Young women in long brown skirts fidgeted with their braids, as a crowd of people packed the stands at the Darke County Fairgrounds.
But only nearby horses dared to make a sound, as high school junior Alia Hunt aimed a BB gun at a red balloon.
Everyone held their breath and leaned in as Hunt took a wide stance. She placed a finger on the trigger. The balloon wavered in the wind. She squinted. Then the silence breaks with a sharp pop.
Her fringe went flying as she hit her mark. With that, the annual 2025 Miss Annie Oakley Sharpshooting Competition was underway.
Before she was a globe-trotting sharpshooter in skirts and fringe, Annie Oakley was just a kid with a rifle in rural Darke County, Ohio. Each year, her hometown of Greenville keeps her legacy locked and loaded through a friendly sharpshooting competition.
An old fashioned shootout
Hunt was one of 10 girls who competed in this year鈥檚 shootout. She said marksmanship is in her blood 鈥� Oakley is her great great great great aunt. But she still has to work on her aim to earn the title of 鈥淢iss Annie Oakley鈥�.
鈥淗ow good she was at shooting, it just makes me want to be better,鈥� Hunt said. 鈥淲e practice every day.鈥�
Ahead of the contest, she was a little nervous. The stakes are always high: whoever is crowned the sharpest of the sharpshooters lays claim to the gold trophy that glitters in the sun and represents Greenville at parades and events over the year.
JoEllen Melling, Annie Oakley festival organizer, said it鈥檚 an honor unlike any other.
鈥�When you see girls going to parades and you see the girls sitting in the back of the cars waving, and then you see ours, and she's carrying her gun,鈥� Melling said with a laugh.
But, the competition isn鈥檛 just about marksmanship. Oakley started shooting as a way to put food on the table after her dad died. She wanted self-sufficiency in young women to be just as much a part of her legacy.
鈥淚 know she wanted them to be able to take care of themselves because that was one of the things that she did,鈥� Melling said. 鈥淪he learned how to shoot so she could help provide for her family.鈥�
Becoming Annie Oakley
It didn鈥檛 take long for the young Annie Oakley to earn a reputation for accuracy. So, when marksman Frank Butler asked to shoot against one of Darke County鈥檚 best, local historian Brenda Arnett said Annie Oakley was the clear contender.
鈥淸Butler] was shocked to find this petite little girl was supposed to be the one who shot against him,鈥� Arnett said. 鈥淪he beat him by one shot. He was done for, at that point. He was totally smitten with her.鈥�
The pair travelled the world together, performing in Buffalo Bill鈥檚 Wild West Show. Oakley shot cigarettes out of her husband鈥檚 mouth, hit dimes in midair and even used a mirror to aim.
鈥淏y the time they went to Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887, she was the premier act of the show,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nybody who was anybody came to Queen Victoria's Jubilee and they were all just enraptured by her and wanted to shoot against her or wanted her to do an exhibition shooting.鈥�
Aiming high
Darke County鈥檚 competition pays homage to one of Oakley鈥檚 most popular tricks: splitting an Ace of Hearts. The balloon sits squarely in the center of a wooden playing card, before the young girls鈥� BB pellets send its red rubber flying.
After each hit, the competitors step a little further away. An assistant pumps the BB gun, they shoot and repeat the process with each contender. Until, a miss ricochets off the board and a girl is eliminated.
But, even at 75 feet away, six of this year鈥檚 sharpshooters were still spot on.
鈥淭hese girls are really good competitors,鈥� Melling said. 鈥淲e've had them get 75, 80, 90 feet out.鈥�
20-year old Lauren Wright competed for five years before finally becoming the last sharpshooter standing in last year鈥檚 competition. After claiming the title, she visited Annie Oakley鈥檚 grave and thanked her, a tradition among 鈥淢iss Annie Oakley鈥� winners.
鈥淪he was a woman doing this a while ago. She had to be the first. Somebody has to, right?鈥� Wright said.
For many of the competitors, Oakley鈥檚 perseverance is key. Although Hunt didn鈥檛 take home first prize this year, that鈥檚 not likely to deter her. This was her fourth year in the shootout and she still has a couple years left to compete.
Melling, the competition鈥檚 coordinator, said win or lose, all the competitors can take a lesson away: It鈥檚 not about hitting the target. It鈥檚 about aiming for the high mark.
鈥淟earning what it takes. The stamina, just the drive that they want to keep doing it,鈥� Melling said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got girls coming back every year.鈥�