I didn't end up practicing during the week leading into Donald, I rested the elbow instead. Indoors was on a break due to school holidays, crappy weather and motivation was low.
07/ 07 - By Friday I was keen to get going. I had packed the car, gathered all my supplies on Thursday afternoon and packed the car with all but the last few daily items. I punched the destination into the phone, whacked on the audio book and I was off for the three plus a bit hrs.
I spend a little bit of time in the car with work and I use that time to listen to stuff, I try to educate myself or at least look at how I can improve my life, the lives of those around me, my health and other things that are a conversation for another time. I also, like most people, have a playlist of songs from events and times in my life that evoke nostalgia, which isn't what it used to be btw, and some awesome tunes to pump me up, level me out, turn me around and put my left foot in. I save that list for these kinds of trips too.
Friday night was fun, after setting up camp in strong winds and threatening rain and the usual social stuff as people arrive and check in. Dinner done and dusted in the digs a group of people gathered in the club rooms for some card games, banter and enjoying the fire, really nice evening.
Donald Invitational - 08/09 July 2023
I roll in to register and I am accused of some shenanigans I had nothing to do with so that set the mood straight up. Myself and a few guys threw a few practice shots down to warm everything up and generally mill around until we get underway. Welcome speech included a personal message from the lady that delivered it, it was about community, the archery community, the camaraderie and it was well said in my opinion.
I know the speaker, MS, reasonably well having
shot with her a few times including her first time in a competition, which she
mentioned in this speech, I shot with her in Bendigo recently and last year at
this very event. It's been fantastic watching her confidence and shooting go
ahead in leaps and bounds.
A slightly different scoring to usual, two arrows shot at each target, both scoring. My maths brain needed a bump up but we got there in the end. The shoot group was a great bunch of people, one I knew but have not shoot with before, the other was new to me and a great bloke to boot. How did I shoot? I was happy, this event being an invitational didn't have the 'official' pressure for those inclined that way but there was and always will be the banter and pride against those shooters you normally compete against which is what I enjoy about coming here.
I was against a bloke I have been shooting against for
years, he had me covered by the end of day one and went on to win the division.
We are in different divisions now as I was elevated after a few results, but he
well deserves to shoot in A grade as well and I hope he does one day soon.
On the Sunday, I also got to shoot with someone
I have not had the pleasure of shooting with as yet. Longbow royalty and a
Donald Stalwart. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and the way he picked away with his questions and comments during the day to suss me
out. Thanks Blakey, I always look forward to shooting against you, shooting
with you was awesome. Respect.
It was a 160 arrow weekend, throw in some practice as well.
Funny thing was one of the arrows I lost at Bendigo was handed back to me,
Thanks to those guys that found and returned it. I had a wind issue on one of
the targets along the entry road that was dubbed ‘windy alley’, it kept falling
off the shelf due to the cross wind and the shot was nothing short of horrible
anyway, on a group one target that was stretched out a metre or so, we all saw
it go low right. We all looked for it, we went back and looked for it, we
looked for it the next day and apparently it was thirty metres past the butt. Same arrow was handed back to me at Dunolly a couple of weeks later.
13/07 Indoors - 28 arrows
20/07 Indoors - 28 arrows
23/07 Outdoors - approx 50 - note to self to not leave it 6 weeks to update. I did shoot really well in the 3 arrow, just under 300, but tanked it pathetically in the one arrow for a 120ish, just disgusting.
27 /07 - Indoors - 30 arrows ABA round and I bloody robin hooded at around 30m?!
It's fun the first time, but just expensive and annoying beyond that.
With Dunolly the next weekend and knowing they have a long distance clout shoot I thought I'd see what sort of distance I could get and having a couple of acres, I thought it would be fine and now way I'd get to the back fence......Got as close to 45 degrees as I could guess for max trajectory and loose. About 15 metres from the back fence was the result.
Courtesy of google earth.
Yellow = arrow path, the rest is self explanatory.
View back to house from arrow landing.
Yep. I was surprised too. So at the Clout shoot I heard it was 100 yards (91.44m, again thanks google) So I opted for aiming higher up the first round and lobbing them in, then I just tried aiming at the clout in the second round but allowing, read guessing, how far over to allow for. Got nothing first time, all well past the clout, second time I got two scoring arrows. So much fun though.
Dunolly Trad shoot - Carl and I car pooled up and with Cooper coming along with Kevin, we were the only Colac members there.
It was a first time for all of us at a trad shoot and it was so much fun. Relaxed, welcoming, friendly.
The rain threatened but had done it's thing by the time we got there on Friday and the rest of the weekend weather was very pleasant.
Saturday morning round was 24 mixed targets, two shots each. I bought out what was left of the FL14 arrows and proceeded to break two of them.
These included a flying pig, a viking ship out at about 60 metres, shooting from sitting on a drum with a saddle on it to apples off of doll's heads, flying disks and a downhill shot so steep and close that it didn't matter how you held the bow or stood, it felt wrong.
Thoroughly enjoyed this round. The arvo was the clout shoot I mentioned before and the Kings Round.
The Kings Round was a line of five targets at 50 metres with Olympic style target faces, these targets were 'invaders' and we were protecting the Castle, we shot six arrows at these targets all together in a volley.
We did this at 50, 40, 30 metres and at 20 metres it was a speed round, six shots in 60 seconds.
In reality this is plenty of time but when everyone is yelling and panicking....again, so much fun.
Sunday was another round of the main course that had been slightly re-jigged. A highlight was some medieval knights putting on a fighting display, again, awesome.
There was some encouragement to dress up and some took it it quite seriously. I was impressed with these three fellows that were happy to pose for this pic, I opted for a forest dweller look, for the record, the robin hood hat did not improve my shooting.
Credit to the Golden Triangle Archers for hosting such an awesome weekend. - 138 arrows with a few practice shots.
17/08 - Indoors - 35 arrows
Stawell Fun Shoot - 70 arrows.
A club that has been around a while have been given the use of an old golf club and wanted to take the opportunity to host a fun shoot in preparation for hosting their first two day shoot next year. Colac had a good representation as we wanted to support the club and also take a look at the new courses, we weren't disappointed. Saturday arvo was some fun novelties, a couple of long shots and a steel fox shot that proved to be a destroyer of arrows, totally voluntary and there is nothing like the sound of a field tip striking 10mm plate steel. Very satisfying when it isn't your arrow.
Sunday was a traditional 3 and 1 arrow round in absolute perfect weather, especially for August. The course was well set out, challenging and picturesque with some of the most vibrant wattle and proud old gum trees I reckon I've ever seen. I can't wait to get back there next year for a two comp proper.
How did I shoot. Average but it didn't matter, I had a great bunch of guys in my shoot group and we had a great day out. I used the FL14 arrows, only 5 left these days, Happy with the 3 arrow but could have hit a few more in the one arrow.
What now? Back into it I guess.
I haven't done any practice in the last month and a half, mainly due to the miserable cold Otway winter.
Heading into the business end of the year with Lilydale, the ABA state titles at Bacchus Marsh and Geelong. All challenging courses to be sure and I hope to push myself just enough to do ok and to enjoy the competition
FL14 Tally:
This period - 0 arrows @ home
- 121 arrows @ indoor range
- 50 arrows @ outdoor shoot
- 368 arrows @ competition
2023 Total Arrows - 3890
Casualties - 9 - (6 broken, 3 lost)
Carbon Casualties - 4 - (2 Broken, 2 Lost)
Comments
Post a Comment