First Archery Shoots of the Season

(I had written this before, thinking I'd keep it up throughout the season... like that happened).

Archery Journal Spring/Summer 2009

4/4/09 - Our season started with a fun, one-day shoot in Hot Springs County, Arkansas. There were 25 targets. We wore muck boots. Don won his class, Recurve, and the long bow class. I won my class (since I was the only female traditional shooter), but had I been competing with the men, I would have tied for third.

4/19/09 - At our next shoot, Selkirk Bowhunters (Bonners Ferry/Moyie Springs) on April 18-19, Don took second in Men’s Recurve (with a one-day, 40 target score of 299), and I took first in Women’s Recurve (with a one-day 40 target score of 292). We both had about six people in our respective classes. We both did pretty well the first day, too. Don shot a 302 the first day (I think that is his highest points ever on a 40 target course), and I definitely had my best day ever with 288. It was really pretty shocking to me how high my points were. I kept thinking, “Rick Welch wouldn’t have approved of that shot,” or “Rick would have thought that shot was OK.” Don didn’t have any zeros his second day. I had two the second day and one the first day.

On Saturday, Don and I shot with the Neubauers and Larch and Clancy, so it was quite a big group, seven in all. Danielle kept score for us (which was great!). It was a fun time shooting with them. I’m glad that we shot with them, because I don’t think anyone would have believed my score if it had just been Don and I. I am likewise glad that we were flighted on Sunday, and someone else was keeping score. I seriously don’t think anyone would have believed my score was that high otherwise. Personally, I have never seen a woman’s score that high.

I know Vicki Winniger can shoot that well, and higher, but she did not have a good shoot this weekend, or she was only shooting for fun. Also, she has been having issues with her shoulder, she said (to others; she doesn’t speak to me). She has gone through several surgeries in the past few years, so has multiple neck and shoulder issues. It begins to appear as I will never know if I can shoot as well as her, as she refuses to shoot with me, or to take our local shoots seriously (this is the second year in a row she refused to shoot with the flighted women).

Maybe she thinks that she has proved her expertise, so why should she have to “play” with us anymore. Then again, maybe she doesn’t think about the rest of us at all, and just wants to shoot with her husband to have a good time. She has certainly earned the privilege to do whatever she chooses. In actuality, in our local archery shoots, you can do whatever you want anyway. So why has it bothered me so much? I don’t know. I’ve just got to let it go. Ever since I joined the club, I have known that she is the best female. I think my competitive nature just wants to know if I will ever be as good as she is.

But I suppose the time for that is past, so I just have to forget about her, and enjoy archery for myself. If ever we meet, then I will have to be content with her showing me up at that time. She and her husband rode away on their Harleys about a half an hour before the trophies were handed out. Had she shot with the flighted women, I think she would have come in third. I promise not to bring up this ridiculous subject again (and hopefully at our next shoot that we are both at, I can block her from my mind).

About half way through Sunday, I was wishing I was shooting with Don, as he is the most fun to shoot with, but he said he had a very good time shooting with the flighted recurve men. I enjoyed shooting with my women’s group, too, just wish Don would have been there, so I could have been myself with someone. I started talking about the shots, and where the 10-spots were with Laurie, and she did not like that, so after I had done that about 5 targets, I quit talking about it, and didn’t really talk much to anyone for the rest of our course. I guess I like talking about the shots, but Laurie did not, so I did not have as much fun after that. I felt like I had been reprimanded when she said she didn’t want or like to talk about where the 10-spot was, because she didn’t usually think about that…

What else happened this weekend? I looked really fat in the pictures, so that made me depressed on Sunday after the shoot. I had been feeling pretty good, until I looked at the pictures, and then I got bummed out.

Overall, both Don and I had a good weekend. The weather was superb: cool in the mornings, warming up in the afternoons, but not getting too hot. We ate out at Slates Saturday night with Zack, and had chocolate malts from Zips in Bonner's Ferry on our way home Sunday. The trophies are very nice. Mine is carved in the shape of Idaho, and Don’s is carved in the traditional shield, but both with very nice wood with an acrylic covering. Don got one of the Idaho-shaped trophies last year when he won first place in Men’s Longbow. So now we have a matching pair. Archery is fun.