I can't for the life of me understand how a venue an hour from the nation's capital, and about 1/2 hour from the capitol of Maryland can honestly be described as "remote".
OK, here's a test: Get out your map of the USA; find Pintail Point, and tell us how many double-gunners drove
Westward to reach the location. Then estimate how many double-gun owners live in "Our Nations Capital"--sawed-off shotguns don't count.
It is a fact that the Vintage Cup is a private party for Vintagers; they get in free by being a member. I have gotten in free in past years when I was a member. If I had a table in the Parker tent (like I did in 2009), I would have been on the "exhibitor" list at the gate. It's not the twenty bucks---"true believers" will pay the price.
I make no suggestions as to how Ray P should run his private party for Vintagers and others so inclined, but I am thankful that such events exist.
I was at Addieville RI in 1997, and at Sandanona NY most years, and at Pintail Point the last three years. I was attending Sanford NC since before the Parker/LCS shootoff began. I have attended the Yooper (U.P. MI) regularly, and I hit Puglisi's Duluth MN shoot this year on the way north to fish the Boundary Waters. I was at Hidden Hollow PA last year, and attended the Vintager event at Northbrook IL. I seriously doubt that anyone has been at as many of these listed events as I have.
Would this well-traveled double-gun fan travel all the way to the Eastern Shore of MD if I did not have my kids living in Nokesville VA (30 miles west of our Nation's Capitol)?
Hell, NO!
As it was, Rt.66 was wide open and the Beltway moved along; Rt 50 to the bridge was relatively quick and no back-up coming or going. Ducked the bullet, so to speak. I don't shoot the main events, so I have no sense of what the actual competitors think. From my view as simply a gawker, the things to gawk at were diminished from prior years. Might be the economy...or it might be time to move on. Not my decision to make. EDM
