The South Fork Regulators were founded by Lucky Lightfoot, Cherokee Christie, William Mordica and Bisley Packer in 2001.
Lucky began performing Old West re-enactments while he was in the military at Ft. Hood, Texas. Having left Ft. Hood after Desert Storm, he put away his Old West clothing and equipment for a few years. He continued collecting western memorabilia.
Cherokee Christie, on the other hand, has a love for the Old West that stems from his days as a real cowboy. Cherokee used to break horses and, today, he looks for a much gentler horse to ride. He is a crack shot and has quite a unique gun collection.
Lucky and Cherokee met in 1999 and discovered that they shared a love for the Old West. They also found that they shared interests in the authenticity and details that were coming into vogue at that time. They had both done tons of research and wanted to pursue activities that were authentic.
In 2000, they came to know Bisley Packer. He also shared the same love for the time period, though more from the Native American perspective as his other alias is Grey Wolf. Lucky and Cherokee did a fine job "converting" him to the cowboy way.
William Mordica loved spaghetti westerns and already was shooting competitively, so he was a natural fit for the group as well. He came to know Lucky and Cherokee through his job working for an ammunition and reloading company.
They decided to form the South Fork Regulators. More Regulators have joined over the years and the events have gotten more numerous, but the focus remains the same: "To have fun while entertaining and educating folks on the authentic Old West."
Left: Cherokee Christie and Lucky Lightfoot at the Audrain County Historical Society Country Fair and Walk Back in Time event in Mexico, Missouri (2001). The first event for the South Fork Regulators.
Right: How the Founding Members look today during a recent photo shoot for a Graf and Son's catalog cover (2007). From left: Bisley Packer, Cherokee Christie, Lucky Lightfoot, and William Mordica.
