More competition news
GAC success at the Hampshire County Championships
As we draw ever closer to the end of the outdoor season, there are many competitions that are being squeezed into the closing weeks of a foreshortened season. When we got back to shooting I found some good form and so I had set myself the goal of trying to achieve three Master Bowman qualifying scores by the end of the year, which meant I needed to shoot at least three competitions which included a FITA 1440 or a York round. I found five such competitions and the Hampshire County Championships was number four on my list. So off I set in the early hours on Sunday morning (19th September) to Waterside Archery Club in the New Forrest.
With 52 archers taking part the numbers, by all accounts, were a little lower than normal. However, it was nice to see some familiar faces from the Barebow community and there was a real feeling of friendship and camaraderie.
After three ends of practice the competition started, and we began the 1440. The weather held and we had a nice sunny day shooting in a light breeze. After several hours of shooting, I was pleased to be placed in first place for the visiting Barebow archers, achieving a score of 861.
It was another enjoyable day shooting away from Guildford, with our hosts being friendly and welcoming.
As the nights draw in ever earlier here’s to looking forward to the indoor season and a new outdoor season next year. Maybe we can get a few more Guildford archers together and bring some team trophies back to Normandy. Feel free to chat to me if interested.
Fun in the suGAC Club Championships
Sunday 26th September
After the last 18 months of Covid constraints and restricted shooting, some of us don’t feel we have the archery fitness to be able to be able to manage a full day, 12-dozen round.
However, there are a growing number of members who have been regularly shooting larger numbers of arrows, and the committee felt it was important that the club championships should therefore be contested with the usual York Hereford and Bristol rounds, with a variety of 6-dozen National rounds in the afternoon shot as a separate competition.
A hardy 8 members entered for the full club championship and started shooting at 10.00 on an overcast, but dry morning, and managed to get through 6 dozen arrows at the longest distance by not long after 12.00, giving them a leisurely lunch hour before the 13 more members turned up for the afternoon National rounds.
The sun came out and winds were light making it a beautiful afternoon for shooting, and it was fabulous to see so many GAC members shooting together!
The results were calculated whilst everyone packed up and trophies and medals were awarded before we went home.
Special thanks to Val Smith who spent the day as our Field Captain, and congratulations to the trophy and medal winners, especially Tristan Souter, a new junior member who was shooting at his first tournament, only a couple of weeks after joining!
The full results of both the full and half day shooting can be viewed here
All in all a lovely reminder of the fun and friendship of a pre-Covid club shoot! – if you want to experience it yourself, why not sign up for the Agincourt tournament on the 1oth of October, it’s our final outdoor shoot of the year, and 22 members have already signed up!