May The Force Be With You

Sunday morning saw a cold start at the Namoi Valley Archers Wandobah Road clubhouse, with things soon heating up out on the range with some scorching shooting in the men’s open division. The club has been in a forced recess of late, with the rain causing a cancellation of the last shoot and their being a three week break in between the 2 latest club events. Last Sunday saw a good turnout for what was an enjoyable novelty shoot using star wars targets, expertly and accurately designed by club members, which saw archers trying to rid the galaxy of such nefarious and villainous characters like, Darth Sidious, Jabba The Hutt, Boba Fett and Darth Vader. While trying to remove rebel alliance scum like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and the like, with ‘the force’ no doubt being the reason some found it hard to score on these targets. John ‘mighty overlord’ Clark, finally broke through for a win, ‘the force is strong with this one’, shooting a perfect round, with Nathan Murrell also sharing the glory on this occasion, with the two of them unable to be separated at the end. The two shooters were going shot for shot, with both competitors trying various Jedi mind tricks to upset the other and remove them from ‘the zone’, in the end it came down to the last arrow from Murrell, who scored a bullseye on a difficult target to draw level with Clark and finish with equal billing. Following closely behind the two leaders was Stu Dolbel in second place and James Bush rounding out the placing. In the compound division Wade Hudson proved too strong once again, finishing well clear of the field with Karen Hudson in second and Ann Stubbs breathing down her neck in third spot. Darrell Hudson continues to dominate in the recurve division, leading the field home in what is getting to be a predictable outcome for the veteran, seeing Hudson shooting left handed or blind folded seems to be the only hope for the rest of the group at this stage, who must, by now, be totally demoralised with the ease at which Hudson continues his strangle hold on the top spot. Phil Greenwood, recent survivor of the fires at Coonabarabran, came in a valiant second placing with Bernie Hayne and Peter Stubbs tying for third spot. Open division: 400 John Clark, Nathan Murrell, 395 Stuart Dolbel, 390 James Bush, 385 Peter Bush, 320 Brett Wheatley, 205 Greg Capper Compound division: 380 Wade Hudson, 355 Karen Hudson, 350 Ann Stubbs, 300 Brian Taylor, 275 Sharon Boyd Re curve division: 330 Darrell Hudson, 300 Phillip Greenwood, 295 Bernie Hayne, Peter Stubbs, 160 Norm Webster Junior boy archer: 310 Jim Pease, 280 Callan Webster, 250 Jacob Newcombe, 240 Connor Wheatley, 230 Harrison Capper, 200 Ethan Newcombe, 190 Corbin Davis, 125 Paul Webster Ungraded: 270 Peter Bishop, 250 Connor Bishop, 175 Vonda Newcombe, 135 Breanna Newcombe