Anger and Frustration as Blacourt Archery Championship Gets Canceled

Par Writing Gournay-Forges
Published on 3 Jul 23 at 9:34 See my news Follow L’Éclaireur – La Dépêche Jacques Richard, president of the Archers of the country of Bray, Jean-Pierre Fouquier, the mayor express their anger ©L’Eclaireur La Dépêche

After the announcement by the Oise prefecture of the constraints impossible to put in place for the organization of the national archery and blowpipe shooting championships on Sunday July 2 in Blacourt, anger replaced sadness among the organizers, the municipality and the participants, even if the prefectural decision was understood. A cancellation that questions the organizers.

The village is nevertheless known for its dynamism, especially during the Foulées de Blacourt.

Blacourt archery championship canceled

An email from the prefecture arrived in Blacourt when everything was in place and participants from central France and the south were arriving.

“Given the national events, it is forbidden to circulate with weapons between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. explained the email.

Bows and blowguns are considered weapons. I became aware of the information on Friday afternoon,” said Jacques Richard, president of the Pays de Bray Archers club, organizer of the event.

The problem was that the participants were going to leave on Sunday evening after the championship with their bows and blowguns. With his team and after consultation with UFOLEP National, the president decided to cancel the competition.

“If I had been warned earlier, I could have organized myself with the club of Pont-Rémy de la Somme to have enough bows and blowpipes for everyone. And we would have had the means to maintain the championship. The participants would have used the equipment on site,” added Jacques Richard.

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Financial and moral consequences

The direct consequences are a total budget of €30,000 lost with nearly €2,000 of food reserved and not distributed and as much for the printing of jerseys and communication.

We were preparing for this event last September. On a daily basis, four people were mobilized 4 hours a week, and 30 volunteers helped with the organization

Organizers

The club and the municipality have also spent a lot of time making the village roads passable for the championship.

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angry reactions

If it was initially the sadness of not being able to organize this championship, a feeling of anger was visible. Yet naturally composed and calm, Jacques Richard expressed his feelings.

“For me, it’s incomprehensible and we talk on television about everything that is going wrong and not about what has been stopped”. It highlights the 200 participants who came to spend a great day walking in the woods.

The mayor, Jean-Pierre Fouquier is also very upset. “I will not sit idly by. It’s not my way. I do everything so that the associations of the village can evolve in the right direction. I had given all the means to make this championship go as well as possible. This cancellation is for him something serious in the functionality of the village.

For Jacques Richard and Jean-Pierre Fouquier: “We want to offer leisure, a certain comfort of well-being, cheerfulness to people. We no longer have the right to do so.”

Competitors from all over France

Jacques Richard was expecting a hundred participants and as many accompanying persons. Having been warned too late some had already arrived in the country of Bray. In the absence of a championship, the Blacourt club invited them to a meal on Sunday noon. which was appreciated.

The Archers of the Pays de Bray are not giving up and are ready to set up a new organization.

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2023-07-03 07:34:49
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