Let The Games Begin! With Okanagan Khanate Mounted Archery

 By Rick McCurrach

Like with any sport or hobby, you have to have fun doing it or else the passion goes away and it just starts to feel like work – archery is no exception. We have a tendency to talk a lot about the dedication, commitment, and tenacity one has to have to succeed in mounted archery, but that almost gives the impression that being part of the sport is like belonging to some sort of rigid paramilitary organization. On the contrary, it’s being spontaneous, light, and creative that brings us joy in this martial pastime and makes overcoming difficulties worthwhile.

We are always coming up with new games and unique challenges to introduce in practices, revelries, and clinics. One of the crowd favourites are the rolling disks. One person stands at a safe distance in front of and to the side of a line of half a dozen or so archers. The thrower rolls circular disks along the ground in front of the archers, who are only permitted to fire in a short space between two large cones. The thrill of tracking a fast-moving target across your field of vision and the anticipation of trying to be the first one to hit the disk really gets people going. Even the most placid of archers come alive during this game and the most affable companions quickly transform into fierce competitors – there’s no son or daughter letting mom or dad take down more disks than them!

Another exciting game involved aerial disks where one thrower tosses up tin metal disks, one at a time, for a line of archers firing fluflu arrows affixed with blunt tips. The irksome sound of a ‘WOOSH’ (indicating a near miss) evokes immediate desire for another round, almost as much as the delightfully jarring ‘PWANG’ of the metal disk when an archer makes the mark. Of course, if people are getting cocky after a hot streak, you can always raise the stakes by mounting up and giving it a go down the track! You can even try glow-in-the-dark targets at night for either of these games and many more by utilizing glow sticks.

When we centre events around different holidays or themes, there are ample opportunities for new layers of imagination. For example, on Halloween we get to test our archery skills by shooting at pumpkins (large and small), both on the ground and in the saddle. One might be inclined to think that hitting a big orange mass would be relatively easy, even at a canter. Nevertheless, you’d be surprised at how proficient those armoured gourds are at deflecting a pointy stick travelling at 250FPS if you don’t hit dead centre. Another Halloween game that kids especially enjoy is shooting at foam targets at varying distances with a multitude of affixed trick-or-treat bags. Most of the time you get candy, other times you get a decoy bag or one with a note inside that has a trick. If you’re dying to know what the tricks are, you’ll just have to come find out for yourself next Halloween shoot!

Christmas 2022 was full of equally unique games. On command we would have about 15 people in a line each fire a single blunt/flu-flu arrow at a piñata (equine-shaped, naturally). If the piñata burst forth candy, the line would rush to snatch up the goodies. The pinnacle, however, was the White Elephant Secret Santa Christmas balloon shoot. All the archers each brought a gift within a pre-determined value limit. One at a time, archers would step up the firing line to take aim on their balloon of choice hanging inside of a Christmas tree. When a balloon was popped the Archer retrieved the numbered note initially housed inside, which corresponded with a gift. The next archer could either shoot a balloon or steal a gift – it was awesome. After it all, we had a massive Christmas family feast inside the shop on the farm and shared our exploits from the day’s festivities. We can’t wait for what this year has in store, especially during the upcoming fall Turkey Shoot competition. Be sure not to miss it!

– The Obstacle Is the Way

Upcoming Events

April 29-20, 2023 Skills Clinic and Grading Competition in Lillooet, BC with Mile 0 Riding Club

July 8-9, 2023 Intro to Mounted Archery Clinic in Kamloops, BC with Pine Tree Riding Club

July 15-16, 2023 Intro to Mounted Archery/Skills Clinic and Grading

Competition in Grand Forks, BC with Boundary Horse Association

August 17-20, 2023 HARCAN Training Camp in Olds, AB

September 30-October 1, 2023 HARCAN Turkey Shoot year-end Grading Competition and fun event