First-year Anna Harrington and former Lion Stephanie Miller ‘07CC made the 2009 U.S. World Indoor Team after finishing in the top three at the team trials. The event, hosted by the Dubuque Regional Sports Commission, was held January 2-4 at the University of Dubuque Wellness Center in Dubuque, Iowa.

Both Harrington and Miller will compete for the United States at the 10th FITA World Indoor Championships which will be held in Rzeszow, Poland from March 4-8. In order to be selected, the two Lions finished in the top three in the women’s senior recurve division.

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Two Lion Archers To Compete at World Indoor Championships

I’m becoming a big fan of Vanessa Lee. She’s from our friends up north, Canada but she’s practicing with the Koreans and shooting lots of arrows. She’s been publishing a couple of videos … with her own style and jua-de-vive. She even lets us in on the secret on why the Korean archers are sooo good. Check out her posting.

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It’s been… ONE WEEK!

Redding Straight Arrow Bowhunters Club is hosting its 2008/2009 Winter League - an indoor archery league - Tuesdays at the Shasta District Fair grounds in Anderson. The next shoot meets Tuesday.

“We have shot at Anderson fair grounds for years,” said Terry Mikesell, treasurer and 20-year member of the club. “This year we are shooting seven nights, and the eighth night is fun night.”

Spectators are welcome at no cost.

There are seven age classes that begin at 7 and younger and go up to 65 and older. There are also classes for all skill levels.

“The styles are based (on) the equipment the person chooses to shoot, Mikesell said. “These bows range from a simple long bow or recurve to a compound hunting bow or target bow with a scope.”

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Bow club offers events for all ages

It is about as far from the Olympic sport of archery as it can get. The bow is taller than the person shooting it, and, to the uninitiated, it appears lopsided and unbalanced. There are no sights, no high-tech stabilizers.

And, of course, it is done on horseback, at upward of 40 mph.

It’s called yabusame, and it is the sport of the samurai.

Each year, archers in feudal shooting gear climb atop their decorated mounts for a lively competition on the beach of Zushi, a town just south of Tokyo, galloping in the sand as thousands of onlookers cheer and shout. The first competition was held here in 1199.

The scene is like something out of a movie by the great Akira Kurosawa. Banners flap in the ocean wind marking the beginning and end of the shooting runway. Little boys in bright robes and black hats scamper about collecting the arrows and the debris from the wooden or clay targets destroyed by each hit.

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Samurai archery, an ancient sport, still thrives

Tomorrow, January 3rd 2009, we resume our archery practice, if the weather cooperates. It appears as if the temperature will be 57F, with a 30% chance of rain. As you know, our policy with weather is that “Well practice in the cold, and we’ll practice in the rain, however we won’t practice in the cold and rain.” Tomorrow has the potential of being cold and rainy. Please check our web site (http://forsytharchery.com/club) for any cancellation announcement.

Setup begins at 2:30pm, practice begins at 3:00pm and goes until 4:30pm. We hope to see you there … if the rain holds off.

-Coach Kevin
Forsyth County Archery Club

The USA Archery World Team Indoor Trials will be held this weekend at the new Chlapaty Recreation and Wellness Center on the University of Dubuque campus, one of four major events to land in the Dubuque area in 2009.

More than 90 archers from across the country are scheduled to compete, and qualifiers will advance to the World Indoor Championship March 4-8 in Rezeszow, Poland.

I wish I could be there to see the competition. I’m a big fan of Vic and Brady’s.

“A lot of the archers are bringing their families with them,” Rahe said.

Victor Wunderle and Brady Ellison, both members of the U.S. team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, are in the field.

Wunderle advanced to the men’s individual quarterfinal, while Ellison made it to the round of 32 before bowing out.

“To see Olympic-class athletes compete in Dubuque is a real thrill for us,” Rahe said. “We are very excited about this.”

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Archers, Dubuque shoot for success

Did you know that Ogden Utah will host the 2009 Youth World Archery Championships? Make you reservations now. Utah is beautiful and I’d love to go back.

More information here:
http://www.ogdenwc.com/