The Majors?

The independent rifle exhibition circuit is unique amongst most sports activities in its structure, or perhaps a better way of putting is, its lack of structure. Individual-focused sports such as tennis, golf, racing, etc. all define their seasons in multiple ways. One, being the season-long champion (PGA Player of the Year, NASCAR Regular Season Champion) or through majors, grands, or crown jewels (PGA's 4 majors, tennis's Grand Slams, and NASCAR's crown jewels). So far, rifle exhibition has truly only defined success in one way, winning Daytona. However, the activity has reached a point of stability never seen before, with numerous other competitions growing in size and easily counted upon each year. It is time to begin defining rifle exhibition's majors, and redefining what we consider success. Winning World titles is a massive achievement, but we believe conquering these other competitions are worthy of similar praise and tracking.

Here, we will make the argument for a tiered set-up, meant to recognize the importance that competitions across the country have come to have, and what competitions could challenge for the title of a Rifle Exhibition major. This, of course, is from a solo perspective as tandem and team rifle exhibition is very early on in the process of becoming competitive anywhere except Daytona.

The Crown Jewel:
World Drill Championships. Daytona Beach, Florida
Not much truly needs to be said here. In the grand scheme of rifle exhibition, this has always been the main show. The preeminent competition with the most skilled individuals from all across the country, WDC has solidified itself at the top of the food chain. A WDC solo title is widely regarded as the highest competitive achievement for a reason, and is likely to stay this way for many years to come. 

The Majors: 
Here we will pitch our thoughts on which competitions have garnered a large enough reputation to have the title of a "Major" attached. While there was no arithmetic or pure objective measures were used, but general trends such as competitor pool size were taken into account. Other things considered were expertise of the judging corps, number of WDC finalists who have attended, number of NHSDTC finalists who have attended, and location/venue. As in tennis, golf, and NASCAR, we will shoot for four, with 2 already being established and numerous others to discuss.

Certain Majors:
Lone Star Championships. San Antonio, Texas
Held for over a decade, the Lone Star Championships has become a must-go for all who take this activity seriously. Won by the likes of former World Champions, Robert Zyko, Trey Simmonds, and Andres Ryan as well as stand-out young talents such as Noah Calvert, Franki Alano, and Landon Gonzalez, there has been no shortage of premier level competition in the heart of Texas. Orchestrated by the renowned MSgt. Herman Ybarra, an outstanding judging corps is assembled each year, having featured members of the Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team and former WDC-level competitors. It has also featured iconic and historic locations, such as the Arneson River Theater and the Alamo itself as backdrops, honoring the military tradition that preceded the activity we know today.

River City Drill Competition. Louisville, Kentucky
Entering it's 10th season in operation, RCDC quickly grew into one of the largest and well-attended competitions in the country. A street competition which modeled itself after the fabled New York Drill Competition, RCDC has a unique feel, encouraging audience involvement and close-to-the-action viewpoints. Won by World and High School champions alike, raw talent gets put to the ultimate test while overlooking the Ohio River at the Brown-Forman amphitheater in downtown Louisville. The go-to competition to test out your showmanship and creativity.

Major Contenders:
Florida Drill Competition. Oldsmar, Florida
The Florida Drill Competition, FLDC, has been around for many years in many different variations but struggled to find stability, until now. Revived again by Chief Johnson, a local JROTC instructor, FLDC has finally found a guiding hand that is leading it back to prominence. The most recent editions have easily reached the level of participation of LSC and RCDC, seeking only the continued success of the two certain majors to join their ranks among the premier rifle exhibition competitions. What we would like to see: more participation from outside the state of Florida. Florida itself is a talent haven, and when further honed against what the rest of the nation has to offer, can become a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

REIGN. Traveling location
A new competition on the scene that hasn't quite found its footing, this competition took a bold step in a direction for the activity, attempting to place a greater focus on showmanship and creativity. REIGN also changed up the scoresheet, adding deduction based scoring categories, something never before used at an in-person competition. To reach its goals, REIGN's first event in 2024 was an invite-only showcase performed during Pershing Rifles's National Convention. It's next event is planned for February 28th, 2026 at the Ohio Valley Regional Drill Championships in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. What we would like to see: Consistency in putting on the event to provide more confidence for attendees. More training to the judges to ensure a fair understanding of the scoring across judges, competitors, and spectators.

Colorado Classic. Colorado Springs, Colorado
Another relatively new event, the Colorado Classic is included for its heavyweight potential. Run by World Champion Andrew Katz in the home of US Air Force Academy at the base of the Rocky Mountains, the Classic covers a huge swath of the country previously uncovered by existing competitions. This ability to pull in talent from around the Rockies and Upper plains places to the Classic on a trajectory to competition of the highest-level. Nearby Denver also allows for easy access from around the country. Drawback: Andrew will soon be graduating and its existence is predicated upon finding a new worthy event organizer to build upon its early success. 

New York Drill Competition. New York City, New York
Despite its last iteration not hitting the (real-life) pad since 2018, we would be remiss to not mention the New York Drill Competition (NYDC). Its legacy is directly felt across street competitions across the country and helped spur a large volume of the trick vocabulary we see now. Headlined by some of the all-time greats in its heyday, NYDC would easily challenge for a spot amongst the majors with a triumphant comeback. Even it's COVID edition in 2020, as part of the SDT, created iconic moments and scenery, highlighting its unique position in rifle exhibition culture.

Pro-Am. Washington, DC
Another currently defunct competition steeped in rifle exhibition lore and mythology, Pro-Am was the first bladed only competition, focusing on technical skill and highlighting the top tier ability of New Guard America. Surrounded by the military history of the nation's capital, a return of Pro-Am, or another uniformed competition, would pay homage to the history of the activity in a way that no other location truly can. With the expertise of the Service Drill Teams to draw on, a DC competition would provide a different challenge than currently available at any other event, heavily focused on technique and execution. 

Outside Looking In:
All other TXDCs. Various locations in Central Texas
It's difficult to make an argument for the other various TXDC events outside of Lone Star. For one, many of them are one-off events or based on competitor interest, making it difficult for long-distance competitors to make the trip. If any of them could make a shout, that would be the Commandant's Call, the yearly TXDC held around the time of MSgt Ybarra's birthday in the early summer due to its consistency. Regardless, every TXDC are still solid events with great upside as a competitor. 

River City Drill Competition, Winter. Louisville, Kentucky
Similar to the TXDC events, the winter version of RCDC is sporadic and although typically draws a good crowd, doesn't have nearly the same pull as the summer version. This event is likely to be fully replaced by REIGN in the near future, as it is run by the same event directors. 

Left Behind:
OHDC/Air Force WDC Qualifiers. Dayton, Ohio
OHDC started off with a bang, garnering 17 participants in its first outing. Taking place in conjunction with the Air Force Nationals in Dayon, Ohio this competition was poised to gather a strong following, allowing participants to showcase their ability in front of hundreds of spectators, a true prep for the big show in Daytona. Unfortunately, participation wavered after the COVID pandemic and never recovered. Along with the logistical hurdles that come with putting on another event in the middle of one of the largest High School competitions in the country, these concerns put the nail in the coffin and what began as a promising Mid-America proving ground. 

Don't Qualify:
The Online Drill Competitions
The online drill competitions have made themselves a niche in the current rifle exhibition community, gaining significant traction from the hard work of MSgt Ybarra's (truly, thank this man for his efforts next time you see him) Drill Warrior University and the COVID-era Summer Drill Tour which filled the competitive void in the lockdown world. Since, we've seen an explosion of ODCs taking numerous forms, but they don't quite fit with what we're looking for in a Major. They're quite sporadic, typically have a lower skill floor (which is not a bad thing!), and the ability to record and re-record multiple attempts is simply too different than the others. 

However! We do want to acknowledge the work of a few ODCs that have helped push the boundaries. First, the DrillHub ODC which pushed participants to engage in true content creation, allowing for video editing, different perspectives, and fun music. The complete change in scoresheet to reward the presentation of the routine in conjunction with pure skill led to some of the most fun rifle exhibition videos we've had the pleasure to enjoy. Next, the Online Drill Classic by MassDrill attempted to recapture the magic of pure technical skill, being the first to introduce a deduction-based scoring system that was then adopted by REIGN. Others have come and gone, but all have allowed participants to show their ability and provided immeasurable opportunities for many who otherwise would not be able to enjoy the feeling of putting it on the line in competition.

---