Welcome to the July report of the 2023/24 shooting season.

In previous years we would now only focus on shooting outdoors, however as we now have access to shoot indoors at the YMCA all year round archers can shoot indoor rounds if the weather prevents outdoor shooting.

Club Records

Once again Club Target days shot during July gave more archers the opportunity to shoot classification rounds. This has resulted in a significant number of improved or new club records being shot. Certificates are in the process of being awarded for the following archers:

• Neill White – 50+ Men’s Longbow
  • Warwick – Score 304 (previous record 296)
  • National – Score 403 (previous score 379)
  • New Western – Score 173 (no previous record)
  • Warwick 50 (was Short Warwick) – Score 320 (previous record 305)
  • WA 60m – Score 362 (no previous record)
  • WA 70m – Score 276 (previous record 274)
  • Double WA 70m – Score 539 (previous record 516)

• Andrew Axworthy – Senior Men’s Recurve
  • Long Warwick – Score 376 (previous record 372)
  • Long National – Score 544 (previous score 522)

• Jill Hudson – Senior Women’s Longbow
  • WA1440 (70m) / Metric I – Score 424  (no previous record)
  • WA1440 (70m) / Metric I (Double) – Score 739 (no previous record)

• Emma Broadhurst – Senior Women’s Longbow
  • National 30 (Was Short Junior National) – Score 426 (no previous record)
  • Western 40 (was Junior Western) – Score 338 (previous record 332)
  • Warwick 30 (was Short Junior Warwick) – Score 269 (previous score 267)
  • Warwick 40 (was Junior Warwick) – Score 207 (no previous record)

• Dan Baxter – Senior Men’s Recurve
  • National 30 (Was Short Junior National) – Score 535 (no previous record)

• Kevin Hancock – 50+ Men’s Longbow
  • National 30 (was Short Junior National) – Score 393 (no previous record)
  • Western 40 (was Junior Western) – Score 305 (no previous record)
  • Warwick 30 (was Short Junior Warwick) – Score 285 (previous score 215)
  • Warwick 40 (was Junior Warwick) – Score 208 (no previous record)

• Philip Harley – 50+ Men’s Barebow
  • National 40 (was Junior National) – Score 500 (no previous record)
  • Western 40 (was Junior Western) – Score 649 (no previous record)

• Corey Richardson – U21 Men’s Compound
  • Western 40 (was Junior Western) – Score 828 (no previous record)

• Jonathan Ward – Senior Men’s Barebow
  • Western 50 (was Short Western) – Score 573 (no previous record)

• Mic Richards – Senior Women’s Barebow
  • Warwick 30 (was Short Junior Warwick) – Score 380 (no previous record)

• Linda Wright – 50+ Women’s Barebow
  • Warwick – Score 278 (previous record 267)
  • WA 50m – Score 459 (previous record 456)

• Stan Axworthy – 50+ Men’s Recurve
  • Metric 122-40 (new round) – Score 482 (no previous record)

• Sarah Watson – Senior Women’s Recurve
  • Metric 122-40 (new round) – Score 429 (no previous record)

Classifications

The following Classification levels have been achieved, and badges are in the process of being awarded under the new Archery GB Classification Scheme:

• Jill Hudson (Longbow) – Bowman 1^st Class. Congratulations to Jill, this is the highest classification that can be awarded at club level.
• Alex Rowe (Recurve) – Bowman 2^nd Class
• Iain Lees (Compound) – Bowman 2^nd Class
• Andrew Pearson (Recurve) – Archer 1st Class
• Kevin Hancock (Longbow) – Archer 1st Class
• Andrew Howie  (Recurve) – Archer 1st Class
• Jonathan Ward (Barebow) – Archer 1st Class
• Phil Lomas (Barebow) – Archer 2nd Class
• Emma Broadhurst (Longbow) – Archer 2nd Class
• Dan Baxter (Recurve) – Archer 3rd Class
• Sarah Watson (Recurve) – Indoor Bowman 3rd Class

More information on indoor and outdoor rounds and classification can be found here, or speak to me on a shooting night. You can start to shoot outdoor classification rounds once you have achieved your 20 yard 252, and start working towards your first Archer Classification.

Progress and 252 Awards

Badges were awarded to the following archers:

252 Awards

• Iain Lees (Compound) – 100yd 252 – This is the longest distance achievable, well done Iain
• Andrew Howie  (Recurve) – 50yd 252
• Ken Kingston (Longbow) – 40yd 252
• Tim Cunningham (Recurve) – 40yd 252
• Graeme Bullock (Recurve) – 40yd 252
• Arron Nuttal (Longbow) – 30yd 252
• Robert Earl (Recurve) – 20yd 252
• Nadine Still (Barebow) – 20yd 252
• Liz Harding (Recurve) – 20yd 252
• Beverly Lambert (Recurve) – 20yd 252
• Tim Hall (Compound) – 20yd 252
• Mark Armstrong (Recurve) – 20yd 252
• Lorelei Armstrong (Recurve) – 10yd 252
• Leyton James (Recurve) – 10yd 252

More information on the two progress schemes can be found here, or speak to me at one of our club sessions.

Competitions

DCAS Summer Postal League 2024

The club has entered the following teams into the DCAS Summer Postal Leagues:

• One Senior Recurve/Barebow Long Warwick team
• One Senior Compound Long Warwick team
• One Senior Longbow Warwick team
• Two Senior Recurve/Barebow Warwick 50 teams
• One Junior Mixed Style Warwick 30 team

There are three archers per team, and the club will collate the scores in descending order and the highest scores will be entered each month. Scores will need to be submitted on a club score sheet and signed as indicated. The rules for the competition can be found on the DCAS Postal Competitions page, and the associated score sheet on the Club Score Sheets page.

The following scores were submitted by members of the club and as you can see from the results below the club performed reasonably well:

In July we managed to win in 4 of the 6 divisions we have entered. Well done to all those who provided scores for this competition.

The current standings are as follows:

• Senior Recurve/Barebow Long Warwick team – Remain in 1^st place in Division 2
• Senior Compound Long Warwick team – Drop to 5^th place in Division 1
• Senior Longbow Warwick team – Drop to 3^rd place in Division 1
• Senior Recurve/Barebow Warwick 50 team A – Remain in 1^st place in Division 1
• Senior Recurve/Barebow Warwick 50 team B – Moved up to 2^nd place in Division 2
• Junior Mixed Style Warwick 30 team – Remain in 2^nd place in Division 1

Currently the following archers hold the highest scores for the round shot by bow style:

• Linda Wright (Ladies Barebow) Long Warwick (Mixed) – Score 221
• John Pengilley (Gents Barebow) Long Warwick (Mixed) – Score 214
• Neill White (Gents Longbow) Warwick – Score 304
• Finley Melia (U16 Boys Recurve) Warwick 30 – Score 352 (new club record)
• Josie Nuttall (U16 Girls Barebow) Warwick 30 – Score 327 (new club record)

Well done to all of you.

A document containing all of July’s submitted scores can be found here.

Submission of a DCAS Summer Postal score sheet also gives you the opportunity to earn a Six Gold, Three Gold (Longbow) badge if you shoot the relevant score on the longest distance of your round. More information about this scheme can be found in the newly updated Award Scheme page of the club website.

Dunster Archery Week (15th-21st July)

The Grand Western Archery Society holds it Annual Archery Championship Meeting at Dunster Castle Deer Park in June each year, set in the grounds of Dunster Castle which has been a fortified Tor since the late Anglo-Saxon period. The full results for this competition can be found on the GWAS website.

Alex Rowe and KT Pollington (associate member) took part in the competition.

Alex came 8th in the Gents Recurve WA 1440 (90m) with a score of 1091, 10th in the Big Game Round Field Shoot with 30 hits and a score of 444, 88th in the Longbow Two Way Western with 55 hits and a score of 197 after picking up a longbow for the first time on that very day and 8th in the Gents Recurve Clout with a combined  49 hits and a score of 118.

KT won the Ladies Barebow WA 1440 (70m) round with a score of 591, came 4th in the Big Game Round Field Shoot with 24 hits and a score of 274 and came 2nd in the Ladies Barebow Clout with a combined 32 hits and a score of 68.

Target Days

There will be no season long competition this summer so the club are introducing a number of target days each month, Rounds will be announced before the start of each month and will be tailored to give archers talking part in a number of external competitions a chance to practice the relevant rounds. Also designated rounds shot on Target Days will count towards the achievement of an archers Bowman Classification. These rounds will be released in the Events section of the club website. Score sheets and clipboards etc will be made available on the day, and the rounds will be shot & scored in accordance with Archery GB rules.

The Target Days for August will include:

• Sunday 4^th August: WA 720 (including Heads-to-Heads)
• Tuesday 6^th August: Warwicks
• Sunday 11^th August: Short Metrics
• Sunday 18^th August: Nationals / Warwicks
• Friday 23^rd August: Warwicks
• Sunday 25^th August: Westerns
• Friday 30^th August: Warwicks

Paris 2024: Aim for Paris Virtual Challenge

The Aim for Paris Virtual Challenge offers archers of all levels the chance to shoot alongside the best of the best during the Olympics and Paralympics from wherever you are.

From the 26 July to the 8 September, compete in the Aim for Paris Virtual Challenge and experience the spirit of international competition.

With distances ranging from 10 metres to 70 metres, each round presents a unique challenge, mirroring the intensity and precision of the Olympic and Paralympic events.

Participating in the Aim for Paris Virtual Challenge is easy and accessible to all. Simply shoot your chosen round, record your scores, and submit your entry via the online form.

Scoresheets can be downloaded from the Club Score Sheets page.

More details on the competition can be found here, and the dates that the rounds can be shot at the club are included on the clubs Events page.