To say the Warren, our Field and 3D venue, has been busy at the start of September would be a bit of an understatement.
Saturday the 3rd
The Warren played host to a "Fun" 3D Head to Head Match Play Event so those who wanted could try a competition format typically only shot by elite archers.
Mal and Victoria Williams set out a 6target 3D arena for the competitors to shoot and the event is shot (in the most basic of explanations) at unmarked 3D targets with qualifying archers put into several groups, two archers from each group shoot a single arrow at each target and the winner stays on until a single winning archer from each group remains. Then they're put into two groups and two at a time repeat the process until two winners and two runners up from the group stages emerge, one pair shoot off for bronze the other shoot off for gold and silver. It's a little different in proper competition conditions, but you get the picture I'm sure.
All this is against the clock with just one minute at each target to range/guess the distance to your target which can be anything from 5m to 30m for unsighted bows and 5m to 45m for sighted bows and shoot a single arrow.
Normally under elite level competition you'd be able to hear a pin drop, but needless to say, as this was a more 'fun' event there was more than a little banter going on.
I think it's safe to say everyone enjoyed the event and took something from it, going to his final target 1point up in his qualifying match, against the eventual winner of the event, your recurve shooting Chairman enjoyed himself, even though his worst shot of his round on the last target saw his 5point shot to his compound shooting competitors 8point shot meant he lost by two points :-(
Sunday the 4th
The Warren played host to the 2023 Hampshire and SCAS Open 3D Championship, Tournament Organiser Steve Allam and Course Designer Susie Allam between them (with a little help from some friends) put on and set the course for around 80 archers to shoot.
Following some practice and bacon butties, plus other refreshments, the largest field to date, certainly in recent years, walked out to their starting targets around 10am on a glorious sunny Sunday to begin their 24 target competition.
Around 5hours later everyone was finished, one or two having left an arrow or two behind to find at a later date, and we all discussed the many "challenging" shots the course designer had set for all to 'enjoy'?!?!
Here's looking forward to doing it all over again in 2024.
Sunday the 10th
The Warren played host to some of the GB Field Team for some practice around The Warren, as it is well respected in Field Archery terms and known to be a challenging venue to shoot. Several OvBA members were on hand to host and help and there was even an impromptu and unknowlingly, one target olympic challenge match, between Rob Aldridge, Bryony Pitman and Paul Williams, not that we told Bryony!
A 21m downhill 40cm target.
Arrow set A right target scored 5,5,4.
Arrow set B left target scored 5,4,3.
Arrow set C left target scored 6,5,5.
Probably the first and last time your Chairman gets to shoot the same target as an Olympian and beat not only the Club Secretary, but also the unsuspecting Olympian.
Hopefully everyone enjoyed their visit and shoot around The Warren and OvBA wish the GB Team every success at their up coming European competition in Italy.
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