Edmond W. (Ted) Renfro

E. W. (Ted) Renfro of Dell, Mont. won his first Grand American trophy in 1921, and 52 years later at that tournament, his son, daughter-in-law and grandson became the first husband-wife-son in the ATA to stand on the 27-yard line. It was fitting that his family be good handicap shots, for only in 1973 had Ted Renfro’s long-run record from yardage been broken— and he set it in 1933. In three shoots in Montana, including his state shoot at which he broke 99, Ted Renfro ran 240 straight from 24 yards, a mark that was unchallenged for 40 years.

The first trophy Ted Renfro won at the Grand was second in his class, but two years later he was out-firing Mark Arie in shootoff to capture the Champion of Champions title. In 1930 he won the Doubles Championship and the Jim Day Cup (given for what later became called the All-Around), and in 1931 he was second in the CofC. He placed second there again in 1935, and between those years he won four other Grand American trophies, including the Jim Day Cup in 1933. He was second in the Doubles Championship in 1932 and third in the Preliminary Handicap the same year.

Twenty-nine Montana State championships became his between the years of 1918 and 1944—seven 16-yard, three handicap, nine doubles and 10 all-around ones. Renfro led ATA doubles averages three times, in 1930, 1933 and 1936. He placed on the first-string All-America team seven times from 1928 to 1936.

A trapper all of his life, Ted Renfro set his traps as usual on Feb. 15, 1965, but before the 79-year-old could bait them the next day, he suffered a fatal heart attack.