This weekend a competition is taking place in Boé: field archery organized by the Archers of Boé.
And what an event since the last field shooting competition in Agenais dates back 30 years. 38 archers will participate today and 35 on Sunday in this selective competition for the French championships.
In the club parking lot we meet Alain and Serge, archers and club volunteers: they are going to prepare the ground on which the competition will take place. Handshakes and exchange of information on the route markings.
A major competition
“Say that it’s all thanks to Manon,” they conclude.
In the Ribes family, we are archers at Boé and involved in club life. Damn, we can’t lie: a year ago, when the idea of organizing a field shooting competition arose, Manon Ribes, 19, a BTS student in Agen took on the project with enthusiasm and efficiency. She has been practicing archery for 10 years, loves her club and getting involved in this project came naturally.
“I didn’t do everything alone!”, tempers Manon with modesty. “It is a complex organization which requires a lot of work upstream, including administrative and logistical support from the club. You must obtain the necessary authorizations for setting up the course, include the competition on the calendar of the Federation and the League, prepare the equipment to install and mark the route, provide lunchtime catering, find sponsors, etc.”. Well we understand, once again, the Archers of Boé are organizing a major event.
For archers, you sometimes have to go very far to participate in a field shoot. This type of event is rare due, among other things, to organizational constraints. However, this competition format is a gem for participants whatever their level or the type of bow they practice.
Field shooting can take place in all types of terrain, including fields, woods and forests, and takes place on a multi-target course. Archers shoot from a starting marker at targets set up at distances of up to 60 meters, sometimes with differences in altitude and weather constraints (wind, rain).
“Today and tomorrow, the competitors will play 12 targets in the morning and 12 targets in the afternoon. Here in Boé, we offer a complete course, i.e. 24 targets, 12 at known distances and 12 at unknown distances. The use of binoculars are authorized but not that of the rangefinder. Each archer shoots 3 arrows per target within a time limit of 3 minutes per target. This is excellent for learning to evaluate your distances and gaining self-confidence when you are starting out. Finally, 4 referee judges will ensure the smooth running of the competition and the counting of scores.
The Boétien club would like to perpetuate this competition which is aimed at all archers whatever their age or level. And which allows the public to experience live the events of this little-known and little-publicized sport! “We hope to introduce people to our sport and take the opportunity to brush aside certain clichés,” Manon tells us.
Home at the town hall square in Boé village. Trials begin at 10 a.m. Secure observation points for the public are set up along the route. Public, come and discover this exciting sport. Plus, it’s free !
2024-03-16 04:18:00
#Archers #field
