South Wansdyke Archery Club has had a busy start to the outdoor season, but first there is a little time to reflect on the results of the Somerset County Winter Postal Leagues which ran from October to March.

Unfortunately, the club did not manage to defend its 2021/22 Senior Portsmouth league title, finishing the season in forth place (248 points) behind Bowmen of Ina (265 points), Bowmen of Danesfield (256 points) and Wellington Bowmen (255 points).

More success came in the Senior Frostbite league where, like last year, South Wansdyke were runner up to Burnham Company of Archer. Burnham have won the trophy for the past seven years.

Spring has seen the completion of the first beginner’s course of the year, a perfect opportunity to learn a new skill and meet up with a group of friendly Archers. Our beginner’s got to test their shooting ability in all weather. They had extreme cold, rain, wind and beautiful sunshine. After the course, the club hosted a welcome event for our new archers to join a regular club session. It was well attended with 24 archers on the shooting line. The club is delighted that 8 of those who attended the course have joined the club and we are enjoying their company and helping them develop their skills further.

Our next beginner’s course will commence on Saturday, 9th September.

Further to the act of shooting, there is the question of maintaining and optimizing your archery equipment. On the 1st April, the club hosted a bow tuning session which was well attended. Under the tutelage of Clive Jarrett, club members had the opportunity to check equipment alignment, perform bare shaft checks and walk back test. This set their bow up ready for the new season.

Outdoor, distance archery competition has also commenced. Clive Jarrett and Clair Crook attended the Bath Archers Albion Shoot on the 9th April. Clair was runner up in the Ladies Compound Bow with a score of 777. Whilst Clive, by his own admittance and high standards, did not have the best of days coming 7th with a score of 729.

South Wansdyke has introduced a new club competition for the summer season, an archery ladder. This is open to all bow types and abilities. The archers position on the ladder was determined by a random draw. Then they can challenge an archer up to three places above them on the ladder. The challenge match is head to head matchplay. This is the same as you would see in the knock-out stages of the Olympic archery tournament but shot at the distance suitable to the weaker archer.

We have seen a great turn out with 40 matches to date. This included two single arrow shoot offs, won by Dean Broadway and Clair Crook. Currently at the top of the ladder is Simon Whittle, but there is a lot of archery before completion of the competition in September.

Simon Whittle