By CELESTE BAUMGARTNER
Ohio Correspondent

HAMILTON, Ohio — With a skill that invites comparison to Annie Oakley, Jessica Ramsey took first place in pistol, archery, shotgun, muzzleloader, second in skeet and third in rifle at the Butler County (Ohio) Fair.

“I love it.” Ramsey said. “It is a lot of practicing – it takes a lot of time, and you eventually get there. I wasn’t always good and I still need a lot of improvement.”

Ramsey, 17, has been in 4-H for five years. She is a member of the Butler County Sharp Shooters, and her advisors are Barb and Steve Haverkos. She practices shooting sports with them every Wednesday from January through June.

She also takes part in the National Rifle Assoc. (NRA) Junior Program, practicing rifle with that group every Monday from October through March. Participants are scored on a set number of targets. She started at the Marksman level and is now an Expert, working on Distinguished.

At the youth shoot competition at Friendship, Ind., this year Ramsey was the Top Girl Shooter.

“When I’m shooting for fun I’m not nervous, but when I get into competition my nerves start getting to me,” Ramsey said. “When you’re shooting, the only thing you should be thinking about is the sights and the target. You shouldn’t be paying attention to your breathing. That should all just be there.”

Taking part in shooting sports has taught Ramsey not to give up. Last year she was going through a slump with shotgun; she wasn’t shooting well.

“I just kept up with it and eventually I came out of it,” she said. “I still need to work on it, but it is a lot better than what it was. If I had given up on it I wouldn’t have gotten any better.”

Thirteen instructors work with the youth shooters at the Butler County Gun Club. One of them, Don Thornton, emphasizes to Ramsey and the others that the main thing is to have fun, she said. After shooting practice, even if someone has missed targets, Thornton will ask “Did you have fun? That’s all that matters.”

Both 4-H and NRA teach a lot about gun safety, Ramsey said. Things such as, how to respect firearms, making sure they are pointed in a safe direction, keeping them unloaded until you are ready to shoot, wearing eye and ear protection, keeping your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot and knowing what is beyond your shooting range.

“If you don’t stress safety, things can happen,” Ramsey said. “Our instructor says some people say, ‘I can’t believe you’re teaching kids how to shoot.’ He said we enforce safety so much that he knows his kids aren’t going to do anything unsafe.”