Press Room
- Look for upcoming Featuring Articles on Andra in the Western Shooting Horse Magazine.
- Watch for the 2008 Corm Maze on RFD-TV; Jim and Andra were competitors representing the Colt team:
- Corn Maze on RFD-TV Horscity.com will be as follows:
March 6 - 5:30 pm EST March 7 - 3:30 am EST March 8 - 1:30 pm EST April 3 - 5:30 pm EST April 4 - 3:30 pm EST April 5 - 1:30 pm EST
Release for the Rundown mar 08- 2008 Stampede “Running with the Colts in 2008” So they can click on for Stampede information and Stampede location list.
- 2008 “Shoot for a Colt” Clinic tour so they can click on for Clinic information and then Add text that states the 2008 “Shoot for a Colt” Clinics are full but to contact us
Sponsorship News
AJ Horses has accepted sponsorship from saddleandtackwarehouse.com. Bruce Parsons, owner of The Saddle and Tack Warehouse in Clearwater, MN, has created the largest and most easily accessible online tack store in the equine industry.
Jim Hanson and Andra Olson, owners of AJ Horses, were thrilled to accept this sponsorship. “Bruce carries a tremendous line of equine products, and has a large selection of items recommended by AJ Horses for the sport of mounted shooting,” said Jim.
Andra added, “…Save more time for riding and shooting by shopping online. Visit www.saddleandtackwarehouse.com.”
Jim Hanson and Andra Olson Take Top Honors at CMSA World Championship
Jim Hanson captured the Reserve World Champion Cowboy title and Andra Olson won her second consecutive Overall World Champion Cowgirl title at the recent Cowboy Mounted Shooting World Championships in Scottsdale, Arizona. In addition, Hanson and Olson were named the World Team Champions.
“I am extremely pleased with my results at the world championships this year,” said Olson. “Each year the field of competitors gets deeper and more skilled which makes repeating all the more difficult.”
“Winning the Reserve World Championship title was a major accomplishment especially at the end of a very challenging year for me,” said Hanson. Earlier this year Hanson broke his ankle and was sidelined from competition for two months.
The event, which attracted a total of 258 competitors, took place November 17-21, 2004 at West World in Scottsdale, Arizona. Prizes included several Colt .45 caliber single action pistols, two horse trailers and over $45,000 in cash.
AJ Horses Introduces Improved Ear Protection for Mounted Shooting Horses
A.J. Horses has recently introduced a new product that offers superior ear protection for mounted shooting horses. The new style ear plugs are manufactured with a softer and more pliable material than previous horse ear plugs. These improvements offer better sound deadening, are more comfortable, and are not as easily shaken from a horse’s ears. The softer and more pliable material also allows onesize to fit all.
“We spent the past year researching materials and looking for ways that we could improve the overall performance of horse ear protection,” said Jim Hanson, business partner in A.J. Horses with Andra Olson. “I am confident that anyone who tries our new ear plugs will definitely notice the difference,” he added.
A.J. Horses ear plugs are available for $18.95 by calling 612-812-2970 or by sending a check to: A.J. Horses, 11272 Bishop Ave., Monticello, MN 55362. For more information, go to www.ajhorses.com.
Andra and Jim are both national and world mounted shooting champions and are spokesperson for Colt Firearms.
CMSA World Team Champions Reveal Secrets of their Success
Andra Olson and Jim Hanson are quite a team. Besides their successful partnership in A.J. Horses, they not only won the 2004 CMSA World Team Champions, but recently duplicated this title by winning the 2005 CMSA World Team Champions. But if you stop at these accomplishments, you’re only scratching the surface.
“I guess you could say that we are wired the same,” said Andra about their partnership. “When I’m down, Jim’s up. When he’s down, I’m up. We even think alike which is pretty scary,” she joked.
It is probably no surprise to anyone that Jim and Andra won the CMSA World Team Championship. After all, both are accomplished competitors with multiple World and National Championship titles.
“It was a no-brainer to pick each other,” said Jim. “We know each other so well that neither of us even gave it a second thought. We each knew that if we rode to our potential, we would do well,” he said.
Jim and Andra met at a CMSA event more than seven years ago. In 1999, they formed A.J. Horses and began training and selling top mounted shooting horses.
What words best describe your teamwork for them? “Trust and respect,” said Jim without hesitation. “By working together we both felt that we had so much more to offer. We play off of each other and complement each other too. We have a good sense of timing, when to speak up and when to shut up. We share all duties of this business. It is a true partnership,” he added.
Some of their partnership duties include endless miles of travel between mounted shooting events. Andra teases that she drives more, but according to Jim, “it always seems that when one of us is tired the other is wide awake.” “We share chores while on the road, loading and unloading horses, cleaning up after them,” he said. “We do not have assigned duties, we just seem to work together and everything gets done,” added Andra.
Jim lives in Sturgis, South Dakota and Andra in Monticello, MN. They often split chores related to the horses, Jim keeping half of their stock at his facility in South Dakota and Andra keeping the other at her facility in Minnesota.
Besides mounted shooting, Jim and Andra have a shared interest in Golden retrievers. They train and breed dogs for sale. Another favorite pastime is enjoying pie and coffee on the road, sometimes several times per day.
Their partnership has changed and grown over the years. Beginning with mounted shooting horse training, Jim and Andra have expanded their business to include clinics, instructional videos and a line of mounted shooting products. Their ear plugs, based on their own design, have become a top selling item among mounted shooting competitors. Along the way Jim and Andra were selected by Colt Firearms to be national representatives for Colt.
“Over the past five years our two families have become very close,” said Andra. “They have helped so much to make our business a success.”
And what does the future hold in store for this dynamic partnership? Besides defending their CMSA World Team Championship, Jim and Andra plan to expand their business promoting their 10-step Training method for mounted shooting horses, introducing more products, and have contracted a sponsorship with Saddle & Tack Warehouse which provides a large website equine tack store. This will make it easier to purchase AJ horses products and other equine products. Many competitors received instruction from Jim and Andra last year at their Colt Training Facility in Monticello, Minnesota, and they hope to host many new and existing students this year.
AJ Horses successes also appeared at the 2005 CMSA World Championships, when 3 of the top 5 winning horses were trained and sold by Jim and Andra. This is a credit to their success in team work.
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Stampede Tour Stops: |
Guns |
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| 1/5 – 1/6 |
Tennessee State Championship; Murfreesboro, Tn;
Draw for a Colt: WINNER AMANDA PORTER |
1 |
| 3/7 – 3/9 |
Western Shooting Horse Association; Ben Avery Arena,
Phoenix, AZ; Draw for a Colt |
1 |
| 3/13 – 3/16 |
Festival of the West Classic; Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass, Phoenix,
AZ; Eliminator Colts |
2 |
4/16 – 4/20
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Jeffers National Championship; Paul Battle Arena, Tunica, MS;
Eliminator Colts |
2 |
| 5/2 – 5/4 |
Illinois Renegades, Grand American; DuQuoin, Ill;
Draw for a Colt |
1 |
| 5/8 – 5/11 |
Mid-Eastern Classic; Lewisburg, OH; Eliminator Colts |
2 |
| 6/12 – 6/15 |
Lazy E Classic; Guthrie Ok; Eliminator Colts |
2 |
| 6/21 – 6/22 |
Will Lantis Memorial Regional Championship;
Spearfish, SD; Draw for Colts |
2 |
| 7/4 – 7/5 |
North Idaho Freedom Shoot Grand American;
Coeur’dalene, ID: Draw for Colt |
1 |
| 8/6 – 8/10 |
Ruger Western United States Championships; Nampa ID
Eliminator Colts |
2 |
| 8/21 – 8/22 |
Montana State Championship; Billings MT
Draw for Colt |
1 |
| 9/3 – 9/7 |
Sundowner Eastern United States Championship;
Murfreesboro, TN; Eliminator Colts |
2 |
| 9/3 |
“Outlaw Annie Shoot for a Cure” Susan G. Komen Foundation;
Murfreesboro, TN; Celebrity Shoot |
2 |
| 11/19 – 11/23 |
CMSA Sundowner World Championship; Amarillo, Tx
Eliminator Colts |
2 |
AJ HORSES
“SHOOT FOR A COLT”
CLINIC TOUR
2008 is going to be an exciting year in Mounted Shooting!!! Not only will AJ Horses and Colt Firearms continue traveling across the United States stopping various mounted shooting events giving away .45 Colt SAA’s, they have also added their new “Shoot For A Colt” Clinic Tour. At all the “Shoot for a Colt” Clinics the participants in the clinic will have a chance to win a .45 Colt SAA. The .45 Colt SAA will be given away in a drawing for all clinic participants (excluding audio participants). The Stampedes and Clinics are limited so contact AJ Horses to schedule your “Shoot for a Colt” Clinic or the Stampede locations. AJ Horses 612-812-2970.
AJ Horses Clinics are very effective in demonstrating proven mounted shooting techniques. We will be detailed in delivering the information needed to help you become more successful with your horsemanship and a better mounted shooter. Using our training techniques correctly and consistently will give you OUTSTANDING results.
Our mounted shooting clinics touch on:
It is very important to note that every clinic is different regardless of its format, due to the different ability levels of the riders and the ability levels of the horses. But no matter what level you are at - the more effort you put into executing the techniques the more you will benefit.
Draw your guns and let’s “Shoot for a Colt”!!
AJ Horses Clinics
Clubs/groups provide:
Additional charges may apply
