Betty Johnson
Betty Johnson got involved in ATA trapshooting in 1967 after her husband Jack became interested in the sport. A devoted hunter, he was looking for something to do outside of hunting season. Betty had never owned a shotgun and was “not excited at all” about going out on the trap field. However, she grew to love trapshooting, becoming one of the top lady shooters in the sport at the time.

Betty attended her first Grand American in 1982. Despite being terrified, she came away from the tournament with the women’s titles in two prelim events. Between 1988 and 1991, she won eight more trophies at the tournament, including the women’s crown in the 1988 Champion of Champions. She was happy to earn her way into some shootoffs at the Grand and found it exciting just to be at the tournament with people who shared her love for the sport and “spoke the same language.”

She captured nearly 35 trophies while competing at the Midwestern Grand (forerunner to the Southwestern Grand), including 14 women’s titles (six singles, four doubles and four all-around), and she and Jack won husband-wife honors six times.

In Spring Grand competition, Betty captured the ladies’ singles title twice and the doubles once.

Betty won the 1974 Texas state handicap crown over the field with 98, an accomplishment that she still considers special today. She secured the women’s singles tiara for the first time in 1971 and went on to collect it 17 more times, including a 13-year streak between 1981 and 1993. Her score of 199 in 1986 established a state record that was never repeated in the women’s category and has not been matched since the Lady I and Lady II categories have been in place.

While shooting in a 300-bird singles event in May 1975, Betty ran the last 200 to become the 10th woman to card a double-century in ATA competition. She finished the race with 296 to lead all shooters by 11 birds.

Later, during the 1991 Grand, she posted another 200 in the Singles Class Championship, ending with ladies’ third place. She finished behind Trapshooting Hall of Fame enshrinees Nora Ross and Cathy Wehinger. This marked the first time three women had broken 200 in the same event.

In July 1977, while shooting at Jackson Hole Trap Club in Jackson Hole, WY, she broke 98 from the 26-yard line and etched her name in the record books as the 12th woman in the ATA to make it to the back fence. She called it a huge thrill and especially in her favorite place in the world. She has had a vacation home in Jackson Hole since 1970. Between 1975 and 1994, Betty earned All-American honors 17 times. In 1978 she and son Dayne both claimed spots, with Dayne being on the junior team. They are one of 17 mother-son pairs to have earned All-American status in the same year.

When she first started shooting, Betty received help from Jack and also from Riley Plunkett, who she said “took the foolishness out of me.” Riley was the one who taught her to stop looking at the bead and to keep her eye on the target. She listed Ray Stafford and Gene Sears as others who helped her along the way.

Starting out with a Remington 1100, Betty told Jack she wanted the fanciest 1100 they had, and she got a TF Grade with “beautiful wood” and gold duck engravings. Later Jack purchased a Perazzi for himself, but when it did not work for him, she tried it, finishing her career with that gun. “That was my baby,”
she said.

After developing a flinch, Betty went to a release trigger and eventually a double-release trigger. She adapted quite easily to the change and saw her scores improve.

Being a woman in the sport at the time, she said she did not have a lot of company, as trapshooting was not as popular with ladies at the time, but the ones who did She was fortunate to win most of her trophies outright, not having to shoot off too often, but she did win the lion’s share of the tie-breakers she was in. One that sticks in her memory was with her good friend Nancy Williams at the Oklahoma State Shoot. “I figured she’d just whip me good, but I won it,” Betty said. She never expected to experience the success she did in the sport, and she credits a natural ability and good handeye coordination for getting her there, along with practice and consistency.

She never went to a tournament to beat anybody else, but just to beat her own past scores, always working to improve. Betty noted it’s important for new shooters to stick with it, even when they are struggling. She said to get a gun that fits and to keep your head down and follow through. “Practice, but don’t kill yourself on the practice field,” she said. “The best practice is competition.” She added that shooting with better shooters can help improve your game as well.

Betty and Jack, who passed away in 2016, owned a sporting clays store and shooting range, Alpine Shooting Range. They had two sons, Dayne and Darren. Dayne won Texas state titles in the subjunior and junior categories. He went on to compete in International trap, spending about 10 years traveling the world. Betty called it a wonderful experience for a young man. Darren, who Betty noted is a good hunter, worked at trapshoots when he was younger.

When asked how trapshooting had shaped her life, Betty said it was the people who made a difference. She described every trapshoot as a family reunion filled with good times, laughs and catching up on each other’s lives. As a letter writer, she stays in contact with some shooters.

Betty shot her last ATA targets in 1993. Still at the top of her game, that year she had won the Texas state women’s singles title and the ladies’ singles, doubles and all-around championships at the Midwestern Grand. At the time, she was looking for “calmer endeavors.” She went on to spend her spare time making
cut glass items, doing embroidery and crocheting. She also wanted to travel with the “Swimmin’ Women,” a group with whom she did water aerobics. At 85 years old, Betty still goes to water aerobics classes three times a week. She also enjoys going to Bible study class.

Betty said she does not have the proper words to express how honored and overwhelmed she is to be inducted into the Trapshooting Hall of Fame. She added that it was not something she had aspired to do. Her induction has made her think back to all the good times she had while shooting with a lot of fun, laughter and food. She is looking forward to the induction ceremony but joked that she would much rather be in a shootoff than give a speech.

Dayne will be presenting Betty at the induction banquet.

-Elissa Harding