Charles A. (Sparrow) Young

Charles (Sparrow) Young, of Springfield, 0., one of the most colorful trapshooters of all times, was the first shooter to break 100 straight from back yardage to win the Grand American Handicap (23 yards in 1926) and the first to break a 25-target event in the Grand American Handicap. He had broken 100 straight from 23 yards at Peru, Ind. in 1916, and he broke the 25 straight at the first Grand American Handicap at New York City in 1900 when he shot under the nom de plume of Robin Hood. He was once affiliated with the Robin Hood powder company, was a demonstrator for the Baker Arms company and shot as professional for the Peters Cartridge Company for many years. He pained his nickname ‘Sparrow’ in 1898 when sparrows were used instead of clay targets at many of the shoots.

Young took up trapshooting in 1884 and became a crack shot overnight. He won many trap and live pigeon events and in 1899 ran 211 straight at Peoria, Ill. for a new long-run record. Young, who was known as Chief Sparrow in the Okoboji Indians, won hundreds of championships both as a professional and amateur, including the International Trapshooting championship at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 with 99x100, the world professional title at Dayton, 0hio in 1913 and the Ohio State championship in 1926 and 1927. Besides being a marksman, he was also a gunsmith and inventor. He was one of the originators of the release trigger. Sparrow was born Sept. 10, 1865 in Frederick County, MD. His parents moved to Ohio when he was six months old. He passed away May 15, 1951 at the age of 85.