100 Mile’s Bighorn Archery Club’s annual Indoor 3D Archery Shoot saw over 100 participants this past weekend.
Getting ready for the summer, archers from all around the province – from novice to expert, spent their Saturday and Sunday shooting at life-size animal targets.
The competition featured a mix of traditional and compound shooters. Inside, the arena was designed into a forest-like area with trees, logs and foam animals which made it fun for all shooters. The targets ranged from up close to far back, making it easy for some and more challenging for others.
“We had medals awarded to the different categories of bows and age groups,” said club president Allen Pickering. “It’s a sport that you can grow at your own pace and be your own competitor.”
Pickering said one man, visiting friends from Germany, participated in the competition.
“He had never been to an indoor archery shoot before,” said Pickering. “He is very involved with archery in Europe – he bought a bow and arrows to experience an indoor shoot for the first time. I spent quite a bit of time with him and he seemed to really enjoy himself.”
This year, the club broke over one hundred registered shooters. This competition was the first they’ve seen so many people come out and participate.
First place winners for the traditional category include – Gary Forsyth, Michael Koehmstedt, Marcel Baur, Fred Streleoff, denise swift, Jessie Mobbs, Lydia Larson, Trudy Foster, Taylor Skovill, Lexus Amut, Dallas Duits, Case Duits, Lilly Graham, Connor Duits and Lincoln Graham.
First place winners for the compound category include – Scottie Dodds, Tim Stephenson, Hubert Wursthorn, Stuart Murray, Lora-Lee Murray, Arlene Dalpre, Gradie Fry, Simone Blacker, Kyler Schiltz, Kayla Erickson and Avery Jonasson.
“The best part about this weekend was seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces and knowing they enjoyed the setup,” said Pickering. “Putting it all together, took a lot of work.”
“Also during the awards, seeing the little kids get so excited, was pretty gratifying,” he added.
The club is working on organizing its next public shoot for the month of June. The location will be at the 99 Mile Recreation Trails. The date has yet to be determined.
