By RYAN CHRISTNER

rchristner@dailynews.net

Standing side-by-side, Steve Greer and daughter Jordin waited -- hands poised beside their revolvers -- for the signal to draw.

As the yellow lights on the targets before them flashed on, the Greers' arms blurred into action.

When the pistol smoke cleared, it was the younger, more agile of the pair who was ruled the victor.

"Beat by my 13-year-old daughter; that's pretty bad," the Hoisington father said jokingly after completing his involvement in a speed-shooting competition Friday afternoon at Union Pacific Park in downtown Hays.

Hosted by the Deer Creek Regulators, a fast-draw club from Phillipsburg, the event was one of several activities that occurred around town as part of the 15th annual Wild West Festival.

Stationed behind the statue of famed lawman "Wild Bill" Hickok and dressed in period-appropriate clothing, the group couldn't have been a more perfect participant in this year's festivities.

For a few dollars, curious street-goers were fitted with chaps, a holster and a revolver stocked with wax-filled blanks.

It was the first trip to Hays for the fledgling organization, which formed in January and has 24 paying members, made up of men, women and children.

Originally having contacted the Ellis County Historical Society with the idea of performing historical re-enactments, group leader Dennis Lamont -- who goes by the nickname "Cow Chip Charlie" -- said he later received a call from Sabrina William of the Downtown Hays Development Corp. about coming out for the annual festival in downtown Hays.

The rest, no pun intended, is history.

The group did get to give some re-enactments, each taking a turn telling their factual-based life stories to passersby.

"We tell about historical events that actually happened," Lamont said. "But we're fictional characters."

Of course, the real draw was the weaponry, which attracted the attention of aspiring marksmen young and old.

For Steve Greer, who said he has used firearms several times before, although admittedly never to test his speed, the anxiety of waiting for the target light to come on might have slowed his reaction time.

The secret to a swift draw, said Paul Wisinger, who holds the record time among group members -- a blazingly fast 0.389 seconds -- actually is simple.

"Just practice," he said. "That's all you need to do."

For more information about the Deer Creek Regulators, contact Dennis Lamont at (785) 543-5744.