2017 Summer Archery UK MagazineCover

The official magazine of Archery GB

Cover teasers

Summer's here: Find out what's been happening and what to look forward to. AGM 2017: Full report and awards inside. Get a fantastic deal with new partners Volvo. Longbows: classification latest news. Win a Mathews Halon X Comp (trade mark) bow worth over £1,000.

Cover photo credits:

Title: Longbow Perfection.Pictures: Malcolm Rees.

Editor's letter

Welcome.

Summer's here – and we have a bumper issue packed with goodies.

We have teamed up with our friends at Mathews to give you the chance to win a fantastic Halon X Comp (trade mark) bow worth more than £1,000. All you have to do is answer one simple question to be in with a chance of winning and being the envy of all your friends. Turn to the 'New Products Special' section to find out more.

We are also trying out a new idea in this issue: regional news pages. Let us know what you think and if you want to see your region featured, you know what to do: send us your stories.

There is all the latest on the fantastic deals being offered by our new partner Volvo, as well as updates on the Archery GB website, the Big Weekend, stunning performances by our athletes and, of course, all your news.

Enjoy; and have a great summer.

Jane PercivalEditor

Contents

4 News: Northern Counties6 News: Southern Counties7 News: Archery NI9 News: Scotland10 News: East Midlands12 News: General15 News: Obituaries16 Partner update17 Big Weekend19 AGM26 History28 Juniors30 Field32 Feature34 Performance41 Tournaments44 Experts

50 Mailbag54 Universities55 Your Pictures57 New Products Special59 Development61 Membership62 Rules64 Board66 Disabilities68 Records and Achievements75 And Finally76 Sponsors

Separate documents

2017 Spring Tournament Diary: Archery UK Magazine2017 Spring Directory: Archery UK Magazine

Production information

Publisher

Produced on behalf of Archery GB by: TRMG Ltd, 1 Forum Place, Hatfield, Herts AL10 0RN. Tel: 01707 273 999. TRMG web site: www.trmg.co.uk .

Publishing Director: Jon FellowsOperations Director: Andrew StevensHead of Production: Charles DragazisProject Manager: Stefan GlosbyDesign: Paul HansonSenior Commercial Manager: Steve Chambers

Disclaimer

While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, the organisers Archery GB and the publishers TRMG cannot accept liability for any statement or error contained herein © 2017.

Printing

The paper used for printing this magazine has been sourced from sustainably managed forests in accordance with the ISO 14001 and EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) standards, which are internationally recognised and externally audited integrated environmental management systems.

Published for:

Archery GB, Lilleshall National Sports & Conferencing Centre, Newport, Shropshire TF10 9AT. Tel: 01952 677888. AGB web site: www.archerygb.org . Email: magazine@archerygb.org. See also the Directory document for individual staff contact details.

Correspondence

Correspondence with regard to Archery UK including mailing list queries and enquiries about advertising, should be addressed to Archery GB at the address above.

Copy deadline for the autumn edition:

10 August 2017.

AGB disclaimer

Archery UK is the Official Magazine of Archery GB and is read by all members. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility can be accepted for inaccuracies, however caused. Letters, articles and features do not necessarily represent the opinion of Archery GB.

The decision whether or not to include material submitted for inclusion (whether advertising or otherwise) shall be entirely at the discretion of the Editor and/or the Marketing Manager. No responsibility can be accepted for illustrations, photographs, artwork, editorial or advertising material in transmission or with the publishers or their agents, although every care will be taken to ensure safe return of items requested to be returned.

© 2017 Archery GB

News: Northern Counties

XXX marks the spot: Andy's back on course for Paralympic dream

It's a great result for any archer. But it means the world to Andy Berridge. Why? Because it is the first step back towards his Paralympic dream.

He was a paramedic when he suffered two eye injuries. The second cost him about 70 per cent of his sight in one eye. Then a neurological condition started to affect his legs, right hand and left arm. After years of battling the condition he arrived at the National Neurological Hospital in London only to be told there was no cure – and it was progressive.

He was forced to give up the job he loved and faced an uncertain future. He had to take back some control.

Sport was the obvious answer – and he had always quite fancied the thought of archery. So why not? He found a beginners' course at Harvester Archers in Doncaster, then started attending training weekends at the British Wheelchair Archery Organisation in Stoke Mandeville, where he had once worked.

Someone suggested that he went for a para GB assessment. He had only been shooting his compound for a few months. And he got sponsors and a grant from the Worshipful Company of Fletchers. Things could not get any better.

Then he started having pain in his left shoulder. He had not been assessed by Archery GB yet but it was no longer an option. He could barely lift his bow. He had to stop shooting and undergo surgery for sub-clavicle impingement syndrome, followed by a long and painful recovery.

In February, doctors finally said he could shoot again, provided he only trained lightly for three to six months and didn't overdo things. And instead of being a joy, it was frustrating. He could not replicate his previous form and it really began to get to him

Then he had his bow retuned by his local archery shop and, the next training evening, shot XXX.

"I was so happy," he said. "It has now inspired me to try again to achieve my main goal: getting on to the Para Archery GB team."

He is now training three to four times a week and said: "I love archery, and really hope to go as far as I can with it. I would love to represent my country, and will do everything in my power to achieve this goal. It just goes to prove that, with a bit of determination, you can get over whatever life throws at you."

Coaches get tips from the top

Northern Counties coaches gathered in County Durham to find out what it takes to win from someone who knows: Senior Olympic Coach and double Olympic medallist Richard Priestman.

Forty-three coaches heard him speak about his and Archery GB's coaching style and philosophy and what it is like to coach in different countries. There were also sessions on technique and bow training.

The session on technique included the importance of strength, fitness, lifestyle and mental aspects, all illustrated with photographs. He showed how important it is for coaches to fully understand good techniques and be able to pass them on to their individual archers.

During the bow training session he demonstrated using a bow, bands and several different devices, many of which could help archers maintain fitness levels when they are unable to shoot.

Senior Coach Helen George said: "The information he passed on to the coaches was great and very much appreciated by everyone present. His style of presenting made it so easy to understand and his ability to answer a wide variety of questions was wonderful. Knowing how busy Richard is, it was great he was able to attend the conference."

There were also presentations from County Coach and National Judge David Harrison on coaching for tournament conditions and Helen, who is also a member of the World Archery Para Committee. She spoke about the new World Archery Excellence Centre in Lausanne.

The conference, in Chester-Le-Street, was opened by Carol Byde and organised by Kath Hall and Ian Norwood.

News: Southern Counties

A royal appointment: Very special guest opens new pavilion

Windsor Forest Bowmen Archery Club has had a very important visitor: the Duke of Edinburgh. And he was there for an equally special reason – to open its brand new pavilion.

The club has been shooting in St Stephens Field, Home Park, in the shadow of Windsor Castle, since the early 1900s. Members built the first club house in 1951 and it provided storage and shelter for club members but had no toilets or disabled access.

After four-and-a-half years of designs, approval, fund raising and construction, all that has changed. And its very special guest was on hand to give the new base his royal seal of approval.

Club President Chris Johnston said: "The future now looks bright, old members are returning, new members are being taught, we are active with the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, together with local schools and youth clubs.

"The club is delighted to have His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh as its patron and even more delighted to name the new pavilion The Duke of Edinburgh Archery Centre.

"To have His Royal Highness, who recently announced his retirement, officially open this fabulous new facility is an honour that club members will celebrate for years to come."

It has been a team effort though. The club has worked closely with and would like to thank Sport England, the Prince Philip Trust, the Shanly Foundation, Southern Counties Archery Society, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and Howdens.

Part of the finance came from Sport England's Inspired Facilities Fund. Although this fund is now closed, clubs in England can apply for capital projects as part the new Community Asset Fund. For further information visit the funding section of the Sport England website; www.sportengland.org/funding.

Sport NI, Sport Scotland and Sport Wales all have similar funding programmes available for grassroots projects.

A warm welcome.

Forest of Bere Bowmen has boosted its beginners courses. How? By throwing their doors open to members of the public at a have-a go session.

There were welcoming smiles all round at the Hampshire club and the event even attracted photographers from the local newspaper, the Petersfield Post. Not as many visitors turned up as had been hoped for but it did not matter as many of those who did were eager to take their next steps in the sport.

News: Archery NI

A new beginning, and we're making great progress so far

Archery NI took over from the Northern Ireland Archery Society last year and since then it's been all go.

There is a new website, Archery Northern Ireland www.archeryni.org.uk, with everything you need to know about the fee structure, tournament calendar, sponsorship and details of how the increased funding award from Sport Northern Ireland will be spent.

And there is a new Facebook page so members can get in touch, submit stories and keep up to date with the very latest news.

A new Board has been set up and has been meeting regularly. The Interim Directors are Neil Armitage, Muriel Kirkwood, Bryan Woodcock and two new elected directors have been appointed. They are: Ian McAuley, Director, Membership and Development and Damien Lennon, Director, Performance and Coaching.

Ian said: "Our archers, clubs, coaches and volunteers are enthusiastic and passionate about the sport they love. If we work together my vision is that we can attract new members, regain previous members and indeed further develop the performance of our athletes."

Damian said: "I recognise this is going to take a lot of hard work and dedication and I am prepared to put in the work to achieve this goal. I hope to share this determination with the coaches, clubs and athletes themselves that we can embolden our sport and create champions"

But there are still Board positions still to be filled, so if you are interested in playing your part in the future Archery NI and the development of our sport, then please go to the vacancies section of the Archery GB website.

Rising stars recognised

Three rising Northern Ireland stars, Rebecca Lennon, Jake Walsh and Dean Hamilton, have been presented with Mary Peters Trust Awards by Eilish Rutherford, Chairwoman of the Mary Peters Trust and Ruth Gorman, UTV Sports Correspondent. Rebecca, Dean and Jake, who won recently mixed-team silver at the European Youth Cup, have all represented both Northern Ireland and Archery GB at target and field championships around the world.

Olympian Patrick Huston, who was recently part of the Great Britain squad at the first stage of the Archery World Cup in Shanghai and took double gold in Slovenia, was awarded a Northern Ireland Sport Ambassador Award.

Blooming good idea

Daffodils are the official emblem of Marie Curie, which supports people with terminal illnesses. It is also the name of an annual field shoot, which this year helped to raise funds for the charity.

It was organised by Ballyvally Archers at Tolleymore Forest Park in Northern Ireland and everyone who took part gave £1. That, plus a few other contributions, quickly added up to £100 which was later handed over to a Marie Curie representative by club treasurer Patricia Mulligan.

And it is not the only time the club has dug deep. Over the past year it has raised almost £1,000 for various charities.

News: Scotland

It all started with: Hamish Robertson was there at the start of Glasgow Archers. This is his story

The origins of Glasgow Archers can be traced back to 1948 and a newspaper notice asking if anyone was interested in setting up a club in the city.

Hamish Robertson and his friend, Alfred Butler, attended a meeting of about a dozen people in Bath Street, above a shop selling musical instruments. The result was a new club and the chance to meet other clubs and members of the Scottish Archery Association; which was to be a great help.

Glasgow Archers decided to run a nationwide raffle, which was quite rare in those days because of red tape and problems getting permission. Money poured in; too much money as it happens. The treasurer decamped with the cash and was never seen again.

Hamish and Alf continued to shoot but the club faded away until, in 1954, SAA Chairman George Hamilton got in touch. Glasgow businessman Victor Scott wanted to learn to shoot and did not know how to find a local club. With his help, Glasgow Archers was resurrected and, through his connections, secured a new base: Thermotank's sports ground, Hogarth Park.

The club grew. George Cammidge, his brother in-law and younger brother were soon picking up medals and George joined the Scottish International lists. Les Fosberry moved from England to work in Glasgow. He joined as a learner and, in one season, became one of the top flight trophy winners, as was Bobby Hall. He was a joiner at Fairfield shipyard, had never drawn a bow and, by 1958, was British champion.

The postal shoot was born in 1957. A rail strike meant very few people could take part in Rowntree of York's annual open shoot. Undaunted, it sent out entry forms and score cards to every club in Britain asking clubs to do the shoot anyway, fill out the cards and get independent scorers to sign each one to make sure everything was above board.

It was well supported nationally and Hamish thought Glasgow Archers members, who were shooting at Kilwinning anyway, should be part of it. So he submitted five scorecards, plus his own, to make up the necessary six. The four best scores from each club were used to calculate the results and the winners were: Bobby Hall, Les Fosberry, George Davis and Hamish.

The trophy was delivered by train. Hamish picks up the story: "I went in to the Central Station by arrangement to pick it up and got the shock of my life when they wheeled out this three-foot square box. It was so heavy I could not pick it up. I got a taxi home and then unpacked the biggest mahogany-backed solid silver embossed shield which came with a folding stand because you could not possibly hang it up. We were also each given a small shield and I still have mine. Happy days."

In 1958, Bobby Hall became British champion at Liverpool, closely watched by other competitors. A few weeks later an English archer turned up asking Hamish to coach him. He stayed for a week, went home and attained Master Bowman status. That really started something as more and more archers asked for his help. By 1962, the club had moved to Haggs Road and he was either there or at the SAA training facility in Largs. He had also been asked to set up a Civil Servants' archery club; which ended up with him teaching evening classes in every week with his wages going directly into SAA funds so that his amateur status was not infringed.

But things were changing. He was now married, was not getting any time to shoot and it was time for a break.

News: East Midlands

A smash hit: Collaboration brings crowds flocking

When Derwent Bowmen needed a site big enough to host its first world record status double 720 shoot, it turned to its local cricket club for help. And the result was spectacular.

It was held at the picturesque setting of Darley Dale Cricket Club, nestled in the heart of the Peak District and attracted Olympians, Paralympians and GB squad members of all ages as well as club archers from all over Britain. It also pulled in hundreds of visitors for what the clubs hope will become a permanent fixture.

It was run over two days and Ashe Morgan topped the men's recurve on the Saturday, ahead of 16-year-old Alex Wise and Olympian Patrick Huston in his flat cap. On Sunday, the top two positions were reversed as Alex, who has only been shooting for two years, scored 1,316. Lizzie Warner claimed victory on Saturday followed by Derwent Bowmen's Sarah Smith and Eva Henderson-Hirst. Amy Gott took the spoils on Sunday.

James Mason dominated Saturday's men's compound competition ahead of Simon Frogatt and Mikey Hall. Derwent's Dave Dixon topped the table on the Sunday. Linda Townsend and Kirsty Robb were the top two women on both days.

And there was standout performance from Aber Archers' Alex Newnes who shot a new Welsh longbow record of 817.

Club Chairman Dean Hirst said: "It is great that two sports can collaborate to deliver such a wonderful tournament. The weekend brought hundreds of visitors to the area and we were able to showcase a stunning venue. Archers, visitors and judges alike were complimentary about the facilities and organisation and looked forward to coming again. We hope we can raise the profile of archery in Derbyshire and encourage more people to take up the sport."

Full results are available from the Derwent Bowman web site; www.derwentbowmen.co.uk.

Ready for battle?

In 1322, Edward II went head to head with his cousin Thomas Plantagenet, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, at a crossing over the River Trent. It became known as the Battle of Burton Bridge and, this year, there is set to be another.

Burton Bridge Archers is inviting anyone interested to join the king's army and defend the crown on 27 August at its ground, based at the original battle site.

The original conflict (there was another Battle of Burton Bridge, in 1643) saw Lancaster gather his 30,000-strong army just south of his seat in Tutbury Castle and, eventually, pay the ultimate price for his rebellion.

That, plus a trip to the annual Crecy shoot, inspired the club to set up a similar shoot in tribute. It will be clout-style, particularly at the longer distances, but archers will be shooting at life-sized targets of enemy soldiers and knights.

Tournament organiser Geoff Fisher said: "To keep it authentic(ish), we are welcoming longbow, barebow and traditional bows, with no sighting aids allowed, and throwing in the odd end of volleys… it's a lot of work to make these targets, so not hitting them will help them last.

"What better way is there to spend August Bank holiday than dressing up in medieval style; that's optional; flinging arrows through the sky at enemy soldiers, being fed mid-battle and, most importantly, being out in the fresh air enjoying the company of friends? "

The club also holds annual open western and clout tournaments and, last year, hosted the EMAS clouts. Its longbowers have even created the Burket Trophy to encourage a bit of friendly rivalry with their counterparts at Kettering Archers.

You can find more details of the first Battle of Burton Bridge on the Burton Bridge Archers website; www.burtonbridgearchers.co.uk.

News: General

Practice makes; A little too perfect

The longest Robin Hood ever?

It's great to try something new but sometimes you can get a little too proficient; as Steve Walker, a level 2 coach at Bromley Archery Club, found out when he tried shooting kyudo-style.

He was interested in how it forces archers to focus on technique rather than scores, so after three months' training from Jeff Humm and his wife Kiyo, he borrowed some arrows and a glove so that he could practice. His destination was Archery Fit and, after a couple of ends, the place erupted when he shot one 42-inch kyudo arrow into the back of another. It has to be one of the longest Robin Hoods ever.

Two for Wolds Archers

It's also been eventful at Wolds Archers in Brandesburton, East Yorkshire. First Michael Lucas shot a Robin Hood and then, a week after hitting the nock on another arrow and denting the end of the shaft, Derrick Barnes made a shot that left him counting the cost; again.

Fame does not protect you

Being one of the best known archers around doesn't make a difference either. Tom Williamson, honorary life member of Archery GB and father of six-time Olympian Alison, was shooting a Portsmouth at Long Mynd Archers when his grouping got a little too precise.

Blackpool to Worthing

And Kevin Holmes got in on the act during a club night at Blackpool Bowmen Archery Club, as did Trevor Little who shot his Carbon One into an Easton Jazz at 40 metres during Worthing Archery Club's sunburn competition.

Dice shot Alan

Now for something completely different. Well almost. Bowmen of Backworth held a fun shoot which featured swinging dice, courtesy of Alan Brown, who was shooting recurve instead of his usual longbow. Phil Scott had hit one of the dice, causing it to swing when Alan released an arrow. It split Phil's as it swung and rotated, leaving Alan as pleased as punch and Phil facing a shopping trip.

Almost there: Archery GB's new website is about go live

Archery GB's new website is about to go live; and it will make life a lot easier for members, clubs and everyone connected with our sport.

"It's been a long time coming," said Chief Executive Neil Armitage. "I hope you will all be very pleased with it.

"It's got a fresh new look, new sliders, new tabs and better navigation. It's much easier to move around and find the information relevant to you and it's much more responsive. Most importantly, it has been tested by volunteers from throughout the membership."

So what improvements have been made?

The menu has been simplified so that's it's easier to navigate around the website and find exactly what you want.

It is more user friendly, with quick link boxes to the topics you are looking for and a spotlight area highlighting our latest campaigns, competition entries, workshops and programmes as they happen.

All your latest news headlines, document and diary feeds are clearly displayed on the home page.

The all-new tournament diary has a new, clean look with an easy-to-use layout.

The club finder has been upgraded so that it is much easier to use and has more functions.

You can now filter and refine your search using quick links so that you can find all the resources you need.

There is a new video library for coaches and visitors who want to find out more about all aspects of the sport.

And, perhaps most importantly, it is fully responsive so that it can be used equally well on desktops, laptops, mobiles and tablets.

There is also a new customer relations management system to make it easier for you to interact and manage your personal data. It will help Archery GB too. Neil said the aim was to gather data, for example about bow styles and how often how members shoot. That, in turn, will give Archery GB more insight into the membership, what you want and how it improve and tailor its offer and services.

But the website is not the only way Archery GB is trying to keep in touch. Neil now holds regular webinars: the next are on 28 June, 26 July, 27 September and 29 November.

There is also an app being piloted and you can still keep up to date of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

News: Obituaries

Derrick "Del" Bumstead

A member of Bowmen of Darenteford, passed away shortly after his 70th birthday. He was the second longest serving member of the club and had been its treasurer and membership secretary. Del has been described as a funny, friendly and approachable man who would give his time and effort to help anyone and who will be much missed.

Frederick Noone

Canterbury Archers has lost its oldest member, 95-year-old longbow archer FrederickNoon. Fred recently received the Legion d'Honneur for his actions at Sword Beach in Colleville-Sur-Orne. After being transferred to the Hampshire Regiment he joined the commandoes, took part in the raids in Norway, was attached to the Eighth Army and was involved in the Battle of Monte Cassino in 1944. He was accorded a military funeral. His legacy at Canterbury Archers includes the Fred Noone 90 shoot, first set up to mark his 90th birthday.

Louis Gladwell

Louis Gladwell, the Honorary Life President of Holdens Archers, has passed away. He founded the club in 1975 with his wife Lorna and friends Alan and Kitty Hatfield. He later set up the August Bank Holiday Hatfield Memorial Shoot, now in its 34th year, in memory of Alan and Kitty. It has raised thousands for the Bloodwise leukaemia and lymphoma research charity. He was also a qualified archery instructor and brought many people into the sport through lessons at the club and Brentwood School.

Partner update

Driving force: Volvo and Archery GB team up to offer a great deal

Buying a new car is a significant investment, so it pays to get the best possible deal.

Thanks to Volvo's Affinity programme, members of Archery GB have access to a variety of discounts and offers. That means you can get your hands on a brand-new Volvo at a very tempting price.

Volvo's dealership network keeps a record of Affinity partners, making it easy to take advantage of the scheme. If you are eligible, simply visit your local showroom to view the range. Then, once you've selected the model of your choice, a member of the sales team will talk you through the options.

First is a partner discount, awarded as a percentage of the vehicle's net cost. This maximises the value of the discount, by keeping the pre-VAT price of the car as low as possible. That means you get more for your money, putting Volvo ownership well within reach.

The second element is a Volvo discount. Volvo offers lump-sum reductions on the net value of cars. These vary by model and ensure you will often secure a new vehicle for what feels like the cost of a second-hand car.

The third element of our Affinity offer is the option of metallic paint, completely free of charge. This is usually sold at up to £700, and gives you a wider selection of finishes to choose from when it comes to specifying the car of your dreams.

Meanwhile, the possibility of purchasing an up-front servicing deal means you can plan your running costs for the first years of ownership. Volvo offers three years of servicing at main dealers for £399, and five years for £599. What's more, packages like these are sometimes available at no cost to customers taking up a Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) offer.

If that takes care of the fourth aspect of our Affinity package, the fifth component gives you the chance to spread your purchasing costs and keep interest payments to a minimum. Finance deals change over time, but Affinity partners are offered incentives such as preferential interest rates, including occasional 0 per cent deals, that are not available to customers outside the scheme.

Finally, for those who like to personalise their car, Volvo offers a selection of accessories at discounted prices. This includes some packages that have been designed specifically for Affinity customers, giving you a car that is perfectly suited to your lifestyle.

Accessories available include roof bars, cycling racks, interior mats and dog guards. By clustering these items together in packages, Volvo can offer significant discounts for the equipment Affinity customers say they most frequently need.

This is all part of Volvo's commitment to serving its partners as effectively as possible. Affinity packages are designed to have the maximum appeal to customers, with the highest levels of service throughout the buying and ownership experience. Recently added too, an insurance offer, visit the website to find out more.

Thanks to the Affinity programme, you can own a Volvo that is equipped with your favoured specification for a surprisingly modest outlay. As a result, even more people can enjoy the safety, elegance, economy and poise that characterises this industry-leading range of premium cars.

To find out more, please contact the Volvo Car Business Centre on 03333 204 147.

Big Weekend

There's still time: Sign up to the Big Weekend now

More than 90 clubs have signed up for Big Weekend 2017, but if you haven't yet, don’t worry, there is still time.

This year the event, which is being supported by Volvo, is being held from 16 to 18 June and you can sign up to be part of the fun right up until the very last minute.

So what do you need to do? Just read our guide on How to Run a Fantastic Open Day. Then check out the Archery GB Code of Conduct for have-a-go sessions to make sure you know what you need to do, including all details such as placing targets on the floor.

Next, sign up by completing the online application form or download an application form from the Big Weekend page on the Archery GB website where you will find links to everything you need.

Since it started five years ago, the Big Weekend has introduced an estimated 26,000 people to the sport of archery. It has boosted the profile of every club that has taken part, as well as increasing the numbers taking part in beginners' courses.

And the Big Weekend is now being supported by Volvo, so clubs might be contacted by, or may well want to make contact with, their local Volvo Centre to see how they could work together to enhance the event.

Getting the word out

Channel Island coaches have been gearing up for the Big Weekend 2017 by dressing up in historical costumes and getting the word out about the event as they supported Jersey Heritage's Know Your Castle day at the spectacular Elizabeth Castle. The 16th century castle, which was once the home of Charles II, is built on a tidal island.

More than 4,000 visitors attended the event, but the biggest attraction was the have-a-go, hosted by Jersey Archery Society. More than 400 children and adults tried the sport and it proved so successful that the club has been booked for next year, and to run a similar event

later this year at the historic Mont Orgueil castle, which used to be the home of an archery regiment.

AGM

Our heroes: Athletes and volunteers honoured

Pictures: John Percival

British archery has had a phenomenal year. From Rio to Nottingham and Stoneleigh, our archers produced stunning performances, supported by volunteers who worked tirelessly coaching and making events all around the country a success.

Now the Archery GB AGM in Birmingham has given us the chance to honour some of them and give them the recognition they deserve.

The major national trophies went to members of the Paralympic team who put Britain at the top of the table in Rio.

Prize giver

All the prizes were presented by Archery GB President, Trish Lovell.

Hartwell Trophy

Double gold medallist John Walker was awarded the Hartwell Trophy for Archery GB's archer of the year, for his achievements, his commitment and his efforts to raise the sport's profile.

Gussy Trophy

The Gussy Trophy for wheelchair archer of the year went to Jo Frith. She won W1 mixed team gold with John in Rio, plus individual silver.

Young Archer of the Year

And this year a new award category was introduced: the young archer of the year. The award went to 16-year old Jess Stretton who combined school work and sitting her GCSEs with record breaking performances and Paralympic selection shoots. Then, of course, she dominated the women's W1 Category in Rio, winning gold and leading Britain's historic clean sweep.

Toxophilus Trophy

There was another first for the Toxophilus Trophy award. It went to an e-magazine produced by Junction Archers. The club was praised for the way it engages and supports members.

Website Trophies

Bristol Bowmen and Golden Phoenix Archers won the Archery GB Club Website Trophy while Shropshire Archery Society took the regional and county award.

Plaquetts

Over the past couple of years Archery GB has increased the number of Plaquettes it awards to volunteers. We asked for nominations and you rose to the challenge, meaning that this year a total of 16 members have been recognised.

Bronze Plaquettes:

Andrea Malyon

For the innovative way she has involved sports BTEC students in tournament work parties.

The Para Support Team

For helping the Paralympic team achieve such stunning results in Rio and their continuing work and dedication.

Chris Ord

Coach, club cofounder, webmaster tech guru and archery scoring maestro.

Marion and Dennis Saville

For their work with Bowmen of Ardleigh, Pilgrim Archers and Essex County Archery Association.

Doreen Cannon

Long-serving secretary of Worthing Archery Club and Sussex County and the county's coaching group, a former regional recurve champion, county team member and manager who champions the needs of junior archers.

Paul Agar

Melton Mowbray Archery Club's records officer and tournament organiser who gets more people shooting more arrows more often.

Sheena McCullagh

For championing inclusivity and helping to make Archery UK accessible to all.

Tony Smith

For more than 60 years of devotion to archery and being an outstanding ambassador for our sport.

Malcolm Grant

For his devotion Brixham Archery Club, his development and coaching roles with Devon and Cornwall and helping wounded veterans into the sport through Help for Heroes.

Graham Potts

For his work on Archery GB's juniors, judges and rules committees, as well as officiating at London 2012 and as Chairman of Judges at the Rio Olympics.

Tim Swane

For more than doubling the number of coaches, his support for the Development Team and Membership Services and his common sense solutions to course design and processes.

Unable to attend:

The following members were also awarded Bronze Plaquettes but could not join us for the AGM:

Katy Lipscomb

An international judge who played a major role at the European Championship in Nottingham. Katy is the Southern Counties Regional Judge Liaison Officer, managing the development of a team of 60-plus judges.

Andrew Rees

For his dedication as a member of the Archery GB field team since 2005 and his contribution to running the sport at club, county, regional and national levels.

Tim Pratt

For his work as Chairman of the National Tournaments Committee, leading the team that runs some of the sport's most prestigious events.

Silver Plaquettes:

Candy Schofield

For her work with the Archery GB event team, particularly at the 2016 European Championship at Nottingham.

Geoff Malyon

For his outstanding contribution as a Director and as part of the Operations Committee.

Honorary Life membership

The number of Honorary Life Members also rose, reflecting the increase in membership. This year to award goes to:

Tim Jackson

For his outstanding contribution to major archery events over the past 15 years.

John Poyner

For his outstanding contribution to the sport.

Hugh Soar

A prolific writer, for his contribution to the history of archery.

Find pictures of all our winners on our Facebook page.

Meeting the challenges: Chief Executive sets out future strategy at AGM

Providing the best possible experience for members, attracting and keeping people in the sport and ensuring financial sustainability are the main challenges facing Archery GB. And we are well on the way to meeting them, says Chief Executive Neil Armitage.

He told AGM and conference delegates in Birmingham that the highs of 2016; Rio, medal successes and the growth in tournaments and awards, had been tempered by the lows of funding losses.

The aim going forward was to grow through solid leadership, inspiring volunteers and to ensure a sustainable future by becoming financially self-sufficient so that the organisation is never again vulnerable.

"Things have changed significantly," he said. "The income we received over the last two Olympic cycles has been significantly reduced. It means we cannot do everything we wanted to do immediately. We have to prioritise."

That has put the focus on progress, places and participation. Fixing the first two will lead to more participation, he said. Progress centred on getting coaching and competition right. A consultation process was already under way all over the UK with coaches. People also needed to be signposted towards the right competitions with the right formats and a co-ordinated tournament calendar. And those tournaments should break even or make a profit.

"I've been looking at tournaments in other countries that actually make a significant amount of money for the host nation. I think the opportunities are out there."

He said people wanted a positive experience without travelling too far. That meant there was a need for great places and facilities. The recent ground registration process, helping clubs with planning processes and targeting the right resources to the right places were essential.

The Big Weekend and the European Championship in Nottingham has helped increase participation, while the Archery in Notts legacy project had brought 9,000 people to the sport, leading to 700 taking part in regular sessions, 390 of whom were female. Other successes included training 30 teachers to deliver Arrows sessions, supporting clubs gain

£227,000 in development grants and securing talent awards from Sport England and Northern Ireland.

Sport England reduced its funding from £2.1million to £1.6 million. That was contingent on delivering a commercial strategy and sustainable organisation, and that demanded change. Some of which include a restructuring of Archery GB with David Tillotson appointed as Director of Sport, supplier contracts being renegotiated and the Instructors award moving in house.

Our table-topping performance by the Paralympians in Rio had ensured top-tier funding for Tokyo but Neil vowed to get athletes to the Olympics too. "We are not giving up," he said. "We will be seeking funding from other sources. We will continue to bang on the door of UK Sport. Providing we show a successful set of results up to and including the World Championships in Mexico, I will go back to UK Sport and tell them they were wrong not to give us support to send our Olympians to Tokyo.

"If that doesn't work I will raise additional funds through other commercial activities. I am not giving up on this."

Archery GB has taken its first step towards this by setting up a new partnership deal with Volvo. Members will be part of Volvo's Affinity scheme which will open up savings and benefits packages not available on the open market which can be used at local Volvo dealerships. Volvo is also the headline sponsor of the Big Weekend 2017.

During the AGM, Richard Custance was confirmed as a Vice-President of Archery GB and Pippa Britton was elected to the Board of Directors.

A number of propositions put to the AGM by the Board, including membership fees and minor changes to the articles, were approved. Senior membership fees (25-plus) will rise by £2 to £52 for direct members and £44 for senior club members. Direct members and club members between 18-24, juniors and archers with disabilities will pay £11. School and scout clubs will pay £80 and university clubs £150.

The date for the 2018 AGM was set for Saturday 21 April.

History

Like father: Meet the Warings, the founders of modern archery

Arthur Credland is Archery GB's official historian, and he wants to hear from you. Contact him at historian@archerygb.org.

In 1774 Thomas Waring (1730 to 1805) moved to London with his employer, Sir Ashton Lever, to set up a museum of natural history and antiquities which became known as the Holophusikon, or the whole of nature.

But Sir Ashton, a member of the landed gentry, had also become interested in archery while living at the family estate on the outskirts of Manchester. That continued when he moved to Leicester House and Waring, his secretary who had learned the art of the bowyer from the Kelsalls of Manchester, put his skills to good use.

It was the foundation of what became the Royal Toxophilite Society. It was established in 1781 and received a royal warrant from the Prince of Wales, later to become George IV.

When he acceded to the throne he invited Waring's son, Thomas Jnr, to Windsor commanding him to bring the most complete set of archery equipment. The Royal Toxophilite Society is the oldest surviving archery society in England, followed closely by Woodmen of Arden which was established in 1785 by Lord Aylesford at Meriden in the Midlands.

In London, the archers moved to Charlotte Street where part of the premises was used as Waring's workshop. He then established a warehouse and an archery practice range in Caroline Street, Bedford Square, where he prospered as the foremost maker and supplier of archery equipment.

In 1805 Thomas Waring Jnr (1788 to 1857) took over the business and his bows and arrows became sought after both in England and the USA, particularly by the United Bowmen of Philadelphia, which was founded in 1828.

From 1821 to 1834 he leased an archery ground in Bayswater to the Toxophilites. The site is marked by the modern Archery Tavern.

The young man also wrote A Treatise on Archery, which gave advice on the practice of archery and how to organise an archery society. Many editions also included details of how to shoot with the bullet crossbow which, until the 1850s, was a popular weapon used for potting rabbits and rooks.

A fine watercolour of Waring shooting at the Toxophilites' grounds by Mr Slater was used as the basis for the portrait which appears on his bill heads. There are also surviving oil portraits of both father and son. Young Waring retired in 1842, bringing his and his father's involvement in target archery to 60 years.

They were succeeded at Bedford Square by Robert Hamm. He had spent 12 years as apprentice and journeyman with the son and he remained in business till 1863.

Juniors

A cracking start: Elliot wins silver at first competition

What's the best way to handle your first ever competition? By overcoming your nerves and winning a medal of course. That's what nine-year-old Elliot Thornton did when he took part in the annual Staffordshire Indoor Championships.

Elliot joined Trent Valley Archers shortly after finishing his beginners' course last September. He soon swapped the recurve bow for a compound and could not wait to begin competing.

That's how he found himself at Lilleshall. He took a very deep gulp, walked up to the line, and came away with a total score of 565 and a silver medal.

But he wasn't the only Trent Valley junior celebrating at the end of the tournament. Last year 12-year-old Tom Garside was a newbie and won junior compound silver. This year he went one better, becoming junior compound champion with a score of 612.

And they were both shooting a Stafford round; not the easiest.

The boys are good friends who train at least three times a week. They support and encourage each other's shooting and are definitely ones to watch.

The perfect line-up

Sometimes you find perfection when you least expect it. And that's what grandma Jenny Jolley did when taking this picture of her son, Steve, and granddaughter Grace.

And the perfect alignment of Grace and her dad's arrows could be reflection of their progress since they first tried archery while on holiday in 2015.

They were both so inspired that they joined Green Dragon Bowmen last year and, since then, Grace has been consistently collecting medals while her dad took the barebow title at the Hampshire Archery Association indoor championships.

Have a break? This really is the only way

Fancy a break? How about taking it with your very own customised Kit Kat? Well that's what 15-year-old Chase Archer Alex Scotson is doing.

He spotted a promotion being run by Nestlé Confectionery which offered consumers the chance to win Kit Kat packs with personalised messages and pictures.

Alex thought Archer's Break would make a great tag line; and Nestle agreed, printing up a wrapper featuring him pointing at his arrow in the gold.

Now our only problem is that we cannot go out buy our own archer's break bar. Only one was produced and it has been gift wrapped and sent to Alex.

The promotion ended a few weeks ago, but it proved so popular (more than 55,000 were up for grabs) that there might be another. So keep your eyes peeled.

Now the big question is: can Alex resist the temptation?

And he wasn't the only archer to take advantage of the offer. Symon Davis tweeted to let us know how he immortalised his best group on a Portsmouth.

Tweet text: @archerygb I can't resist to eat my Kit Kat either. My best group on a Portsmouth with recurve.

If you want to get ahead

When Ella Shield of Cleve Archers took part in the club's spring metric shoot, she knew that she could challenge one of the sport's biggest names. Well on one level at least. So she donned her nattiest hat and went head to head with Olympian Patrick Huston who was, of course, wearing his signature flat cap.

Both were all smiles and happy to pose for the camera; but we’ll leave it up to you to decide who won.

Field

World class: Stunning setting for All-Ireland champs

The setting was stunning and the shooting was spectacular as world-class archers joined competitors taking part in the All- Ireland Field Championships.

It was hosted by the City of Belfast Archery Club and set in the grounds of Belfast Castle, and on the building itself. Among those who found themselves shooting from the castle's

ramparts over the two days was Olympian Patrick Huston. He was up against, among others, double Olympic Youth Festival gold medallists Mark Nesbitt and Ireland's Garrett Byrne. Mark took the title and women's honours went to GB's Joanne Walker who triumphed over Irish internationals Orla O'Connor and Jane Langley.

The compound division was hard-fought. European and World medallists Dean Hamilton and Jordan Mitchell found themselves competing against a string of other archers fresh from the World Championships, including City of Belfast Archer Darrel Wilson.

You can find all the results from the championships, including a strong showing by Ballyvally's senior and junior archers, on Ianseo.

Photo: Stephen Kerr (River Oak) and Gilbert McClelland (Ballyvally) shooting into the walled garden in front of Belfast castle in the finals.

If it's good enough for GoT: Tolleymore scene of new epic battles

The scent of wild garlic, redwood and pine greeted more than 80 archers as they competed in Ballyvally Archers' world record status and Arrowhead Shamrock World Archery mixed shoot in Tolleymore Forest Park.

The sun shone on the crystal clear Shimna river on the first day as they put their skills to the test on rough ground, difficult footing and, above all, steep slopes. The target was to achieve international qualifying scores. And the third of Ballyvally's world record status spring field shoots also provided a great opportunity to win a coveted Arrowhead award.

It gave families a chance to practice their sport together, with archers of all ages, styles and levels of ability competing and three generations of one family shooting together, even if the weather did turn chilly on day two.

Hit TV series Game of Thrones is famously shot in Tolleymore, and some of the battles for points were just as intense. A run of long 60 cm targets close to the end of the course depleted low energy reserves while shots across the river concentrated the minds of competitors worried about losing an arrow in the Shimna.

It was a demanding but rewarding course and those who finished both days, plus the previous Daffodil shoot, were rewarded with a specially commissioned Tolleymore Challenge badges.

The perfect view

More than 70 archers including Olympian Patrick Huston and members of Archery GB's national squad, gathered in Wrexham for the second Dewi Sant (St David) shoot.

The two-day World Archery record status and Arrowhead shoot was held at Bryn Yorkin Manor and hosted by Wrexham Bowmen. You can find all the results on the Wrexham Bowman website; wrexhambowmen.com.

Feature

Blazing a trail: Check out DNAA's indoor longbow classifications

Ask any longbower. It's a passion. Testing yourself in the great outdoors equipped with only a 'bendy stick,' string and wooden arrows. Nothing could be better.

But what about the great indoors? What happens during the winter? How do you test yourself and chart your progress? Durham and Northumberland County Committee might have the answer.

It has come up with what it calls Blaze indoor classifications for longbow archers, which can be adapted for use by barebow archers.

The reasoning was simple: although there are plenty of longbowers in clubs, and, if anything, numbers seem to be growing, the numbers competing were dropping off.

David McCullogh of Norton Archers, which is administering the scheme on behalf of DNAA, said: "We pulled together a wide strategy to get people enjoying the competitive side of our discipline. And we knew that the longbow shooters were just as determined to perform to the highest skill level as their colleagues shooting other disciplines. But many felt the tide

was turning against longbowers with many tournament organisers turning away from imperial toward World Archery rounds.

"The result was that longbow-related awards were not available or unrealistic. World Archery awards start at 800 for a WA 1440, and longbow is classed as recurve in WA target rules.

"While we were discussing a solution, several people pointed out that having no classification system for indoor rounds was hardly welcoming for new longbowers. I had come across this before in my barebow days and had been advised by Archery GB that 'if someone was willing to put in the work, we would be delighted'. Challenge accepted."

It took months, but DNAA now has an indoor classification scheme for longbows.

The starting points were:

A belief that current indoor classifications (A, B, C etc.) could be improved upon. The classifications needed to be challenging. It was decided to align with outdoor:

first class to GMB. That means that a man has to shoot a 500-plus Portsmouth to achieve a top classification.

Juniors would not be left out. Quiver bling was a necessity; everyone likes bling, along with an exciting name for

the scheme.

So, after research, calculations and credibility checks, the DNAA Blaze Classifications for indoor longbow shooters came into being. 'Blaze' was picked to signify blazing a trail. There are qualifying scores for most indoor rounds and for all ages.

Details can be found on the Blaze information page of the DNAA website; dnaa.co.uk/leagues/blaze-information.

So far it is proving popular and the initial stock of badges is running low. It has not yet been adopted officially by Archery GB but hopes are high and David is confident it stands up to scrutiny. He is also happy to share the reasoning and calculation methodology with the barebow community.

If you are interested in the scheme, check out the web page or email blaze@nortonarchers.co.uk.

Photo: The first Blaze classification is presented to Nicola McCullogh of Norton Archers.

Handicap review update

Work on the outdoor handicap tables has been going on for the past 18 months and, since then, a full review of both those and classification tables, which are linked, has been carried out.

Target Committee chairman Lee Miller said: "There had not been a review of the tables for about 10 years, so it has taken time to ensure we have maximised the use of available data to assess the score levels.

"The first main impact you will see if a maximum score for a round is achieved, the handicap will be 0. For example, a World Archery 1440 round has a maximum score of 1440 this will relate to a 0 handicap or a Archery GB York round has a maximum score of 1296 this will relate to 0 handicap.

"The second main impact is in respect of the classification scores, as some of these score requirements are to increase as a result of the review. We have also taken the opportunity to sort out some previously identified anomalies within the classification tables." The target for the introduction of the new tables is 1 October 2017 and an announcement will be made as soon as they are ready to go live. After that, work will start on the indoor review and it will include both barebow and longbow classifications.

Performance

Pure class: Paras steal the show at Puerto Rico WRE

British archers wrapped up the XIII Copa Juan Enrique Barrios world ranking and para world ranking event in style, storming to three golds and two silver medals.

We had nine athletes in Puerto Rico and that, plus our three bronze medals, put us top of the para medals table.

Recurver Tania Nadarajah added open gold to the bronze she won while shooting against able-bodied athletes in the combined event. She qualified in sixth spot but earned a showdown with the top seed by beating Korea's Jo Jang Moon 6 to 0 and second seed Fabiola Dergovics of Brazil 6 to 2. That left her facing Kim Ran Sook, and the Korean had no chance, losing 6 to 0.

Jodie Grinham and John Walker were going for gold after beating Brazil 147 to 136 in the compound mixed open semis. That left them facing Canada in what was to become a hard-

fought final. In the end, the Canadians scored 146 but it was not enough as Jodie and John finished on 148.

It also brought John and Jodie's medal haul to two each. Jodie had earlier taken compound team bronze, shooting against able-bodied archers with Jess Stretton and Phoebe Pine, while John won individual compound open bronze.

Jess, and Victoria Rumary, once again demonstrated Britain's dominance of the W1 category by sweeping to gold and silver in the open competition. Top seed Jess saw off American Lisa Coryell 131 to 112 while Victoria, ranked second, beat Kim Ok Geum 134 to 98. That left them going head to head and the more experienced Jess took the honours with a 136 to 126 win.

And Britain almost made it four golds but Paul Browne and Hazel Chaisty were denied in a shoot-off after beating Brazil for the chance to go take on top seeds Korea. It was level pegging all the way, forcing the decider. Hazel and Paul shot 11 but Korea scored 14, leaving the Britons with a hard-earned silver.

Medals, and world ranking points

British archers stormed to gold and bronze medals at the 2017 Veronica's Cup world ranking event in Slovenia.

Olympian Patrick Huston topped the individual rankings. He beat Luxembourg's Pit Klein in a shoot-off and Turk Oguzhan Kucuk to land a gold medal showdown with Andreas Gstoettner. The Austrian managed to tie one set but Patrick's pedigree shone through as he took the match 7 to 1.

Then he added another gold, this time with Bryony Pitman, in the recurve mixed team competition.

The young Britons swept past home favourites Slovenia 6 to 2 for another confrontation with Austria's Gstoettner, this time shooting with Nina Riess. And it was equally decisive with Patrick and Bryony winning 6 to 2.

There were great results for our compounders too. Susan Corless, Hope Greenwood and Stephanie Clason topped the compound women's team competition while Susan beat Hope to individual bronze.

Third seed Susan found herself shooting against Stephanie in the quarter finals of the competition and took the match 140 to 135 before being knocked out of gold medal contention by second seed Mariya Shkolna of Poland.

It was a similar story for Hope. She beat Austrian Nadja Stocker before falling foul of top seed and eventual champion Toja Ellison.

In the end, the bronze was decided by a single point, Susan winning 144 to 143. Bryony reached the quarter final of the recurve individual competition but lost 6 to 2 to eventual silver medallist Yasemin Anagoz of Turkey.

A different kind of gong

Paralympic gold medallists Jo Frith, Jess Stretton and John Walker have paid another visit to Buckingham Palace – this time to receive MBEs from the Princess Royal.

They were each made Members of the Order of the British Empire for services to archery in the New Year’s Honours list.

John took double gold in his debut Paralympics: individual and W1 mixed team gold with Jo in the very last match of the archery competition. Jess led Jo and Vicky Jenkins in a glorious clean sweep, and one of the sport's most iconic moments, at the Sambodromo in Rio.

Flying the flag

Hope Greenwood flew the flag for Britain as our sole representative at the second leg of the European Grand Prix in Bucharest. And only a shoot-off kept her out of the semi-finals.

The compound second seed saw off Romania's Codruta Angelescu with a convincing 145 to 132 win. That brought her face-to-face with tenth seed Eleonora Sarti in the quarter finals. They were perfectly matched throughout, tying on 145. Both scored 10 in their shoot-off - but the Italian hit the X to take the match.

Athletes and coaches: Both sides of the story

Coaches can be the key to any archer's progress. That relationship is crucial to the success of an elite archer. Here we look at three athletes on the Talent Pathway and how two coaches are helping them fulfil their potential.

Roy Nash, Daniel Thompson and Georgia Maryon

Roy Nash's coached his partner, Charlotte Burgess, to the Bejjing Olympics and World Championships success. But he is most proud of the improvements being made by his Talent Pathway National Age Group Academy athletes.

"The technical side is one thing but I’m most proud of changing their mindsets from wanting to be the best in their club, county or region to an international motivation," he said. "I've tried to give them focus, clarity and belief that they deserve to be there and to keep striving for the next achievement."

He has been working with Daniel, 14, since 2014. Daniel's biggest development at National Age Group Academy has been his increase in strength which, with careful training, has made him more bow fit. He has also become much more technically aware through asking more questions and starting to problem-solve himself.

Daniel credits his new technical awareness to Roy's coaching: "He can explain this on a level I understand." When his scores dropped and he considered leaving the sport, Roy got him through. Now Daniel is working with Confirmation Academy coach Alberto Zagami and targeting the World Championships.

He has the right idea. The purpose of the Confirmation Academy is to convert the most talented young athletes into senior international competitors. All Pathway training focuses on what it takes to win. Programmes are built around, and are athletes tracked against, elements including mental, equipment, technical and physical development.

Roy started coaching Georgia in 2016. He said: "Georgia is a high achiever and likes to analyse her shot. We've worked on slowing down her thought process in order to reduce some of the pressure she puts on herself and developing mental coping strategies."

Georgia, who is part of the Confirmation Academy and now working with Nicky Hunt, said: "Roy always brought out the best in me as an athlete and taught me how to push myself further than I ever thought I could."

Tony Gray and Jacob Boden

Tony Gray has been coaching for 30 years. His dream is to see the quality of archery practice in the UK reach international levels and to help athletes and coaches achieve their goals.

He met Jacob, now 15, at Archery GB's 20-week programme which later evolved into the National Talent Development Programme. Jacob was 11. After trying the sport on holiday he was snapped up for East Midlands Archery Society's regional youth squad. He joined the Talent Pathway's Central Academy in 2013.

Then there was a car accident, Jacob was badly hurt but battled back, determined to succeed. Mum Rowena, said: "Though we have been there for Jacob, it has been down to him to put the work in to achieve his success. The strong relationship between Jacob and Tony has been very important throughout."

The bond was cemented when Jacob joined the National Age Group Academy. Tony said: "Jacob's biggest strength as an athlete is his absolute perseverance. Despite everything thrown at him, he has come back stronger time after time. "

Now Jacob has been promoted to the Confirmation Academy and his new coach is Naomi Folkard.

The key to success

Aspiring future Olympic athletes and compound stars have been in action in the first of a series of mini-competitions aimed at equipping our young archers with the experience they need to compete in the World Archery international target format.

Key Event 1 was held at Lilleshall. Sixty-eight recurvers took part and there was a twist on the usual format. After ranking, each category was split into tiers and subsequent individual and team matches took place within each tier.

The idea was to give developing athletes greater opportunity. Maxine Palmer, parent of National Age Group academy athlete Freya, 14, said: "Freya really enjoyed the whole weekend and the tiers system gave all the athletes valuable experience in the head to heads."

Key Stage 2 was part of Staffordshire's Bucks or Bounty event where they joined, among others, the highly experienced Paralympian Jo Frith and Olympian Patrick Huston.

Key stage 3 was being held at Aim4Sport at Princess Helena College, Hertfordshire, as Archery UK went to press and the series will finish with Archery GB’s Youth Festival in August.

Performance Director, David Tillotson said "The opportunity to experience internationally aligned, challenging competition is crucial for the development of athletes who aspire to do what it takes to win on the Olympic stage. The Key Events have got the new series off to a great start and we look forward to more excellent performances from young athletes through the rest of the season."

New ATC opens

Archery GB's newest training centre has opened in Jersey with a three-day workshop: coaching for coaches.

The centre, supported by Sport England, is open to recurve and compound able-bodied and para archers of all ages. It will act as a focal point for best practice in talent development at grass roots level and was launched by Archery GB Talent coach Harry Heeley and Philippa Lowe of Warwickshire and Worcestershire Archery Training.

The course organiser was Tadhg MacFirbhisigh of Jersey Archery Society. He said: "We are working closely with the other Channel Island clubs to set a programme for our next Archery Training Centre weekend in October and are planning taking the concept on tour to the other islands."

And the work being done in the Channel Islands is starting to yield results with athletes such as Tamara Mitchell and Matthew Cotillard being assessed for the Archery GB Academy. Tadhg praised the hard work done by the islands' coaches and the Jersey Sports Foundation and thanked Lucy O’Sullivan for inspiring local archers.

Marathon magic: Gold and silver at European Youth Cup

Archery GB's young stars brought home the bling from the first stage of the European Youth Cup in Marathon, Greece, gold and silver medals.

It was the compound cadets who dominated proceedings. Hollie Smith and Jake Walsh kicked off proceedings in fine style, winning Britain's first medal: mixed team silver.

It was a battle of the Titans as the competition's top two seeds, Italy and Great Britain, went head to head. Second seeds Jake and Hollie saw off Greece to but could not get past on-form Italy.

Our compound cadet men were determined to go one better though, and they succeeded. Liam Peake, Adam Carpenter and Kai Thomas-Prause cruised to team gold in a spectacular performance against Greece.

Kai also secured a creditable fourth place in the individual competition. He battled his way past Estonian Robin Jaatma and teammate Jake Walsh in the quarter final to land a place in the individual bronze medal match against Namibia’s Dirk De Bod. And one arrow made all the difference.

The archers were facing strengthening winds and timing equipment issues as they stepped up to the line. De Bod started with a 10, followed by an eight from Kai. There was another 10 from the Namibian but Kai timed out on the second arrow, leaving him facing an uphill battle. He fought back, taking the last end 29-23. But it was not enough and De Bod claimed the medal.

So close in Shanghai

Olympians Patrick Huston and Naomi Folkard came agonisingly close to the final stages when they competed in the first stage of the Hyundai Archery World Cup in Shanghai.

One arrow made all the difference to Naomi. After beating Colombia's Ana Maria Rendon 7 to 3 and a thrilling 6 to 4 win over the Korean third seed, Choi Misun, she faced France's Audrey Adiceom for a place in the quarter finals. Naomi took the first set 29 to 28, tied the

second and won the third, 28 to 26. Then the Frenchwoman fought back, taking the fourth and fifth sets to force a shoot-off. Naomi shot a nine but Adiceom hit the centre.

Patrick, who had earlier beaten Japan's Naoya Oniyama 6 tot 4, got off to a great start, winning his first two sets against Muhammad Akmal Nor Hasrin. But then the Malaysian battled back, forcing a fifth set. Patrick took it by a single point for a hard-earned 6 to 4 victory. That brought him up against the sixth seed, Atanu Das. And the Indian edged every set, the last two by a single point, but it was enough for a 6 to 0 win and a place in the quarter-finals. They were also edged out of the mixed team competition by a shoot-off.

The competition gave our other four representatives the chance to hone their experience.

Bryony Pitman's progress was halted in a shoot-off against Ika Rochmawati of Indonesia, while Tom Hall, making his World Cup debut, got off to a great start against Canada’s Hamilton Nguyen. But the Canadian finally edged ahead to take the match 7 to 3.

Tom told World Archery: "I put a lot of pressure on myself to come in and shoot a big score. There’s a lot to learn, lots to figure out about the nerves and the pressure. "

And Paralympians John Stubbs and Nathan MacQueen were at the competition to test themselves in a different environment. They were making good progress until John narrowly lost an epic battle with Iraq's Eshaaq Al Daghman and Nathan was edged out by Danie Oosthuizen of Australia.

Tournaments

What a way to start: National Series kicks off in style

There were thrills, spills and some spectacular shooting as the Archery GB National Series kicked off in style.

More than 200 archers gathered for stages 1 and 2 of the event, hosted by Evesham Archers. Every one of them was eager to earn series points and medals, or to test themselves against archers at the top of their game. And there were some very tight contests, but one archer had a particularly good weekend.

Photo: Stage 2: compounders Lizzie Foster, Layla Annison and Lucy O’Sullivan.

Lizzie Foster took a firm grip on the top of the National Series compound women's standings with a spectacular double. First she defeated Lucy Mason to take the stage 1 honours. Then it was Layla Annison who had to be satisfied with stage 2 silver.

And there was little indication of what she was about to achieve from her qualification rankings. She qualified in 16th spot for stage 1 and 18th for stage 2. But once she reached the eliminations there was no stopping the Durham University archer.

The bronze medals went to Pauline Burfitt and Lucy O'Sullivan.

Photo: Stage 2: compounders James Mason, Adam Ravenscroft and James Howell.

And the men's compound competitions were just as exciting. In stage 1, Meriden's Carl Richards battled to a single point victory over Simon Froggatt with Michael Kells in bronze spot. The stage 2 victor was last year's bronze medallist James Mason. He defeated 2016 silver medallist Adam Ravenscroft. James Howell took bronze.

Photo: Stage 2: recurvers Sarah Bettles, Lizzie Warner and Sarah Smith.

Johanna Meyer of Edinburgh University took first blood in the women's recurve competition, winning stage 1 gold with a 6 to 4 victory over Cleadon's Kate Dunnighan. Lizzie Warner of Kirby Muxloe Archery Club beat Evesham's Sally Gilder to bronze.

Lizzie went one better in stage 2, taking silver after losing out to Nova Bowmen's Sarah Bettles. Derwent's Sarah Smith beat Oakfield’s Jaspreet Sagoo to bronze.

The stage 1 recurve men's title went to Oxford archer David Timmins. He qualified in 16th spot but then hit form to earn a gold medal showdown with Thomas Nairn. The Alsager youngster shot really well but could not get the better of David. Larry Godfrey won bronze.

And Ashe Morgan took the stage 2 honours. The Cheltenham sixth seed went on an impressive run to find himself facing Adam Taylor in the gold medal match. Bowmen of Walker's Alex Wise sealed the third spot with a win over Thanet's Ryan Holden.To see a video wrap of the event, go to Archery GB’s You Tube channel.

Masterclass: Brits claim 24 medals at world games

British athletes travelled down under to compete in the 2017 World Masters Games in Auckland, and many of them bought home a little extra luggage.

Our archers won a total of 24 medals, 12 golds, six silvers and six bronzes, at the Games, which are held every four years and feature 28 different sports.

Archery was split into four different categories: target outdoor, indoor, World Archery field and International Field Archery Association.

Outdoor target

There were five golds a, silver and two bronzes for Britain in the outdoor target competition. Jason Meehan took recurve barebow gold in the 50 to 59 age category, and he led all the way, beating Australia's Mike Matthews and Brett Sutcliffe of the Netherlands. John Kearney won bronze in the 40 to 49 competition, beating Australia's Amir Tavasoli 6 to 0.

It was gold too for Cherry Lyne in the recurve women's 40 to 49 category. She beat Switzerland's Francesca Attanasio in fine style to take the title. Compounder Terry Course won gold with fine shooting in the 60 to 69 category, while Michaela Lake claimed her first gold of the competition in the 50 to 59 recurve barebow category. Longbower John Hayes also claimed gold in the 60 to 69 competition.

There was silver in the bowhunter 40 to 49 class for David Lilley and another bronze for compounder Terry Maskell in the 60 to 69 category.

Indoor

Britain dominated the recurve barebow 50 to 59 categories with both Jason Meehan and Michaela Lake storming to gold. Bernie Dicks made it three when he won his compound 50 to 59 competition.

There were sensational silvers too, Ian Wheeler claimed his in the recurve 50 to 59 competition, while Cherry Lyne came so close to the title in the recurve 40 to 49 competition. There was another silver for David Lilley in the bowhunter category, plus 60 to 69 compound bronze for Terry Course.

World Archery Field

This produced two golds, one silver and two bronze medals. There were golds for Michaela Lake and Jason Meehan while compounder Terry Maskell claimed bronze in the 60 to 69

category. Bernie Dicks did the same in the 50 to 59 age range. There was another silver for David Lilley in the fingers compound (shot without a release aid) category.

IFAA

Jason Meehan and Michaela Lake confirmed their domination of the recurve barebow categories. There was silver for Terry Maskell in the compound 60 to 69 IFAA category, and another for David Lilley in the fingers compound category. Cherry Lyne claimed recurve bronze.

A first for Archery NI

Archery NI has hosted its first indoor championships; and more than 100 entrants from all over the UK and Ireland turned up to be part of the historic shoot at the Soccer Shed in Ballyclare.

It is the first since Archery NI was established last October and was UK record status, open to recurve, compound, longbow, barebow and traditional archers. Competitors took part in an 18 metre qualification, followed by head-to-heads for senior and open archers and a Portsmouth round at 20 yards for juniors.

As well as present and future stars, there was a very special guest: Olympian Angela Oakley. She competed for Great Britain as Angela Goodall in the 1984 Los Angeles Games and as a field archer. She also represented Northern Ireland in the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

You can find more information and all the results on the Archery NI website; www.archeryni.org.uk.

Experts: Welcome to Archery UK's Advice Zone

If you have any questions, this is the place to be.

In every issue our experts are on hand to give recurve, compound, barebow and longbow advice. So if you want to know something, email your question to magazine@archerygb.org and we will pass it on to our experts.

Put it into practice: Compound star Lucy O'Sullivan offers some top tips on designing your archery-focused gym programme

We have been looking at different exercises aimed at getting you archery-fit over the past few issues. Now we need to put those ideas into practice and look at other ways to prepare yourself to be healthier.

Today I want to help you put those ideas into practice, to help you start your very own training programme. The problem with coaching from afar, or via DVD, is that it can never be personal to you. And many fitness professionals might not know exactly what you need to become a successful archer.

So, before you start training, you need to think about your biology, age, goals, diet, free time and access to a gym. I can offer suggestions but there's only one person who knows what's best for you; and that's you. Developing a workout routine is really not too difficult. It can also be fun once you understand the basics.

The first question is: are you training well now? Are you enjoying it? And is it making you healthy? Weight training is the best way to blitz body fat, so are you ready to give that a go?

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends these exercise guidelines:

Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity and/or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week. Moderate exercise includes brisk walking, swimming and mowing the lawn or tempo running, which as a slightly faster than normal jog for 30 minutes. Vigorous exercises include running and aerobic dancing, plyometric and interval training.

Strength training. Do exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. Use a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles but not to overload them to the extent that you cannot function the next day. It includes training with dumbbells, barbells and machines, using your own body weight, resistance tubing, aqua-aerobics, or activities such as rock climbing.

Flexibility training such as yoga also counts as strength training. Remember that weight training can be performed as high intensity intervals, circuit training or straight reps and sets training.

Designing a programme? Keep it simple

For the best effects; especially if you want to be on the archery field during the summer; do a full body routine two or three times a week.

We have covered weight training or body weight training exercises in recent issues (you can also find them in back copies of Archery UK on the Archery GB website.) Try to target the butt and hamstrings (back of your legs), the front of your legs, your push muscles, your pull muscles and your core. It only takes four or five exercises and this can take as little as 30 minutes.

Butt and hamstrings: squats, hip raises, deadlifts, straight leg deadlifts, step ups. Quads: squats, lunges, one legged squats, box jumps. Push (chest, shoulders, and triceps): overhead press, bench press, incline

dumbbell press, push-ups, dips. Pull (back, biceps, and forearms): chin ups, pull ups, horizontal rows, lat pull

downs, dumbbell rows. Core (abs and lower back): planks, side planks, exercise ball crunches, mountain

climbers, jumping knee tucks, hanging leg raises.

These are just a few examples and remember, for overall fitness you really don’t need to make things more complicated than this.

And mix it up. If you do the same routine, for months and months both you and your muscles will get bored. If you do squats on Monday perhaps do hip raises on Wednesday and focus on deadlifts on Friday.

If time is limited make sure you do one push and one pull exercise on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. But if you wanted you could train twice a week with “push” and a “pull” days, performing two push exercises on one day, and two pull exercises on another.

Remember muscles only build when you are resting. If you are shooting all day every day you will not recover fully and your progress can backtrack. It is the same with the gym. Try to train every other day if you are doing a full body workout, so that muscles have time to rest and recover. Get it all done in three sessions a week in as little as half an hour per session.

Reps and sets

I recommend 3-5 sets or 3-12 reps.

This can be completed in straight sets, for example: Exercise 1. Squats: 3 sets of 5 reps. Then: Exercise 2. Push-ups: 3 sets of 8 reps.

Or as a superset, for example: Exercise 1a. squats: 5 reps Exercise 1b. push-ups: 8 reps x 3. Then: Exercise 2a. step-ups: 12 reps Exercise 2b. lat pull-down: 10 reps x 3

Or as a circuit (these tend to be lighter weights so you can do more reps): Squats: 10 reps Push-ups: 10 reps Step ups: 30 seconds Lat pull-downs: 10 reps (then either repeat or move on to some other exercises)

Remember all of these examples above are not your programme. They are just examples. If you want more strength work go heavier and lift fewer reps (lift heavy enough for 5 reps for example. You never want to lift beyond that and don't strain the muscles or you can cause damage), if you want more tone, go lighter and do more reps. Don't forget to add in some core exercises at the end of your programme.

Remember to warm up and cool down as you would in archery; and have fun.

The best piece of advice I can give is to write things down, just as you would after archery. That way you can keep track of what works for you and what doesn’t. Take your measurements and practice the all body training as a circuit for a few weeks, writing down what exercises you do. If this doesn't give you the figure you want, try doing straight sets training and see if that works.

As long as you are doing 30 minutes a day of some exercise, your body and your archery will thank you.

Join the Clangers: Share the joy with the help of nutrition expert Jackie Wilkinson

I have been to see the inspirational Dr Phil Hammond. Hilarious as always, Dr Phil brought a serious message. The NHS is in trouble (we had noticed) and the best way we can help is to use it less. That means looking after ourselves so that we do not need medical intervention. Health care begins with self-care. Here's his formula:

ConnectLearn(be) ActiveNoticeGive backEat wellRelaxSleep

When Dr Phil says Connect, he doesn't mean social media. As a spreader of love and kindness, Dr Phil's Connect means face-to-face conversations and shared joy.

We would all feel better if we ate well. As well as 'you are what you eat', remember 'you are what you absorb'. One way to look after yourself is to get all the goodness from your food. If you're up-tight, your blood supply is diverted away from your digestive system.

Have you ever been to one of those shoots where people sit in their tents at lunchtime, intent on their devices, ear-pieces in, eating alone? Calm, relaxed eating aids your absorption of nutrients. Doing things with others make us happy. This summer why not come out of your tent and experience the pleasure of eating with other people?

Top tip: Drop your Clangers daily.

Find more advice from Jackie Wilson's Nutrition Coaching website: www.learntoeatwell.co.uk.

Ask the experts: Questions and Answers

Compound

European compound field champion Duncan Busby is here to help with queries on form, equipment and technique.

Scope to peep

Q When I'm aiming I can see a lot of the target in my sight picture as my scope doesn't quite fill my peep sight; what can I do about this?

A As your peep sight is an integral part of your reference point it's important it aligns perfectly with your eye and your scope. Any inconsistency in this alignment can cause sporadic results which often present as wandering arrow groups or random unexplained arrow patterns. Your scope should fit perfectly inside your peep sight when aiming to maximise your consistency.

If you find it difficult to perfectly align the two you should first ensure your peep is rotating correctly. If it's at an angle at full draw it won't be creating a perfect circular picture which will make it difficult for you to align with your round scope. To fix this you need to add or remove twists from your string until your peep is perfectly square to your eye. If it's only a little off, a half twist is usually enough.

Once you are happy your peep is correctly rotated, check to see how well your scope lines up. Your peep sight should perfectly frame the outside edge of your scope at full draw.

If you can see the target around the edge of the scope then your peep may be too big. Try either moving your sight in towards your bow or swap your peep to one with a smaller hole. If, on the other hand, you cannot see your entire scope, move your sight out or use a larger peep. If you are struggling to make out the edge of your scope clearly you can frame it by adding a brightly coloured ring.

Once you are happy that your scope and peep are working together perfectly, continue to check their alignment as part of your shot routine.

Don't be afraid to move your peep if it feels a little high or low and remember; your peep height should be set to your anchor point not the other way around.

Watch your weight

Q I've noticed that many top archers shoot with a lot of weight on their stabilisers. Why is this and is it something I should be doing?

A Having a correctly balanced bow is important. It allows you to aim steadily and helps to create consistent follow-through. There is no right or wrong way to stabilise your bow and stabilizer trends come and go. Over the years I've seen some extreme differences in the amount of weight archers choose to shoot with, from those that use hardly any at all to

those that screw pounds of weights around their bow. The current trend seems to be to shoot with a lot of weight, mainly on the back of your bow.

As many top compound archers now shoot professionally, they spend several hours a day practising. Because of this their strength increases allowing them to hold out a much heavier bow. As their strength increases they sometimes find that the bow starts to feel too light and, as a result, it starts to move around more when aiming. To counter this they add more weights. This is a gradual process so coping with the extra weight isn't a problem and they will eventually get to a point where their strength plateaus out so no further stabilisation is needed.

The most important factor to consider when balancing your bow is how easy it is for you to hold and aim throughout a tournament or practice session. It is pointless having a bow that holds like a rock for one shot but is so heavy it causes you to shake for the rest. This will negatively impact your results and may even cause injury.

On the other hand, if your bow is too light you may find it difficult to hold it still and your dot may move randomly around the target. If you are unhappy with the way your bow is holding. Try experimenting with different weight distributions to see what works best for you. Some archers find having the majority of the weight on their long rod creates the most steady hold. Others prefer a more neutral balance and keep most of the weight on the rear stabilisers.

Just remember, a ton of weight doesn't always mean better results and you should always work out what works best for you, not someone else.

Further reading

You can find more tips at Duncan Busby Archery: www.duncanbusbyarchery.com.

Longbow

Fancy getting into longbow but want to know more? Or do you have a question about equipment or technique? Then longbow archer and coach Dean Hirst is on hand to help.

Is paper the answer?

Q Paper tuning/testing. Can it be done from a longbow? And at what distance?

A This is not really an accurate test of arrow flight from a longbow. It is possible to shoot through paper and leave clean holes in it. I know. I have done it. But half an hour later the same arrows can leave two-inch tear holes. Basically we shoot arrows off the side of our bows, not through a cut out in the riser. Our arrows have to bend a fair amount to pass the bow and then it can take anything between 15 to 30 yards, and in some cases even more, to straighten up. If you shoot through the paper at close range, the size and shape of the

tear depends on whether your arrow is bending outwards, inwards or anywhere between the two. If you shoot through paper positioned close to the target, say at 20 yards, the arrow may have straightened up but is now on a downward arc. I found it was luck as to whether I positioned the paper at the correct distance. It really did not indicate how cleanly they were flying.

If anyone else has worked out a reliable method and distance for paper tuning, please let us know.

Nock, nock

Q Where should I set the nocking point?

A The rule of thumb is the same as with a recurve bow: 1/8 inch above square. But this is measured from the top of the hand grip. Put your bracing height gauge on the string when it has been braced up, so that it is resting squarely on the top edge of the hand grip. Then measure 1/8 inch above square, putting a pen mark on the string. Remove the gauge and start tying on a nocking point from this pen mark downwards. (Your arrow will sit above this nock). Then put an arrow in position and mark another pen line on the top edge of your arrow nock. Remove the arrow and tie on the top nock, starting at this second line, and work upwards. When finished, your arrow will sit between these two points.

Where this 1/8th rule might differ is if you hold the bow anywhere other than the top of the handgrip or if, while drawing the bow, you raise the finger or knuckle of the finger the arrow is resting on upwards. This is a fairly common fault. If you raise the finger up 1/8 inch while drawing the bow, this effectively levels out the 1/8 inch you set your nocking point at, so at full draw your arrow nock would then be reduced to sitting square to your finger or knuckle. This would give the problems relating to a low nocking point, such as a painful scuffed finger and porpoising arrow flight. You then have two options: raise the nocking point to compensate, or learn to keep your finger or knuckle level with the top of the bow's hand grip.

One last thing

Every year beginners start, buy all of their kit, full of enthusiasm, start in the sport and then, without support, become lost and frustrated. That's when they pack up. If there is one thing I've learned over the years, it is that archers are generally a friendly, helpful, enthusiastic bunch who are only too glad to help others. If you are struggling to work things out with your archery, don't try to do it all yourself. Speak up. Ask for advice, help and explanations.

If you are enjoying your archery, it will benefit you, your club and the rest of the sport as a whole. Don't be afraid to ask.

Mail bag

Submissions

Write to: Mailbag, Archery UK magazine, Archery GB, Lilleshall National Sports & Conferencing Centre, Newport, Shropshire TF10 9AT

Email: magazine@archerygb.org

Please note we cannot print letters sent to us without a name and address or an email address (although we can withhold the address if you wish). Letters may be edited for publication. Please try to keep them to 250 words if possible. Letters containing personal attacks will not be published.

Star Letter

Prize

An IS 60 R 15-45x60 scope by Opticron. Look out for some Summertime special offers on the Opticron IS R scope range. For more details visit the Opticron website: http://www.opticron.co.uk/.

Our prize is worth over £270.

A credit to our sport

Great Britain has many fantastic young archers. Many are in the process of, or on the brink of, achieving their potential and it is, perhaps, unfair to single any out. But my club has three such youngsters whose achievements could easily be seen to represent what is going on in clubs around the nation.

Rhiannon Easton, Samuel Gulvin and Andrew Lock represented Noak Hill Archers at the Havering Youth Games. It was the first time in a number of years the club had been able to field a team at the games and they were an absolute credit to us and to the sport.

Rhiannon and Andrew competed in the short national round, finishing first and second in their categories. Samuel, who had broken the county record earlier in the week, finished a close second in the junior short national competition.

While they finished calculating the score, the organisers ran a one arrow knock out competition. The aim was to whittle down the large field of archers by a process of elimination when they tightened the score zone each round. All three Noak Hill Archers reached the final round and Samuel won the trophy with a near-perfect shot.

We, like other clubs around the country, have many wonderful young archers among our ranks. They are, as I said before, a credit to us and it bodes well for the future of our sport.

Peter Wilson, Noak Hill Archers

Other letters

Headphones: yes or no?

In hindsight I suppose it is perhaps surprising that we haven't had this question earlier, given how ubiquitous they are, but is there anything in the rules of shooting about the use of headphones while shooting in practice? It is a question that has been asked recently at our club.

Having a headphone on or earbuds in one ear seems fine because you can still hear the range commands but both, especially noise cancelling ones, seems to pose a bit of a safety risk. Has this been discussed at a national level at all?

David Timmins, Oxford Archers

Editor writes:

The use of headphones has been discussed at national level; and by many clubs. A quick check around the rules set by various clubs shows that they ban the use of headphones on safety grounds. It is also mentioned in the Rules of Shooting, albeit in relation to outdoor target archery.

The rule is:

303 (h): Archers are not permitted electronic communications devices and headsets in front of the waiting line.

Backing for VI archers?

My name is Richard Smith and I am the Chairman of Louth And District Disabled Archery Club. I coach and spot for a VI V1 (totally blind) archer. He is classified, certificated and registered on World Archery's listings. He has also competed internationally twice in France and this year won silver at the Vision Impaired Archery Tournament in St Herblain, Nantes.

He was selected to represent Great Britain at last year's Para-Archery European Championships but due to a lack of foreign opposition his category was cancelled. He remains keen to compete internationally and I am keen to help him.

Britain has the current World and European VI V2/3 champion in Steve Prowse. Other VI archers have proved themselves in European competitions. In 2015, British archers took gold, silver and bronze in the VI V2/3 category and silver in the VI V1 category at the World Archery Para-Archery Championships in Germany. This year that competition is being held in Beijing and includes VI V1 and VI V2/3 categories.

My question is: Archery GB has not yet mentioned a selection policy for these categories? Will Archery GB be backing the efforts of our VI Archers?

Rick Smith

Performance Programme Manager Hilda Gibson writes:

Archery GB has, and will continue, to support GBR VI athletes as far as is possible within the current funding and individual constraints. This is evidenced by the fantastic 2105 World Championship results you refer to and similarly great results at the 2016 European Championships.

In response to enquiries from David Poyner, I have requested a meeting to discuss GB VI attendance at the 2017 World Championships in Beijing in September.

Help, please

Bayeux Bowmen is trying to recover all the Golden Oldies Trophies that were awarded at the last gathering. The Bayeux Bowmen will cover the cost of postage, or if anyone is passing Aim Archery in Battle they can leave them at the pro shop.

For reimbursement of postage costs please contact Terry White on 01424 443721.

We would like to thank everyone who has met at a gathering of the Golden Oldies, and we look forward to meeting you all again if we can resurrect the shoot.

Colin Ford, The Bayeux Bowmen

Safety first

The new conformity rules have come into force and, possibly better late than never, are passing responsibility to the clubs, rather than the judges, for insurance purposes.

Accidents happen. Thankfully they are very rare but we all realise the danger and act accordingly. That is why the sport has such a good safety record.

The boundaries are 150 yards from shooting line and 10 yards (stretching to 25 yards at 150 yards in a straight line) either side of last boss position. I know of at least one occasion where even those rules could not have prevented an accident happening. We must ensure that no club attempts to completely rewrite the rule books, or break them, just so they can carry on shooting on their established field. A feather edged, wooden backstop will not stop a compound arrow. Perhaps if you put backstop netting over it this would work but it must not be taken down after a tournament or after the conformity judge has left.

Twenty yards either side of last boss also seems to be a problem. Where is it measured to? We know it starts at the last boss but does it stop at the clubs own boundary edge or can it go on to someone else's property?

On one final note, it's all very well to have attendants guarding the footpaths with walkie talkies during a tournament to be compliant with these new rules, but are they going to also be there afterwards? My club had to use all its savings of £16 000 to purchase one extra acre of land to conform to Archery GB regulations.

A wise club learns from others' mistakes. Archery GB and World Archery have a proven track record of safety and long may it continue. Please, make sure rules are not 'bent' over the next six months of shooting compliance. The assessors need to be ruthless and fields are either safe or unsafe, no grey areas.

I understand Archery GB is attempting to get a full picture of facilities throughout the country. The rules need to be totally watertight, simple and not open to interpretation. That's the only we can ensure that nobody gets hurt.

Steve Holland, Bowmen of Glen

Universities

Birmingham bosses BUCS: Teams shine at new-look indoor champs

Archers from the University of Birmingham bossed the first BUCS archery indoor finals at the University of Bristol, winning both the non-compound team cups.

It was the first time regional heats were held. It allowed more archers to compete, and that resulted in more than 750 shooting Portsmouth rounds in Sheffield and Crawley. Of those, 250 qualified for the finals. They then shot a World Archery 18-metres seeding round and the best made the cut for the head-to-heads.

Birmingham took the non-compound team trophies ahead of Warwick and Edinburgh. Those two took the other podium places in both events, Warwick getting the silver in the men's competition and Edinburgh silver in the women's event.

The individual head-to-heads saw the top 32 recurve qualifiers, plus the top 16 barebows and eight longbows and compounds shoot off for the top prizes.

In the recurve divisions, Francis Berti (Birmingham) dispatched last year's champion Tom Hall (Warwick) in the final. Ashe Morgan (Birmingham) won bronze. Francis later said: "I think the head-to-head made it much more interesting, allowing for much more fierce competition. Honestly, I can't wait to see how the next few years of BUCS Indoors turn out. This year was amazing."

Jaspreet Sagoo (East London) led from the start and didn't let up, ending the hopes of home favourite Rebecca Martin (Bristol) in the final. Jaspreet said: "Even though this was the first year BUCS held qualifiers and then national finals, it gave everyone a fair chance and was very successful. It gave everyone the opportunity to experience what other major events are like."

The women's individual compound final was an all-Edinburgh affair as Sarah Prieels took on Hope Greenwood; and it was decided by a shoot-off. Sarah kept her title, shooting a 10 in reply to Hope's nine. In the men's final, Chris Woodgate (Warwick) edged past fifth seed Ciaron Peake (Liverpool) 144 to 141. Lizzie Foster (Durham) and Thomas Taylor (Coventry) took bronze.

Only one of the top four barebow seeds made it through to the men's semi-finals. And it was Samuel Thomas (Loughborough), ranked second, who disappointed the home crowd by beating Will Armstrong (Bristol). David Priestley (Bath) took third spot. The women's final was fought out by the top two seeds: Jessica Nilsson (Edinburgh) and Sarah Shahzad (Abertay Dundee). Jessica took the title with Elizabeth Miller (Sussex) third.

The top seeds took the honours in both longbow events. Alex Newnes (Aberystwyth) retained his title against East Anglia's Tom Lucking, with Edward Pike (Edinburgh) in third. Jessica Nirkko brought Edinburgh's individual gold haul to three with victory over Emily Williams (South Wales) and the bronze medal went to Beth Duthie (Aberystwyth).

Full results can be found on the BUCS website: www.bucs.org.uk.

Your Pictures

Reflections, small details, stunning locations and spectacular shots – they have all caught the imaginations of our keen-eyed photographers over the past few weeks.

If you want to see your handiwork displayed in Archery UK, it couldn't be easier. Simply send your photograph – it must be in jpg format, high resolution and at least 1MB – with details of where you took it to magazine@archerygb.org.

A little help

Tadhg MacFirbhisigh truly captured the spirit of our sport during Jersey Archery Society’s medieval-themed open day at the island’s Elizabeth Castle.

Dewi Sant silhouette

Ken Davies caught a stunning silhouette during Wrexham Bowmen’s Dewi Sant field shoot.

On reflection

Sue Woodgate took full advantage of a sunny day, and the reflections it produced, at Woking Archery Club.

Longbow perfection.

It took nothing less than longbow perfection to inspire this stunning shot by Malcolm Rees. (This photo has been used as the cover for this edition of the magazine.)

Eye, eye

Matt Ives captured an unusual twist on medal celebrations at a friendly between Surrey and Reading Universities.

Total focus

The tiniest fractions can mean so much in our sport and Peter Slack homed in on a judge checking out a line cutter at the BUCS indoor finals.

New Products Special

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All you have to do now to get your hands on a fantastic Halon X Comp is to answer this simple question:

Q. How much does the Halon X Comp measure from axle to axle?

Send your answer to magazine@archerygb.org and make sure that you include the following information:

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The closing date for entries is 1 July 2017.

The bow is being offered courtesy of Mathews' UK supplier. See supplier adverts, or go to Matthews Inc website (www.mathewsinc.com), for full specifications, finish options, and more information on the 2017 target bows.

Rules: Employees of Archery GB or Mathews Archery Inc and their immediate families are not eligible to enter this competition. Only one entry per archer will be counted. Closing date: 1 July 2017. The prize cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer; terms and conditions apply and it is not transferable. A cash alternative is not available. The winner must be willing to take part in post-competition publicity. Entrants aged under 18 must have their parents' or guardians' permission to take part. The judge's decision is final.

Development

Introducing: Our ontarget award winners

Archery GB's ontarget awards celebrate clubs working to promote archery and honour volunteers for their hard work and dedication. This year, the awards go to:

Connor Wilson of Kyujutsu.uk is our Young Volunteer of the Year. Every week he is the first in and last out of the club. Members have watched him grow since joining the club and wanted him to know how much his hard work and helping others to grow in confidence means to them.

Twenty-two nominations made Volunteer of the Year the most hotly contested award this year. And it went to Adam Kenyon of Sittingbourne Community College Archers. He rarely takes time off, even when ill, and his passion and limitless energy ensures the juniors are given every opportunity to experience archery. He also encourages a philosophy of volunteering, from the junior through to the senior section.

Blind archer Stuart Rodgers nominated Louth and District Disabled Archery Club, Lincolnshire for the ontarget Community Club of the Year. Its coaches helped him reach the second International Vision Impaired Archery Tournament. The coaches also attend a school in Louth and take part in the Louth disabled sports taster days. During the school holidays they run extra training days for the children and hold taster sessions.

Sittingbourne Community College Archers claimed a second award: the ontarget Young People Club of the Year. It first received the award last year and, since then, has gone from strength to strength. The club has a family feel with adult members recognising it exists for the development of the junior section. The club regularly sends the biggest cohort of entries to the indoor and outdoor junior nationals and county events and organisers have reported back on the juniors' high standard of behaviour and positive attitude.

Deer Park Archers is the ontarget Performance Club of the Year. Its mission statement reads: 'Members, regardless of ability, are in an environment that supports everyone to develop to their full potential'. Twenty-one coaches run a packed schedule of tailored programmes and workshops in five indoor venues. It has members on the GB para and international squads and county, regional and national title holders.

The overall ontarget Club of the Year is Goldcrest Archers. It is an all-inclusive club with able-bodied and disabled members of all ages and regularly runs sessions for local youth groups and businesses, which have attracted new members. It works hard to be an intergral part of the community and keeps in touch through the local radio station and newspaper. Those who nominated it said it was a warm and friendly environment where experienced archers willingly share their knowledge with less experienced members and work hard to promote archery as an all-inclusive sport.

Arran Coggan, Development Manager, said: "I have the pleasure of visiting clubs, handing out the awards, and talking to the people that receive them. There are many, many deserving volunteers and clubs and, year by year, it gets harder to select the winners.

"If only I could give them all an award."

Range registration update

The national archery range registration started in April 2017. It has been designed to help Archery GB establish the future facility needs of archery across the country.

It will be a catalyst for the implementation of our facility strategy and the data it captures will help Archery GB be better equipped to support clubs with facility issues. So far:

187 clubs have registered 358 ranges. 336 ranges comply with the Rules of Shooting. Seven ranges comply with an active dispensation. 15 ranges do not comply (at time of publication).

Ranges that do not comply will be visited by an archery range assessor who will support the club to continue shoot safely and in accordance with the Rules of Shooting. In some cases, a dispensation will be provided that allows for the shortening of the overshoot or side safety areas. This will be where a wall or bank is in place, or can be built, to stop arrows.

If your club has not completed the process yet, do not worry. You have until 30 September 2017 and we are here to help you.

If you have any queries regarding the range registration process email range@archerygb.org or visit the Archery range registration section of the Archery GB website (www.archerygb.org/range) for more information.

Membership

Keep safe this summer: Smoking and cooking at archery events

The outdoor season is well under way and Membership Services has been asked to remind everyone about the Smoking Code of Conduct. You can find the full code of conduct on the Archery GB website but here is a summary:

We understand that some people may wish to smoke but we all have a responsibility to protect those who do not wish to smoke or suffer from the effects of secondary smoking.

Smoking at Archery GB meetings and competitions is only permitted with the approval of tournament organisers and/or club officials. If they wish to run non-smoking events, they may do so at their sole discretion.

When tournament organisers and/or club officials elect to tolerate smoking at a meeting or competition, there is to be a designated smoking area and it has to be at least five metres behind the last archers' tents and shelters. If the organisers and/or club officials want to extend the distance beyond five metres, they may do so at their sole discretion.

To comply with legislation, and to create a pleasant and healthy environment for all, Archery GB operates a no smoking policy in all its premises, including sports hall and club houses.

In line with World Archery rules, smoking is prohibited on the field of play. This is defined as the shooting area, including all required overshoot, and all areas behind the shooting line extending to a point at least five metres beyond the last archers' tent or shelter.

When permitted, smoking must only take place in open spaces well away (a minimum of five metres) from building entrances and windows.

In keeping with Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents guidelines, cooking in tents is not advisable. To prevent fires, a condition of using a tent or shelter at an archery venue is that you do not smoke or use a naked flame inside the tent or shelter.

Where specific venues/events have more restrictive no smoking conditions than those laid out in this code of conduct (such as venues where smoking is prohibited), the more restrictive conditions will apply.

Throughout the code of conduct where smoking is referred to, this also applies to e-cigarettes and vaping.

Archery and alcohol

Fancy a tipple after your shoot? That's fine but please wait until after the shoot has finished before you indulge.

You may not be aware, but in archery alcohol is a sport-specific prohibited substance under anti-doping legislation. Alcohol is prohibited in the following sports:

Air sports (FAI) Archery (WA) Automobile (FIA) Karate (WKF) Motorcycling (FIM) Power boating (UIM)

Archery GB Law No 1

Archery GB is recognised as the governing body of Archery throughout the United Kingdom operating in accordance with the rules and regulations of World Archery. Archery GB is committed to the ideals and principles as defined by UK Sport in relation to drug misuse, and support for drug free sport. Archery GB is committed to informing and educating its members in support of the policy of drug free sport. It undertakes to control the misuse of drugs in the sport of archery, recognises and is committed to independent testing and will manage any drug misuse issues through a fair, accountable and independent decision making process thereby ensuring that its archers perform to the highest standards without the misuse of drugs or doping.

Handicap Improvement medal winners 2016

16 Point improvement

Jo Long, Old Basing, 68 to 52, Snr

12 Point improvement

Roy Goddard, South Oxon, 40 to 28, Snr

8 Point improvement

Samuel Chapman, Ivanhoe, 59 to 51, Jnr

6 Point improvement

Brian Waton, East Riding, 54 to 48, Snr Stuart Barber, Stortford, 17 to 11, Snr

3 Point improvement

Anthony Reeves, Tockington, 17 to 14, Snr

Rules

Latest updates

Since the change in rules on shooting of sighters when shooting multiple rounds in one day, the Rule Committee has been asked to consider changing the rule for clout shooting only, to only have one set of sighters for an archer when shooting either a double or single round in a day.

The proposed rule change is as follows:

Rule 703:

Currently:

a) Shooting may be either two way or one way.b) Six sighter arrows shall be shot in each direction when shooting two ways.

Change to:

a) Shooting may be either two way or one way.b) An archer shall shoot only six sighter arrows when shooting either a single or double

clout round on the same day. If two way shooting is used, then six sighter arrows will be shot in each direction.

(By changing part b to the above, it does allow for an archer who is shooting only once that day, but on the second round of the day, to have their sighters.)

Feedback and comments

Feedback or comment from the membership on the proposed change is due within two months of publication and, depending on the outcome of that feedback, the change will be implemented in October 2017. Any feedback should be sent to the Chairman of Rules Committee email: chairman.rules@archerygb.org.

Dress regulations

The summer season is here so it is a good time to remind all archers of the dress regulations under Rule 307 of the Archery GB rule book. These are applicable at record status tournaments specifically, and at other tournaments where the organisers have specified that the dress regulations will be enforced. Please can you ensure you know and understand with the rules (particularly 307 (b) and (c)) and respect your fellow competitors by following the requirements.

The committee is aiming to look at revising the dress code in the near future, with some more specific requirements, having taken account of comments raised previously by members.

Scoring

Scoring rules are covered under rule 306 in Archery GB rules of shooting. World Record Status events will follow the scoring rules as per the World Archery Rule book.

Committee Chairman Graham Potts said: "I particularly would like to draw your attention to rule 306 (d). It is an archer's individual responsibility to ensure that all aspects of their scoresheet (eg arrow values, score totals, numbers of golds, hits) are correct when they sign."

When is a gold not a gold?

When shooting an imperial round (where the distances are in yards and 5 zone scoring is in use) then a 9 is classed as a gold.

When shooting metric distance rounds, be it Archery GB or World Archery Rounds, we do not record golds. Instead we record 10s and Xs.

So to clarify, the situation for claiming a six gold end badge is as follows. It can be claimed according to the distances as per the Shooting Administrative Procedure 6 (as covered under 1. (c)) where both imperial and metric distances are shown. For consistency, a six gold end badge claimed on a metric distance is for arrows scoring X, 10 and 9.

Board

Clearing the channels: Communications key to success

A new coaching plan for archery is essential if we are to engage members and keep them within the sport. We know we can do better and have been talking to over 90 coaches at a series of consultations across the UK over the past few weeks.

The new website is clearer, more user-friendly and will enable us to collect the data we need to offer a better, more personalised service to you. Our social media platforms deliver up-to-date news and open up a direct channel of communication. And Archery GB is piloting a new app.

One idea that is creating a lot of interest is Chief Executive Neil Armitage's new webinars. They got off to a quiet start but the second, where he talked about the AGM and strategic update, as well as answering your questions, attracted hundreds of viewers and many more on catch-up.

If you want to check it out, you can find it on our Facebook page. And if you want to ask a question and be kept up to date, there are four more chances this year. Neil will be holding webinars on 28 June, 26 July, 27 September and 29 November.

Just send your questions to: will.peel@archerygb.org.

Can we help?

Getting more people shooting more arrows often is at the core of Archery GB's philosophy and our charity, the Archery Foundation is playing a key role in achieving that aim.

We are working closely with the charity to develop funding that would not normally be available to Archery GB as a national governing body and seek other funding opportunities. That will help us to identify and develop more projects to deliver archery to different communities and clubs across the country.

And you can help too. If you know of projects that the Archery Foundation could fund or look at, please let us know.

From the Chief Executive

A new coaching plan for archery is essential if we are to engage members and keep them within the sport. We know we can do better and have been talking to 90 coaches at a series of consultations and workshops over the past few weeks.

Among the subjects covered were technical models for recurve and compound, coaching methodology and successful learning environments. The discussions helped to shape ideas about the current system used to develop coaches and what areas needed to be prioritised.

The result is that a new approach is emerging. It is to:

Better define, clarify and commit to a technical model of archery (recurve and compound).

Further the availability of CPD coaching resources and sharing opportunities, engaging with places where coaching can succeed.

Consolidate and implement a learning focused coaching methodology.

Phase in, over time, new modules of archery course content and practice.

Use digital platforms for communication and bookings to better effect.

A draft coaching plan for archery is expected in September. We will keep you fully informed about how this develops.

At the AGM I promised to embark on a tour of our clubs as part of my drive to get to know our sport better and to improve communications. That is now under way and my first port of call was Exmouth Archers. I have to thank them for showing me around and sharing their thoughts and experiences. It was really interesting to chat to members and see how the club is set up.

We are currently in the process of setting up another club visit but if you would like me to visit you, just get in touch at neil.armitage@archerygb.org. We are also getting lots of positive feedback on our new webinars. It is really useful to be able address your concerns and answer your questions on a regular basis. It’s also great to know that the idea is starting to catch on – the number of people who logged on for the second webinar was 12 times the number who logged on for the first. But we need your help. This is your organisation. You need to tell us what topics you would like covered and send in your questions. I will be more than happy to answer them.

Neil ArmitageChief Executive

Disabilities

The way ahead: Games helps give newly-injured new options

One of the flagship events of the disability sports calendars is the WheelPower Inter-Spinal Unit Games, and one of its most popular sports is archery. This year was no different.

The charity, which champions wheelchair sport, brought together 92 patients from spinal injury centres across the UK and Ireland together for the annual games at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium.

Most of them were newly injured and one of the games' main aims is to show them that life does not have to stop after spinal injury. It gives a taste of different sports they can enjoy, ranging from fencing, table tennis, athletics, shooting, wheelchair basketball and swimming to, of course, archery.

The archery coaches on hand to help were Helen George, Fred Stevens, Trevor Tucker and Maureen Ritson and they were all impressed by the high standard of shooting from those who tried archery. Many were given details on how to find and contact local archery clubs in their own areas, once they leave their centres.

Helen, who is a member of the World Archery Para Committee said: "I would like to thank our coaches as well as WheelPower, its staff and sponsors for the fantastic contribution they make to encouraging sports participation. WheelPower's continued support, by giving participants the chance to try different sports, is a major step towards giving us such a successful Paralympic team."

WheelPower's National Sports Director Chris Turner said: "The Inter-Spinal Unit Games provided a wonderful opportunity for people from across the UK that have recently had a spinal cord injury to come together and take part in a variety of sporting activities.

"We know that taking part in sport and physical activity enhances disabled people's quality of life, giving them confidence, improving their wellbeing and helping to connect them to other people. The stories captured from the participants during the games embodies this fully and provides a starting platform for people to live and enjoy an active lifestyle.

"The camaraderie and new friendships made between the spinal units and patients provided a wonderful backdrop to the competitive nature of the sporting events and the race to be crowned the winning Spinal Injury Unit.

"Our vision is to help transform lives through sport and this event does exactly that, by providing opportunities to introduce disabled people to sport and supporting them to find an activity that they are passionate about and enjoy."

A great start: Two brand new UK records set

This year Archery GB gave UK record status to two visually impaired rounds. There were bound to be new records; but the first results proved to be spectacular.

The British Blind Sport National Indoor Championships, supported by the Worshipful Company of Fletchers, was the first opportunity to set the standards. It was a World Archery VI indoor round, similar to a Portsmouth, but shot at 18 metres on a 60cm face.

And, as well as new UK records, a number of new BBS records were set. They included:

UK: (available in two categories, B1 and B2/3, all disciplines are combined): Roger Rees Evans (B1: 272 points), Steve Prowse (B2/3: 567 points).

BBS: John Bower, Phillip Tranter, Kimberley Heal, Carol Davies, Jan Swierczynski. Debora Wright, Graham Walker and Andrea Thomas.

The tournament was sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Fletchers and was represented by the Master of the Fletchers Roger Watson and Christopher Brown, Chairman of the Fletchers Trust. He was also the Lord Patron.

Photo: Roger Rees-Evans receives his trophy from Chris Brown of the Worshipful Company of Fletchers.

Tournament organiser Robin Hall said: "Without the sponsorship of the Worshipful Company of Fletchers we would not be able to run this event. We are truly grateful for its support."

Photo: Steve Prowse with Chris Brown of the Worshipful Company of Fletchers.

The first outdoor UK records will be contested in September.

Records and achievements

Records

World records: Target outdoor

Women W1: Para Archery Women

Jessica Stretton 50m – 72 arrows, 656

Recurve Master Men Open: Para Archery Men

David Phillips 50m – 36 arrows, 312

World records: Target indoor

Visually Impaired 2/3: Para Archery Men

Steve Prowse 18m – 60 arrows, 550

UK records: Clout

Barebow, Ladies

Charlotte Baigent, Single Metric 165m, 142 Charlotte Baigent, Single One-Way 180 yds, 70

UK records: Field

Recurve, Junior Ladies

Louisa Piper, WA Mixed Red U15, 272

UK records: Target indoor

Recurve, Ladies

Bryony Pitman, Portsmouth, 595

Compound, Junior Ladies

Ella Gibson, Stafford, 679 Layla Annison, Compound Match Round (15 Arrows), 147

Compound, Junior Gentlemen

James Howse, Stafford, 697 Kai Thomas-Prause, Portsmouth, 593

Compound, Gentlemen

Christopher Cassells, Portsmouth, 595

Barebow, Junior Ladies

Elisa Ball, Vegas, 434 Elisa Ball, Bray II, 254

Barebow, Gentlemen

Jason Meehan, Double Portsmouth, 1141 Jason Meehan, WA Combined, 1069 Jason Meehan, WA 25m, 561 Jason Meehan, Bray II, 279 Jason Meehan, Bray I, 270

Longbow, Junior Ladies

Rosie Elliott, Double Portsmouth, 789 Rosie Elliott, WA Combined, 548 Rosie Elliott, Stafford, 361 Rosie Elliott, WA 25m, 264

Longbow, Junior Gentlemen

Matthew Foreman, Stafford, 415

Longbow, Ladies

Sheila Hudson, Double Portsmouth, 1064 Sheila Hudson, WA Combined, 908 Sheila Hudson, Portsmouth, 538 Sheila Hudson, Portsmouth, 528 Sheila Hudson, WA 18m, 460 Sheila Hudson, WA 25m, 448

Longbow, Gentlemen

Phil Reay, Vegas, 413 Rob Twigg, Vegas, 387 Chris Ellis, Bray II, 238 Phil Reay, Bray I, 228

UK records: Target outdoor imperial

Barebow, Junior Ladies

Maia Daborn, St George, 280

UK records: Target outdoor metric

Longbow, Junior Gentlemen

Remy Lloyd, WA 60m, 255 Remy Lloyd, WA 60m, 149

Achievements

WA star: Target

Recurve

Senior Lady – 1100

Payne S, Nuneaton, 1173

Senior Lady – 1000

Gradwohl E, University of Birmingham, 1008

Compound

Senior Gentleman – 1350

Haynes S, H&W, 1354

Senior Gentleman – 1300

Rees S, University of Birmingham, 1332 Varnam A, Archery GB, 1311

Senior Gentleman – 1200

Lewington R, Nuneaton, 1274 Payne D, Nuneaton, 1234

Senior Gentleman – 1100

Guerin C, Archery GB, 1171

WA Target: Target

Recurve

Junior Lady – Blue

Piper L, Woking, 607

Junior Lady – White

Ramsay T, Malvern, 506

Junior Gentleman – White

Vaughan M, Redhill, 520

Senior Lady – Black

Whitworth E, Redhill, 539 Stocker, Windsor Forest, 537 Rose C, Sevenoaks, 533

Senior Lady – White

Tew A, Lizard Peninsula 514 Lawrence A, Noak Hill, 510 Holden T, County Oak, 509 Upfield C, Portsdown, 507 Mitchell H, Archery GB, 503 Barrington-Smith D, Reigate Priory, 500

Senior Gentleman – Blue

Moore H, Oxford, 621 Parker R, Crystal Palace, 557 Coates D, Chichester, 550 Thomson S, Chichester, 550

Senior Gentleman – Black

Michael D J, Hereford, 554 Stephenson O, Rutland, 536 Ellis D, Rivernook, 529 Jones D, Colesdon, 528 Kendera G, Gravesend, 528 Wheeler R, Redditch, 528 Richardson P, Leicester, 527 Taylor P, Chichester, 526

Hunter S, Ardleigh, 525 Thomas A, Cleve, 525

Senior Gentleman – White

Wheeler R, Redditch, 521 Jones D, Colesdon, 518 Davies M, Overton, 517 Frost J, Sevenoaks, 509 Jackson P, Perth, 506 Austin K, Woking, 504 Walton M, C M O, 504 Paris D, Farnham, 503 Barker A, Bramcote, 501 Bennington D, Archery GB, 500 Ellis D, Rivernook, 500

Barebow

Senior Gentleman – Blue

Meehan J, High Weald, 561

Compound

Junior Lady – Blue

Gibson E, Deer Park, 560

Junior Lady – Black

Short E, Mayflower, 535

Junior Lady – White

Chappell G, Deer Park, 521

Senior Lady – Black

Lane K, Bramcote, 570 Laywood L, Leicester, 536 Duncanson P, Heugh, 525

Senior Lady – Blue

Williams A, Deer Park, 555

Senior Gentleman – Blue

Beetz A, Long Mynd, 564 Powell L, Colchester, 561 Gould S, Dark Side, 558 Cousins D, Lizard Peninsula, 554

Labuschagne A, C M O, 550

Senior Gentleman – Black

Langmaid P, Stourbridge, 539

Senior Gentleman – White

Norwood B, Archery GB, 542 Constable A, Petersfield, 515 Wise C, Walker, 502

WA Arrowhead: Field

Recurve Barebow

Junior Lady – Green

Heaney C, Ballyvally, 183

Junior Gentleman – White

Mehaffey T, Ballyvally, 310

Junior Gentleman – Black

Mehaffey T, Ballyvally, 290

Senior Lady – White

McLean P, Ballyvally, 275

Senior Lady – Brown

Leonard S, Ballyvally, 221

Senior Gentleman – Silver

Thompson G, Belfast, 326

Senior Gentleman – Green

Ferguson G, Lough Cuan, 234 Heaney K, Ballyvally, 220 Williamson T, Ballyvally, 200

Rose: Target

Recurve

Senior Lady – 900

Carter K, Loughborough Students, 972

Grand Master Bowman: Target

Compound

Senior Gentleman

Rudd M, Devizes Tompkins D, Yelverton Whittingham, A Edinburgh University Alumni

Master Bowman: Target

Compound

Senior Gentleman

Speight M, Cleadon Thorn G, Walker

Junior Master Bowman U14: Target

Recurve

Junior Lady

Easton R, Noak Hill

Junior Master Bowman U16: Target

Recurve

Junior Gentleman

Taylor R, Howard

Compound

Junior Lady

Taylor-Thorn C, Walker

6 Gold End Senior: Target

Compound

Senior Gentleman

Densham T, Pepperstock Luceau S, Castle

6 Gold End Junior: Target

Compound

Junior Gentleman

Spence J, Stalybridge

And finally

Here's something I bet you didn't know: the second EU Work Plan for Sport, which existed between 2014 and 2017, has come to an end. But don't worry, because there's a new one that has started already. Based on a Commission evaluation, the latest plan has been approved by the Sport Working Group of the Council, and it sets out the key topics that need to be prioritised between now and 2020: integrity of sport, the economic dimension of sport and sport and society.

I am sure that, like me, you feel so much better now that you are aware of it. After all, I hear you saying: thank heavens for the first one, which made so much impact. And as for the new one: how would we possibly manage without it?

The sheer weight of plans, directives and – it sometimes seems – Papal encyclicals that pass through my inbox is one of many things I never appreciated would come with the role of chairing a sport. Just about every organisation you have heard of, and I suspect a great many you haven't, publish reports and issue edicts to which – for one reason or another – we have to adhere. It can be immensely frustrating, and it is easy sometimes to wonder why we bother.

But two thoughts spring to mind.

The first is that what people perceive constitutes added value or not tends to depend either on their involvement in the original discussion which brings about the edict, or on the extent to which they are immediately impacted. While everyone is grateful for structures and

policies when they find themselves in a position where they need to invoke them, the natural response to everything else is that it is, at best, bureaucratic fluff.

Put another way, one of the curiosities of human nature is that wherever you sit in the hierarchy of any given system, everyone above you seems to be doing something that fails to add any useful value, while everyone below is failing to appreciate that you are carrying the entire structure on their behalf.

The second thought is that every now and again, a report is issued which really stands out. Tanni Grey-Thomson's Duty of Care paper, published this month, is one of those. It discusses the importance of culture and inclusion, and gives plenty of food for thought.

From the Board down, Archery GB is working very hard in both these areas. We want to make clear to people what we do (and why), and we are determined to create a culture and a level of inclusion that ensures the sport works for the widest range of participants.

Those who made it to the AGM (where all motions were passed), or who have since logged on to one of the webinars that have become a regular fixture will, I hope, be starting to see that. If you have not yet done the latter, please do. It's a useful forum not only to learn what is going on, but also for you to input. We are determined not to make decisions in isolation, and you can help us ensure that we don't.

Our focus (when not on the structural necessities) continues to be on retaining people in the sport. We gain about 16,000 new members every year, but we lose 15,000 at the same time – around a third of whom leave us because they are fed up with coaching, competitions, facilities, or the lack of opportunity to make progress. Improving those areas will mean we grow more efficiently and have happy members. No aim can be better than that.

Mark Davies

Chairman

Sponsors

We would like to thank the following sponsors and partners.

Long term support of our core programmes

Lottery Funded Sport England

Lottery funded UK sport

Excellence in Sports Coaching

Helping us raise standards

The Equality Standard: A Framework for Sport

Gold+ Sponsors

Win & Win Archery

Doinker Stabilisers

Gold sponsors

Hoyt

Mybo

Leupold

Arizona Archery Enterprises Inc

Stanislawski

Silver sponsors

Shibuya

Fuse Accessories

Matthews

Prime Archery

Easton

Trading name

Archery GB is the trading name of the Grand National Archery Society, a company limited by guarantee number 1342150 Registered in England.