cup has already commenced. This will be guided by a new 2026 SKLSC Vision & Mission to continuing making this event a memorable one! Help support us by attending so we can make the SKLSC a yearly tradition and further grow our silhouette sport!
SK Lone Star Cup Vision, Mission & Goals
Our 2026 SKLSC Vision, Mission & Goals/Metrics will build on what we achieved in 2025 for this major new “International Super Regional Championship” in the Southern USA. The Southern Nationals at Winnsboro set the bar very high, but with our competitors’ support and attendance, we intend to succeed in our journey in the years to come and start our own tradition!
2026 SKLSC Vision Statement:
Build on our achievements, notoriety & partnership with SK Ammunition (Title Sponsor) for the 2026 SK Lone Star Cup, via continuously strengthening our silhouette sport in the NASSA USA South Central Region.
2026 SKLSC Mission Statement:
Execute our 2026 SKLSC Vision through the following synergistic 2026 SKLSC Objectives:
- Sustain our 135+ silhouette competitor attendance numbers (maximum capacity) to challenge for “the crown” as the largest SB Rifle Silhouette match in the USA (Metric – # of total attendees).
- Fully utilize the Bayou Rifles Inc On-Line Events Registration to sustain registration numbers and facilitate payment (Metric – % of on-line registrations).
- NASSA to again commit $500.00 in Benchrest Silhouette Aggregate Cash Prizes to complement the $2500.00 SK Ammunition cash donation (Metric – 2026 $ donation).
- 2026 SKLSC Prize Table donations targeted to meet or exceed 2025 SKLSC donations (Metric – MSRP $)
- Unique contemporary trophy & medal investments at > $2500 (Metric – $ value)
- Increase our target junior shooter participation to 50+ through the SKLSC Junior Sponsorship Program (Metric – % of junior shooters/total attendees).
- Increase Mexican competitor attendance to 30+ attending the 2026 SKLSC (Metric- # of Mexican attendees).
- Set new benchmarks for the development & publication of digital media promoting the 2026 SKLSC, SK Ammunition (Title Sponsor) & industry prize table donors (Metric – growth in NASSA website & Facebook traffic).
- Further develop the NASSA Digital Match Directors Program & Performance Database to “modernize” silhouette match logistics & stat office requirements (Metric – # of successful software modules implemented).
- Develop a complementary & comprehensive 2026 NASSA USA South Central Regional Strategic Plan to grow this region as the epicenter of USA Rifle Silhouette (Metric – 2026 Strategic Plan Issued).
Building the NASSA Mexico Regional Support Structure:
Ricardo Arellano, Founder of Silueteros.com as well as NASSA’s Mexico Integration Director, has now staffed the NASSA Northwest and Northeast Regional Organization.
This new NASSA Mexican organization, shown on the map to the right, will help promote and drive Mexican shooter attendance across the border for the I2026 SKLSC and beyond!
NASSA wishes to sincerely thank and welcome Edmundo, José, Ulises, Miguel, Claudia, Eduardo, and Yarin to the NASSA Team!
Edmundo Almeida – Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora
José Corral Lozoya – Durago y Chihuahua
Ricardo Arellano R. – Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas
Ulisses Handal Lara – San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas
Miguel y Claudia Arvizu – Sinaloa y Nayarit
Eduardo Nuñez – Jalisco
Yarin Hernández – Michocan
The Symbolism Behind the SK Lone Star Cup
The SK Lone Star Cup “International Super Regional” was named in honor of the historical ties that bind the US Southwest & South Central Regions to the Mexican States in Northwest & Northeast Mexico. For those not familar with this fascinating history, a short recap is summarized in the following paragraphs.
Historical Ties that Bind Us:
Our Inagural 2025 SK Lone Star Cup came 101 years after the creation of the Mexican Constitution of 1824, establishing Mexico as a Federal Republic. This Mexican Constitution established 19 Free States, 5 Territories and the Federal District. A map of these Free States and Territories is shown to the left.
What is significant is that the USA NASSA Southwest and South Central Regions that are integral to this SK Lone Star Cup were a part of the 1824 Mexico Republic established 101 years ago!
The State of Coahuila y Tejas was one of these 19 Mexican Free States established within the Mexican Constitution of 1824. One year later, the Coahuila y Tejas Colonization Law of 1825 was signed into law in its capital city of Saltillo to encourage population settlement in its northern province.
The influx of American settlers along with the Mexican Constitution abuses by President Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana in 1834 lit the fuze for “Texas” to formally declare its independence in March of 1836. Santa Anna’s Army marched from Saltillo and other Mexican cities to Tejas to put down the rebellion. Santa Ana’s victories at the Alamo and in the Goliad Campaign finally led to his defeat at San Jacinto by General Sam Houston in April of 1836.
The “Lone Star” in the SK Lone Star Cup comes from the flag shown to the left in the upper right-hand corner.
After the successful “Texas Revolution”, the northern territory that encompassed Tejas would later become the Republic of Texas in 1836. Houston would become the Capitial City for the Republic of Texas, replacing Saltillo which still stands as the current Capital of the Mexican State of Coahuila.
Today, Bayou Rifles in Hoston Texas & Club De Tiro Saltillo Safari in Saltillo, Coahuila regularly compete against each other as silhouette competitors and friends, rather than adversaries almost 90 years ago!
Pancho Villa & the Birth of Silhouette:
A Border War would once again break out with the US Southwest Region and Northern Mexico between 1910 and 1919 when General Francisco “Pancho” Villa’s army would fight General John J. Pershing’s punitive expedition during the Mexico/USA Border Campaign of 1910-1919. It was the first time since the War of 1812 that the United States had been invaded at Columbus, New Mexico in 1916. The American victory at the Battle of Ambos Nogales in August 1918 led to the establishment of a permanent border wall.
While an unfortunate situation for both countries, the birth of silhouette can be traced back to Pancho Villa’s men shooting live animals for sport! Once again, historical ties that would have a significant impact on our future silhouette sport in the Southwest & South Central US and Northern Mexico.
Silhouette Comes to the USA:
Fast forward some 40 years to the late 1960’s….
This was the timeframe when rifle silhouette competition crossed the border into Arizona and soon spread throughout the entire Southwest & South Central US.
One hundred years of conflict at the US/Mexican border was replaced by spirited competition & comaraderie between shooters from Mexico and the USA that continues another 60 years later!
The SK Lone Star Cup was named after 101 years of historical ties that bind the US Southwest & South Central to the Mexican States in the Northwest & Northeast Mexico.
In honor of this legacy, we are pleased to once again present the 2026 SK Lone Star Cup!
SKLSC Hosts, Steering & Organizing Committees
SK Lone Star Cup Hosts:
North American Silhouette Shooting Association (NASSA) – NASSA has multiple initiatives underway to help grow or silhouette sport throughout North America, one of which is to annually host our SK Lone Star Cup.
Bayou Rifles Inc. (BRI) – Bayou Rifles is one of the oldest and largest gun clubs in the Southern US. Bayou Rifles holds many large championship matches in other disciplines and has a well established silhouette program.
Silueteros.com – Silueteros.com, based in Mexico and created by Ricardo Arellano, has over 8500+ Facebook followers throughout North and South America to help promote the SKLSC through social media.
NASSA is largely responsible for the SKLSC conceptualization, overall planning and logistics. Bayou Rifles Inc. will provide access to the silhouette range facilities, steel targets & stands and grounds preparation. Silueteros.com will greatly assist via social media and personal contact with the recruitment of Mexican silhouette shooters to join us in Houston.
SKLSC Steering Committee:
The SKLSC Steering Committee will provide overall guidance & objective decision making for ensuring the SKLSC Vision and Mission Statement, as well as the associated Goals/Metrics are being met. The SKLSC Steering Committee will coordinate with the SKLSC Organizing Committee to ensure the best overall success and outcome for the SKLSC.
The SKLSC Steering Committee is made up of the following individuals:
- Chris Cawthorne (LMC Board Member, NASSA USA South Central Director & Bayou Rifles Member)
- Daniel Salazar (LMC Board Chairman & Bayou Rifles Member)
- Ricardo Arellano (Silueteros.com Owner & NASSA Mexico Integration Director)
- John Hood (NASSA USA Southwest Regional Director)
SKLSC Organizing Committee:
The SKLSC Organizing Committee, made up of the following individuals, will handle the day-to-day match preparation tasks as well as conducting the match. We will be adding more individuals as the planning for the 2025 SKLSC progresses.
- Chris Cawthorne – SKLSC Match Director
- Daniel Salazar – SKLSC Mexico Coordination
- Mario Herrera – SKLSC Digital Match Directors Software Engineer
- Bill Motl – Target Setter Coordinator
- Paul Freeman – SKLSC Chief Range Officer
- Jessica Domangue – Chief Stat Officer
- Danette DeLatte Bourgoyne – Stat Officer