Keeping our heritage alive…
Dear Blackpowder Shooters of the World,
I cannot express how happy we are to welcome you in Hungary this year. We strongly believe that having the 27th MLAIC World Championships in one of the countries of the former socialist region is a great step forward for our beautiful shooting sport and community.
The history of our little country is connected to the history of the surrounding nations with millions of links, and it is also connected strongly to the history of the firearms development. The first firearms – hand held cannons – appeared in this region in the first half of the 14th century, and the first ever regular army to employ soldiers with handgonnes was the “Black Army” of King Matthias, son of János Hunyadi.
From the early 16th century Hungary fought constant war against invading armies, and these fields of battles were the places to try and improve such tactical formations as the Tercio, which combined the fighting force of pike-men and musketeers. Arquebusiers and musketeers using slow-to-load matchlock muskets loaded and fired their weapons according to the special rules of firing by row, file or salvos.
This was the time when the civilian use of firearms also started to spread in the region. The first documented deer hunt in Hungary is dated 1509, while the first shooting match held in our country is dated 1512. From these days shooting sports, and firearms always played an important part in our history.
Sarlóspuszta is the very heart of the Hungarian “puszta”, the traditional great plains of our land. We will be happy to show you the very best face of our little but beautiful country. We will do our best to seize the opportunity and to organize a wonderful championships. It is a great challenge but a beautiful task in the meantime, that can also serve as a starting point for new former eastern European countries willing to join the blackpowder shooting community of the World.
The Championship is organized by the Hungarian Muzzleloaders Association and the Hungarian Shooting Federation.
Let’s meet in Hungary in May, for our first ever MLAIC Friendship match, and we hope to meet you at the 27th MLAIC World Championships held from 13th August to 21st August 2016.
Best regards,
Balázs Németh
Head of the organizing committee