Dick Wright Has Left the Range...
- Thread starter AJ300MAG
- Start date
Boyd Allen
Active member
Sad news. RIP
FBecigneul
Member
This is a shock. I knew he wasn’t in the best of health but, wow. I met Sir Richard in 1986 and was taken aback by his love of our game and the people who populate it. That never changed. Perhaps they’ll set up a match in Heaven, which Glorya will win; she always did beat him by his own admission. Commence fire, dear friends.
FBecigneul
Member
FBecigneul
Member
My Friend Dick
The first time I met Dick was when I was 18. This was in 1973. I just started to shoot the 'senior' smallbore league. Back then it was known as the Saginaw Valley Smallbore League. There were 4 teams - Midland, Bay City, and Saginaw had 2 teams - one on Wednesday night and one on Thursday night. I shot for Bay City. The Thursday night Saginaw team was loaded with Master class shooters - Dick, Larry Rackel (1964 Wimbleton Cup Winner), Paula Rackel, Don Krieg, Bob Main, and a few others that I cannot remember their names.
I was walking up the steps leading into the range and this guy from within the range hollers out 'who the heck is that that kid!". Well, that was Dick trying to intimidate me to throw me off before we started to shoot. My teammates told me to ignore him. I was literally in awe of the scores that that Saginaw bunch shot that night. They were all in the 390's! We shot 4 position smallbore.
Well, the next year we show up for the first match at Saginaw and Dick hollers out at me when I walk into the range 'is that kid back again?!". That only gave me a smile and I proceeded to shoot a 397 that evening and we beat Saginaw for the first time in a very long time I was told back then. Dick was not happy that Bay City beat them.
Then I finally figured things out and shot a lot of 400's for the rest of my 4 position career. Dick would always say 'is that kid back again?" when we (the Bay City Team) would come over to Saginaw. Those were the good ole days.
I became very good friends with Dick after that first match. I always looked up to him for advice. I was really saddened when he quit shooting smallbore and moved up to the lake near Clare. It was quite a few years that we hadn't communicated. Then back in 2010 he calls me out of the blue and TELLS me to call Don Krieg and get our asses up to his place because he has something to show me. He knew that I hadn't been competing for a number of years. Don and I get to his house and he proceeds to show me how to shoot benchrest! And he shows me how to reload for it also! Geez Dick! I don't have a rifle or any reloading gear. No problem Matt. Here is my rifle and take some reloading stuff and see you back here in one week. I was shooting the matches at Harrison starting that spring!
Don and I used to sit in Dick and Glorya's livingroom shooting the bull and watching the birds at the feeders. Dick and some other shooters from Saginaw used to rent that house during deer season. Well, Dick liked it so much that he bought it when it came up for sale. He had a bench right out the back door and the target was down range 100 yards through the woods.
Dick made me the shooter that I was and am. He toughened me to endure pressure. This was his skill that he acquired being an officer. I will miss him immensely. I will miss talking to him on the phone. I will miss him at the range. But I am sure that he and Glorya are now in Heaven.
Rest in peace Dick.
The first time I met Dick was when I was 18. This was in 1973. I just started to shoot the 'senior' smallbore league. Back then it was known as the Saginaw Valley Smallbore League. There were 4 teams - Midland, Bay City, and Saginaw had 2 teams - one on Wednesday night and one on Thursday night. I shot for Bay City. The Thursday night Saginaw team was loaded with Master class shooters - Dick, Larry Rackel (1964 Wimbleton Cup Winner), Paula Rackel, Don Krieg, Bob Main, and a few others that I cannot remember their names.
I was walking up the steps leading into the range and this guy from within the range hollers out 'who the heck is that that kid!". Well, that was Dick trying to intimidate me to throw me off before we started to shoot. My teammates told me to ignore him. I was literally in awe of the scores that that Saginaw bunch shot that night. They were all in the 390's! We shot 4 position smallbore.
Well, the next year we show up for the first match at Saginaw and Dick hollers out at me when I walk into the range 'is that kid back again?!". That only gave me a smile and I proceeded to shoot a 397 that evening and we beat Saginaw for the first time in a very long time I was told back then. Dick was not happy that Bay City beat them.
Then I finally figured things out and shot a lot of 400's for the rest of my 4 position career. Dick would always say 'is that kid back again?" when we (the Bay City Team) would come over to Saginaw. Those were the good ole days.
I became very good friends with Dick after that first match. I always looked up to him for advice. I was really saddened when he quit shooting smallbore and moved up to the lake near Clare. It was quite a few years that we hadn't communicated. Then back in 2010 he calls me out of the blue and TELLS me to call Don Krieg and get our asses up to his place because he has something to show me. He knew that I hadn't been competing for a number of years. Don and I get to his house and he proceeds to show me how to shoot benchrest! And he shows me how to reload for it also! Geez Dick! I don't have a rifle or any reloading gear. No problem Matt. Here is my rifle and take some reloading stuff and see you back here in one week. I was shooting the matches at Harrison starting that spring!
Don and I used to sit in Dick and Glorya's livingroom shooting the bull and watching the birds at the feeders. Dick and some other shooters from Saginaw used to rent that house during deer season. Well, Dick liked it so much that he bought it when it came up for sale. He had a bench right out the back door and the target was down range 100 yards through the woods.
Dick made me the shooter that I was and am. He toughened me to endure pressure. This was his skill that he acquired being an officer. I will miss him immensely. I will miss talking to him on the phone. I will miss him at the range. But I am sure that he and Glorya are now in Heaven.
Rest in peace Dick.
Like most others, my introduction to Dick came through his articles in Precision Shooting. I met Dick in 2010 at Holton, Mi. when Randy Robinett and I traveled there for the IBS Score Championships. By that time, I had written a few articles for Precision Shooting. Dick made his way over to where we were loading, introduced himself and said: "Ive read your stuff. You're not the worst writer Brennan ever had". He gave me a big smile and a couple of pats on the back. Good stuff, for sure.
The World is a better place for Dick Wright's having been here.
-Al
The World is a better place for Dick Wright's having been here.
-AlJeff Stover
Member
Very sorry to hear of his passing. He and I always had some interesting conversations, but had not talked to him in years. When his wife Gloria passed, what a year ago or so, I wondered how he would fare. RIP, Dick.
Jeff
Jeff
Bill Gammon
New member
Dick Wright was one of my first Customers. May he rest in peace.
R.G. Robinett
"That'll never work."
Dick was one of the best emisarries for benchrest - I hope Francis is close. RG
So Sorry....
Very few could put out as interesting an article as Dick could. I always looked forward to his articles in Precision Shooting. They will remain in the Benchrest history forever.
Virg
Very few could put out as interesting an article as Dick could. I always looked forward to his articles in Precision Shooting. They will remain in the Benchrest history forever.
Virg
geo.ulrich
Member
Boy I almost hate getting on here. this is another that I enjoyed and made me welcome to the matches when he ran them R.I.P.
