Stretching The Wings

Hello everyone, I know it’s not the end of the month yet but seeing as it’s a busy month I thought I’d split into two posts. Save you reading mass amounts of text and gives you double the pleasure. Plus means I forget less, so everyone is a winner. So let’s kick off;

First shoot of this month was our friendly match with Rochdale, and this year was their turn to host. Well I can truly say they did a very good job of it, both clubs turned out in force from veterans to novices totalling in 35 archers altogether.  They day was a good day for archery, sunny but with a chill in the air, no rain and minor wind. Alas though we did not win, but we can claim a moral victory for we did beat their longbow archer with ours, but unfortunately they had no compound archers to compare our too. But a big thank you to the Rochdale archers, especially those who supplied the food it was welcomed and judging from what little remained it was well liked.

 

Our team against Rochdale

Though I was not in attendance myself, I'd like to give a shout out to those from the club that went to the church Fete at Toft Church to run a have-a-go session. If you went I hope you said hello, and tried your hand at archery, if not maybe next time.

 

The next Sunday saw a FITA 70 being shot. Not one of my favourite rounds as I tend to prefer imperial rather than metric. Whether this is because I am a longbow archer, or because there is less variety in the metric rounds….That is probably it really there are fewer metric rounds compared to imperial, so less variety. Again it was a lovely day for shooting with little to no wind and I took full advantage of it shooting not only a new PB but also to a handicap of 60, which if it is the Bowman classification handicap level. So just need to shoot that well at a York or FITA round, I better start practicing at the longer distances. Twice as well I came close to earning a 3-gold end badge but close was all I got, so the badge can wait for another day.

Our monthly medal I missed this monthL. This was due to my shoulder still not being fully recovered and with a competition on the Sunday I decided to bow out and rest it, which is just as well because we were invited out for a meal.

Sunday morning, I was up early prepping my gear for the trip down to Kedleston Hall’s grand lawn upon which myself and all of my club’s longbow archers would attend to shoot. Unfortunately two of our members were not able to attend, but it still left us with nine longbow archers shooting on the day, three of which won awards. Highest Score Gent, Most Golds Junior Girl and Best Gold overall, none of which were me, the gold ring at 60yds seemed to repel my arrows.  For the rest of us the raffle was where the prizes lay, and with a small tankard for me and a tub of chocolates for my good lady and daughter there were smiles all round in my family. What I would like to see for next year is a member of my club on every target there, 16 archers, it’s possible though a stretch.

 

We few, we happy few we band of brothers archers.

The sorrow of the day though was in the first 6 arrows, one of the archers on my target smashed one of my arrows nocks, so I had to shoot with a spare which has a mind of its own. So through the shoot I had one arrow that like to go low, and another that sometimes liked to go high, but would change its mind on occasion.



Not sure about that shot


It was a nice day overall, sunny and warm but not too hot, little wind to trouble the arrows though oddly enough the sheep in the next field were being disturbed by something. Usually one or two sheep bleat, fair enough but the entire field of sheep were calling throughout the day, I think they were trying to put people off for a laugh. The judge’s comment was, “If those sheep don’t shut up, I’m going to make you all do an Agincourt volley in that direction.” 

Ah last update I said I’d tell you what the surprise for the boar hunt at our longbow shoot is, well………I’m not going to, and you’ll have to wait for the next update. It was announced at Kedleston but if you weren’t there then I’ll keep you in suspense just a little longer. But I will tell you we had a test shoot to test the support for it (as it doesn’t come with any), and I shot 3 arrows at it, somewhere around 45yds. The first arrow is the one in the picture below, the other two (admittedly not my best arrows, because I was worried about damaging them) flew straight over the top. But with the first arrow being a kill it didn’t really matter, but it was odd shooting at the boar. With target archery where you want to hit is raised off the ground quite a way, so you’re aiming much lower than you would otherwise have done. Having never done field this is a new and interesting concept to me.

Bacon anyone??

I think this is the place to close this update, see I told you it would be a long one. Just image how long it would be if I had waited till the end of the month.

So until next time, good shooting everyone, I leave you with the words of Eugen Herrigel:

 

“The right art," cried the Master, "is purposeless, aimless! The more obstinately you try to learn how to shoot the arrow for the sake of hitting the goal, the less you will succeed in the one and the further the other will recede. What stands in your way is that you have a much too wilful will. You think that what you do not do yourself does not happen.”