Robert Jennings Leatham
Personal information
Born27 January 1961 (1961-01-27) (age 62)
Medal record
IPSC
Representing  United States
IPSC Handgun World Shoot
Gold medal – first place1983 Virginia
Gold medal – first place1986 Florida
Gold medal – first place1988 CaracasOpen
Gold medal – first place2002 PietersburgStandard
Gold medal – first place2005 GuayaquilStandard
Bronze medal – third place2011 RhodesModified
Gold medal – first place2014 FrostproofClassic
IPSC US Handgun Championship
Gold medal – first place1983
Gold medal – first place1984
Gold medal – first place1985
Gold medal – first place1986
Gold medal – first place1987
Gold medal – first place1988
Gold medal – first place1989
Silver medal – second place1990
Silver medal – second place1992
Bronze medal – third place1994 Open
Gold medal – first place1995 Open
Gold medal – first place2016 FrostproofClassic

Robert Jennings Leatham (born January 27, 1961 in Mesa, Arizona) is a professional shooter who is a 24-time USPSA National champion and 7-time International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) World Champion.

Biography

On Leatham's twelfth birthday, he received his first gun. His family surprised him with a new Smith & Wesson Model 34 revolver on one of their trips to shoot in the desert.

He continued desert shooting throughout his teenage years and became involved in other sports such as basketball.[1]

Competition shooting

Leatham's first competition took place in the late 1970s at a night shoot at the Mesa Police Department range. He shot a Smith & Wesson Model 27 revolver with a 6-inch barrel loaded with 200-grain round-nose bullets that Leatham loaded himself, including a custom holster made by local leather worker, Jess Bird, who had built holsters for Leatham's father for years. Leatham finished third revolver behind Mike Henry and Charlie Mills and cites this competition for causing his addiction to competitive shooting.

He invented the Modern Isosceles shooting stance in the 1980s.[2] A few years later he began shooting the 9x25 dillon handgun round and brought that cartridge into the mainstream.[3]

Leatham first shot the Steel Challenge and The Bianchi Cup in 1982.[4] In 1985, he won the Triple Crown of practical pistol shooting: the IPSC US Nationals, the Bianchi Cup and the Steel Challenge. He is the only competitor to ever win all three matches in the same year.[1]

In 1989, he was offered a major contract with Springfield Armory, Inc. that enabled him to become a full-time, professional shooter. Since that time, Leatham has been practicing, competing, and conducting live-fire demonstrations for sponsors around the world.[5]

Personal life

Leatham married fellow Team Springfield member Kippi Boykin, a three-time USPSA National Champion. They have one daughter together, Patience Leatham, and Leatham has 2 sons, Robert and Thomas, from a previous marriage.

Titles

  • 24-Time USPSA National Champion: 1983–1986, 1988, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002 (Limited), 2002 (Limited-10), 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 (Single-Stack and Production), 2007 (Single-Stack and Limited), 2008 (Single-Stack), 2009 (Single-Stack), 2010 (Single-Stack)[1]
  • 6-Time IPSC World Champion as a member of 7-time winning "Team USA":
    • 1983 - Virginia, USA
    • 1986 - Florida, USA
    • 1988 - Caracas, Venezuela,
    • 2002 - Pietersburg, South Africa
    • 2005 - Guayaquil, Ecuador
    • 2014 - Florida, USA (Classic Division)
  • 16-Time Single Stack Classic Champion: 1995–2010[1]
  • 7-Time Steel Challenge Champion: 1985, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 (Limited), 2002 (Open), 2009 (Production)
  • 6-Time IDPA Custom Defensive Pistol (CDP) National Champion: 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004
  • 7-Time NRA Bianchi Cup Champion: 1985, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
  • 3-Time American Handgunner World Shootoff Champion: 1996, 2003, 2004
  • Triple Crown Winner: 1985 (Bianchi Cup, Steel Challenge, and the IPSC/USPSA Nationals) - Leatham is the only person to ever achieve this
  • Captain, Team Springfield: Since its inception in 1985

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Landers, Mike (2014). "Zeroed In – Rob Leatham". RECOIL.
  2. ↑ Lessler, Peter (5 August 2013). Gun Digest Shooter's Guide to Handgun Marksmanship. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. pp. 43–44. ISBN 978-1-4402-3606-8.
  3. ↑ Mann, Richard A. (7 September 2012). Cartridges of the World: A Complete Illustrated Reference for More Than 1,500 Cartridges. Gun Digest Books. p. 215. ISBN 1-4402-3063-3.
  4. ↑ Mann, Don (1 August 2010). The Modern Day Gunslinger: The Ultimate Handgun Training Manual. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. p. 182. ISBN 978-1-60239-986-0.
  5. ↑ Sweeney, Patrick (17 November 2009). Gun Digest Big Fat Book of the .45 ACP. iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. p. 44. ISBN 1-4402-0219-2.
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