Gentlemen’s Challenge - Archery Match Report April 2012
A welcome return to this excellent venue, with hospitable, friendly and professional archery tutors.
Men in tights and goodness you needed to be with the way the weather changed and a chill breeze blowing up your quiver.
I’m sure Pete didn’t know it at the time but this is probably where he initially succumbed to his life threatening manflu.
Only eight gentlemen for this challenge, but as ever the will to win overcame all ethics about fair play, although I did feel that sticking a target onto Chris’s back was taking things too far!
Once the archery rules and health and safety had been explained to us, with a twang, we were off.
Practice arrows flew above, around and below the targets as eyes were got in and with more luck than judgment no eyes were put out.
Our hosts removed the target from Chris’s back along with two arrows, but luckily no blood!
Then the competition for real got under way. Four targets with two gentlemen to a target. Bows were drawn and a quiet, concentrated hush fell, broken only by the thud of arrow into straw!
Dave King and Chris looked good bets as they started to score well. Dave Kentish was having major problems getting the scoring right even after a target with the numbers on it was pinned up!
Malcolm and Paul were the Sherwood Forest twins matching each other arrow for arrow.
Bruce and John were in a competition amongst themselves, both hitting the target well (sometimes)
Considering how off Pete’s concentration was even before we got there, having given his passengers a tour of the A1’s lay-by’s, and close ups of some very pretty driveways he finally found the right exit off the A1.
Then his aim in the practice session was so poor the word “walkover” sprang to mind.
However, this improved greatly as the match went on, not only hitting the target consistently but finding the little bit in the middle of the target (a lot)
It was getting very close towards the end, Chris “Friar Tuck” Fry and Pete “Will Scarlet” Milne had edged their way to the front of the pack, “Will Scarlet” then fired off a great final three arrows to seal the win!
After which there was much hilarity trying to burst balloons pinned to the targets before the “Bowmen of Rutland” showed us all how it was really done. With bows that would not look out of place in a futuristic sci-fi cartoon they were hitting targets at real distance.
All too soon our time was up, but we will be back!
The pub of choice was the Horseshoes, we already knew the scores so there was to be no “reveal” as normal, just lots of beer!
After a few hours “taxis” were called to ferry us home with a large group going to The Elms where the ladies had prepared pizzas (from Tesco) and salad and more beer. As ever, a great time was had by all. Thanks to Pete for organising.
Positions for archery as follows:
In the points
1st Pete
2nd Chris
3rd Dave Kentish
Out of the points
4th Dave King (again)
5th Malcolm
6th Paul
(Malcolm and Paul scored the same, but Paul had fewer hits)
7th John
8th Bruce
This years Gentlemen’s challenge is on a knife edge (don’t let it slip into one of your competitors) The final round of the season could give the crown to anyone in the top half of the pack. It’s all to play for. Good luck!