Traditional Archery Shoots
If you prefer all things customary, then you will love competing in traditional archery shoots. Unlike the modern sport, this one is all about exact skill.
Many decades ago, archers did not have a lot of high tech equipment to use. Instead, they had their eyes, breath, and bows made from wood. In every manner, these archers had to be at the top of their game, since they could not count on any type of additional help. To shoot a target from a long distance is a tricky thing, which is why only a select few archers take part in traditional archery shoots today.
Some of the top competitions within this category include: Beursault, Popinjay, Roving Marks, and the Wand Shoot. Let’s begin with the Beursault. As you may deduct from the name, this type of shoot originated in France and Belgium. This competition pits two teams of archers against each other for the ultimate shoot out. Archers must be able to demonstrate skill at the 50 meter line, and they must also be able to shoot against the wind. Next, the Popinjay competition comes from a time when archers used to shoot birds that were sitting on windows.
The Popinjay competition usually takes place in Belgium, though it is not well known around the world. Archers must stand at the bottom of a large building, and demonstrate their skill by shooting upwards. The archers must be able to hit the wooden birds that are sitting on the side of the window. Each bird is worth a certain amount of points, which means that the archer with the most birds wins. Next up is the Roving Marks competition. This one is the oldest in the world, since it was actually devised by Henry VIII. Essentially, archers must shoot from mark to mark making all marks in a row. Last on the traditional archery shoots list is the Wand shoot.
Usually, Wand shoots happen only in England, though they are starting to become popular across North America as well. Archers must shoot a vertical piece of wood with the wand. Those that hit the piece of wood get to rack up points. The tricky part is the fact that the wood is usually suspended in the air, which makes it difficult to get a perfect shot.
While there are other types of traditional archery shoots, the ones listed above are the most common. If you fancy yourself a modern day Robin Hood, why not give one of these competitions a shot?