11-year-old Eric Henderson (left) and his 9-year-old brother, Lars, train their cap guns on a stewardess in this 1957 publicity photo.
The San Fernando Valley boys, touted as the fastest cap gunslingers in the country, appeared on a television show, brandishing their new cap gun models. Following the broadcast, the brothers were challenged by other cap gun wielding kids, who felt that they could outdraw them. So a competition was staged at the Santa Fe Rodeo, whereby 20 kids under 12-years-of-age competed for the right to challenge the Henderson Brothers.
Eric and Lars Henderson arrived in New Mexico, and squared off against the two winners of the rodeo contest. Once the smoke cleared, the Hendersons discovered that they had lost to 10-year-old Bill Reust, who was then dubbed “king of the gunslingers.” Lars finished second and Eric finished last.
