Climbing the Ladder
Hopefully, most of you at GA are aware we have a ladder competition running right now. The rules are pretty simple even if John has done his best to make it hard. Shoot a ranking round, highest score is top of the table, lowest score is bottom, rest in order of score inbetween. Fight your way to the top of the ladder by challenging those above you (1 or 2 slots above only). Win and you take their place. There can be only one-ish! (we have a ladder for each commonly shot distance).
Sunday 30th July saw one such match. Due to prior challenges, taster sessions and injury (our vice chair is old and infirm) … this challenge has been sitting on the shelf waiting to explode into action and today, explode it did. Rules agreed were 3 arrow match play – just like in the Olympics. Two points for an end win. One point for a tie. Zero for a loss. First to 6 wins
Right from the off our higher ranked archer took it to the challenger going first 2-0 up and then 4-0. Just one more end like this and it was over. The predicted “three ends and we’re done before the rain comes” was coming to haunt the challenger who had jokingly make the prediction. However, a bizarrely curving arrow (damn those Norwood wind patterns) left our defending archer with just a single point for that arrow. The more consistent challenger pulled it back to 4-2. True grit could be shown here to win but it was our lower ranked archer who fought back with a 10-10-10 end grabbing the points and tying the match at 4-4. Winner of the next end takes the match … unless of course its a tie which means single arrow, sudden death shoot off.
Both archers shot quickly and confidently. Neither was sure of their scores but on approaching the bosses .. Defending Archer 8-7-6 = 21 ……. Challenging Archer 10*-7-5 = 22. But the 10 had a star against it – it had to be adjudicated. Mibi’s get the higher score, mibi’s no. It was too close for the archers to call. An independent adjudicator was brought in to make the call and after several minutes measuring and remeasuring …. a nine was called. 21-21 … we were going to a shoot off! (always the best ending to a head to head!)
23mm from the line.
Challenger’s – just 3mm from the line.
The field was cleared. Other archers became spectators (and hecklers) with all eyes on the shoot off. Both archers got their arrows away cleanly within 10 seconds of each other. The whistle was blown and half the club marched down to take a look. Our challenger’s arrow had almost passed through the boss (due to lubricating rain) and for a moment there was confusion as to where it was. However, it was momentary and once spotted, the location was obvious. Both arrows were on a good central line but a little low perhaps affected by the same gusting headwind. While close, adjudication wasn’t needed. Our challenger took the win with a “nearer the centre” 8. Remember, this was shot at 70m, in the rain. Yet after each shooting 16 arrows … the difference between them was just 20mm (4/5th of an inch). Damn close match we’d say!
So congrats to both archers who made it a good contest and were pretty respectful to each other … well, mostly! We are a bantering club after all. :o)
