Iron Horse Shoot Out returns to Amarillo with precision, power and purpose
Hosted by the 100 Club of the Texas Panhandle in partnership with the Amarillo Police Department Motor Unit, the event runs July 17 to 19 at the Santa Fe Depot Pavilion, 401 S. Grant St. Admission is free, and the public is encouraged to attend.
Precision on the pavement
Riders will face timed challenges across two distinct courses — a tight precision layout under the covered pavilion and a speed course on the adjacent asphalt lot.
'This isn't about showmanship — it's about safety,' said Sgt. Trent Thomas, a 19-year Amarillo police veteran and motorcycle unit supervisor. 'If you can control a bike here, you're more prepared out there — in traffic, during a pursuit, or on a rescue call.'
Thomas said the competition helps riders develop instincts that translate directly to the field.
'We've had officers avoid crashes thanks to the skills they've refined here,' he said. 'You hope you never need it, but when you do, it matters.'
A long road for a worthy cause
John Jenkins, a motorcycle instructor from Calgary, Alberta, drove more than 1,300 miles with his bike in the back of his truck to compete for the third year in a row. He said the Amarillo event stands out among the national circuit.
'There's a level of professionalism and community here that you don't find everywhere,' Jenkins said. 'It feels like you're training with a purpose.'
Jenkins credits the event with improving not only his own skills, but those of his students back home.
'These skills have saved my life — and my students' lives — on the road,' he said. 'You build muscle memory here, so when something happens in real life, your body knows what to do before your brain catches up.'
Training that gives back
While the riders improve their technique, the event also raises money for the 100 Club of the Texas Panhandle, which provides emergency financial support and resources to firefighters and law enforcement officers across 26 counties.
The nonprofit typically raises between $50,000 and $60,000 during the shoot out. The funds help provide:
$20,000 within 24 hours to the family of a fallen first responder
$5,000 immediately for line-of-duty injuries, with up to $12,000 in follow-up support
Equipment purchases for departments lacking the budget
Mental health and wellness conferences for first responders
Executive Director Suzanne Talley of the Texas Panhandle 100 Club said the fundraising goes hand-in-hand with honoring those who serve.
'When people come out and support this event, they're doing more than watching a show,' she said. 'They're backing the men and women who risk their lives for our communities.'
In 2024, the organization raised more than $900,000 in just eight weeks to aid 54 volunteer fire departments impacted by devastating wildfires.
Opening ceremony and community support
A formal opening ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, July 20, at 8 a.m., featuring remarks from Amarillo Mayor Cole Stanley, interim Police Chief Jimmy Johnson, and regional fire and law enforcement officials.
'This ceremony honors the service behind the spectacle,' Talley said. 'It's a reminder of why we ride.'
The public is welcome to attend each day's competitions. Riders pay entry and banquet fees, and additional fundraising comes from slow-ride reentry tickets and sponsor contributions.
Returning sponsors include Full Smile Dental (presenting sponsor), IVRS Wellness, Atmos Energy, ADG, Happy State Bank, Creative Cannon and Panhandle Eye Group.
For event details, live scoring, or donation information, visit texaspanhandle100club.org.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Iron Horse Shoot Out brings national riders to Amarillo
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It's something I will hold close to me for the rest of my life.' The Mets have not excelled at endings in their history. Their best players ended their careers in places like Boston, Cleveland, Oakland and — shudder — the Bronx. They celebrated the closure of their long-time stadium after a cruel season-ending loss. And for a time, for a pretty long time, it looked as if the same fate might befall Wright, his last at-bat coming anticlimactically (and with no one realizing it) in early 2016 against Louis Coleman. Advertisement Indeed, as Wright's rehab through back, neck and shoulder surgeries trudged on, there was even some doubt whether Mets ownership would allow him to suit up ceremonially; there was insurance money at stake, of course. But on the final Saturday of the 2018 season, Wright and the Mets collaborated on one of the most memorable nights in franchise history. It had been jarring weeks earlier when Wright had divulged publicly what he'd known inside for a while: 'It's debilitating to play baseball.' He would get one last start, one last time to put pinstripes over his orange undershirt, to kick third base, to tug at the bill of his helmet as he stepped into the box. Wright walked and popped out; you remember the latter because you still despise Peter O'Brien for catching it. In the top of the fifth, he was replaced in the field and cheered for more than three minutes before heading down the dugout steps. After the Mets finally won in 13 innings, he thanked all the fans who stayed 'just to watch a video and hear me mumble some thank yous.' The night highlighted, as Saturday should as well, Wright's unique place in Mets history — not just as their greatest homegrown position player, but as a player who so thoroughly embraced what it meant to be a New York Met, having grown up a fan in southeast Virginia. 'I live and die with this team,' he said that night. 'When I see the fans take losses hard, when I see the fans smiling from ear to ear after a win, I'm that same way in the clubhouse. I'd like to think that's what's made this connection between the fans and I so strong: I relate to them, they relate to me. We have similar feelings about the New York Mets.' (Top photo of David Wright's home run in Game 3 of the 2015 World Series: Elsa / Getty Images)
