WSCA Friendly Shoot
Fun in the SunThe Bowmen of Danesfield received a warm welcome in West Somerset when we joined our friends at the West Somerset Company of Archers for an afternoon of shooting, food and good company.
WSCA visited us in 2019 and planned a return match for the next year. Like many events, it was postponed because of Covid restrictions. Meeting up again made the day even more special, and it was great to renew the friendship between our clubs.
Archers spent the day shooting Windsor rounds at different distances. It was great to see everyone shooting together, from experienced members to those who had just joined. Wayne and Freya, father and daughter who joined only two weeks ago, had a fun family contest, with the loser agreeing to buy the ice cream on the way home. Dad won, but only by a small margin. Katy, taking part in her first archery event, was thrilled to score a gold and even happier when she scored six golds in one end. The mix of experience, enthusiasm and encouragement created a fantastic atmosphere and showed the welcoming spirit of both clubs.
WSCA are a friendly target archery club based in Wootton Courtenay on Exmoor, shooting on the village cricket ground right in the heart of Exmoor National Park. It made a wonderful venue for the afternoon, with views stretching out towards Exmoor and Dunkery Beacon standing proudly in the distance. Reaching the range certainly added to the adventure too, with the approach taking everyone along some of West Somerset’s famously narrow lanes. One of our members, Rob Alexander, relied on his sat nav only for it to miss the entrance on his first pass and send him on an unexpected five-mile scenic tour before guiding him back to the range. It certainly gave everyone a laugh once he arrived.
After each distance there was time to relax, catch up and enjoy what turned out to be the hottest day of the year so far. The sunshine and clear blue skies made a perfect setting and, although the heat had everyone grateful for cold drinks and a little shade, there was still plenty of enthusiasm to head back to the shooting line.
WSCA had organised a trophy for the occasion, decided on overall team average score, with every archer’s result contributing to the final outcome. Archers could choose between shooting a Windsor or a Windsor 30, which meant everyone could take part at a distance that suited them while still contributing to their club’s result — a great fit for the friendly and inclusive spirit of the day.
This year, Danesfield picked up the trophy with medals also awarded for the top scores across the different bow styles, and it was lovely to see Bowmen of Danesfield members Rob Smith, Ewan Cotterell, Barry Iles and Linda Sharp recognised. More than anything, though, the real highlight was simply being able to shoot together again, catch up with friends and share such a fun afternoon.
Our hosts also put on a fantastic barbecue, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated, giving everyone another chance to relax together, chat and make the most of a brilliant afternoon away from the shooting line.
Jon Said. “WSCA were delighted to welcome us and hoped that our two West Somerset clubs could make this an annual event”.
Barry, speaking for the Bowmen of Danesfield, thanked Jon and everyone at WSCA for the warm welcome, a great afternoon and the excellent barbecue. He also agreed it would be wonderful to make this event a regular part of the archery calendar.
We will announce the date of the return match at Danesfield very shortly, so please keep an eye out for updates.
If you are interested in taking part or helping to organise future events, please watch for announcements and share any ideas you have. To get involved or offer suggestions, just speak to any club committee member.
Thank you to everyone at the West Somerset Company of Archers for your hospitality and friendship. We all left, looking forward to the next time our clubs meet on the shooting line. Happy shooting until then!