Boot Hill gunfighters bring Old West to life

The law was upheld Saturday on Front Street, when the marshal and his deputies prevailed in the High Noon Gunfight at the Boot Hill Museum complex.
    Well before noon, the complex was filled with residents and tourists to witness the Old West gunfight. Members of the audience arrived early to try to get a good seat so they could witness all the action of the special Dodge City Days performance by the world-famous Boot Hill gunfighters.
    During the 30-minute show, actors kept the energy high as they transitioned from a funeral to a jail bust, then from a fist fight to a gunfight.
    Onlookers watched as the marshal and his deputies walked in with the mayor's coffin. While they were at his funeral, the town ruffians bailed their friend out of jail, who was going to be hanged for allegedly killing the mayor. From this point on, guns started blazing as the marshal tried to keep the peace and enforce the law in Dodge City.
    More than 20 actors were involved in the gunfight. Marshals, deputies, cowboys, troublemakers, store owners and can-can dancers all took a part in taking the audience back to Front Street in 1878.
    "This is the Super Bowl of gunfights," said Brent Harris, who played the owner of the Long Branch Saloon.
    Harris said approximately two months of preparation went into the special performance.
     Doug Trombley, who wrote a large part of the script, played a drunk who survived all the shootings in the show.
    "When you wobble, people miss you," Trombley said.
    Trombley also entertained the crowd with several other members of the cast before the show started.
    "It's my favorite thing to do," he said.
    Marshal Matt Younkin was also left standing at the end of the giant brawl and managed to take down quite a few men during the fighting.
    "The law always prevails in this town," Younkin said.
    In the middle of the show, a fight broke out between the girls from two competing saloons. As the cowboys grabbed a beer and watched, the girls screamed, slapped each other and pulled each other's hair to show the audience a good old-fashioned catfight. The fight eventually ended with the marshal carrying off one of the can-can dancers after one girl was thrown in the dunk tank during the scuffle.
    Younkin said the fight began because emotions were already high from the funeral before fighting on Front Street began. He also said the girls were fighting over the men in the town.
    "There are only so many John Waynes in this town, like me, so the girls fight over us," Younkin said.
    Josh Roesener, who played a marshal and also helped write the script, was a large part of the show. His voice boomed out so everyone in the audience could hear and follow along.
    Roesener, who is also a part of the safety council, explained how the guns use flash powder to replicate the real experience.
    Real or not, several people jumped as the guns exploded, and one woman even dropped her water as the marshal's gun discharged during the final duel.
    Seth Salmans, who has been part of the gunfights for four years, said he felt this year went particularly well.
    "There is always a large crowd, but this year seemed to have even more people," Salmans said. "It went well today. Surprisingly, we haven't died from heatstroke."
    The gunfighters who staged the fight managed to have action on all sides of Front Street so onlookers could see something going on right in front of them. During one part, four or five separate fist fights and brawls occurred simultaneously in separate areas of the complex.
    The show also managed to climax several times as unique fights broke out with new characters.
    Although Aaron Duree, a gunfighter ending his 10th season, did not make it out of the final gunfight alive, he still enjoyed his part in the production.
    "Playing a bad guy is more fun then wearing a badge," Duree said. "I get to be loud and obnoxious."
    Salmans said the daily gunfights at noon and 7 p.m. are only a part of the activities at Boot Hill. The museum has a trolley robbery at 3 p.m., a medicine show, child deputizing and a variety show at night.
    Salmans said he will continue to be a gunfighter and entertainer at Boot Hill.
    "I'd absolutely do it again next year," he said.
   
Reach Cherise Forno at (620) 408-9931 or e-mail her at cheriseforno@dodgeglobe.com.