HOLDING ON TO HISTORY

Bow International editor, Nicola Turner, discusses the increasing popularity of field archery in the UK

This year the Olympic and Paralympic Games will bring archery to a worldwide audience from Rio, but target archery’s less visible cousin will be taking place in woods and dales all over the UK.

Field archery is the practice of shooting arrows at targets stationed at various points around a course – similar to golf in some respects, in that each target will be set at a different distance from its predecessor. There is the added challenge of shooting up and down hills, over water and dead ground, and though trees.

Bows have been used for hunting and warfare for millennia, and as modern archery has left behind its military past, it has developed into a competitive sport. Though hunting was once the preserve of landowners and aristocracy in the Middle Ages, field archery’s modern take on it is far more accessible.

Rob Jones coaches field archery with the National Field Archery Society (NFAS), and says it’s very easy to get into: “I started with my wife, having gone on an afternoon field archery experience. Sharon had never shot before and I had shot a little at college, but not touched a bow in years. After an afternoon with simple instruction, we were hooked and found a local club. That was several years ago, and I’m now a coach and we both shoot most weekends.”

Modern field archery rounds vary in length, format and target style. Some involve shooting at printed targets; others recreate the challenges of woodland hunting and use printed animal targets, or even 3D foam replicas, which have ‘kill zones’ worth a certain number of points. Andrew Rees, head of the Archery GB field committee, says, “Field archery is a test of skill and subtlety which, in its variety and complexity, embodies man’s ancient relationship with the bow. The roots of the sport are deep in our hunting past, with many archers shooting traditional longbows that would be recognised by their medieval forefathers. At the same time, design, technology and engineering are embodied in the modern incarnations of the bow.”

I want to try it

Several field archery societies and organisations operate today. Archery GB – the governing body for target archery in Britain – has a field section that organises shoots to World Archery rules. NFAS shoots only unmarked distances, at paper animal prints and 3D targets. Both host regular competitions throughout the year, and the competition level goes all the way from local friendlies to World Championships.

The UK has produced several field archery champions, most recently Duncan Busby, who won the European Field Championships in the men’s compound class in 2015. Duncan said, “After many years competing in target archery as part of Team GB, I took part in my first field archery competition in 2011. As I was looking for a fresh challenge within the sport, it was a great opportunity to broaden my experience.

“Field archery has allowed me to develop new skills which I believe have improved my entire archery game overall, and as the competitions don’t have the same pressures as the target circuit, I’ve re-discovered my love for the sport again. I’d recommend anyone interested in target sports to give field archery a go.” More information at archerygb.org, gnasfield.co.uk or nfas.net.