Horton died in Paktia, Afghanistan on September 9, 2011, during a complex ambush. Specialist Horton was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 279 Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, as a sniper. His wife, Jane Horton, made a comment to me that she didn't know how to keep Chris's legacy alive since they never had kids to carry on his name. This bothered me for years, until 2019 when I pu
t together the first sniper match in his honor. His wife flies in from DC to officiate the event and it's a great time to remember Chris, cross-load information between sniper teams and continue to keep our skills sharp. This year we have 20 teams from all over the country competing in the 2.5 day event. We keep our stages realistic to the craft, but have started an open class this year for non-sniper qualified competitors running non-issued equipment. What makes this event really unique in the sniper world is that it is spectator friendly, and on the first evening there is dinner where anyone can meet these guys, get pics, hang out around the bonfire and enjoy a live band. Bring the family out and watch some of the best dudes in the world fight for 1st place!
