Archery: Bowmen's 25th birthday celebrations continue

Jun 17 2009 by Jean Pedder, Stirling Observer Wednesday

AS part of their 25th anniversary celebrations, Bannockburn Bowmen held a weekend of archery tournaments at Stirling Rugby Club.

On Saturday, the club held their annual Open FITA and Metrics tournament and their own Bannockburn Bowmen Outdoor Championships, while also playing host to the Scottish Civil Service Archery Association Championships and the Scottish Championships for Archers with Disabilities and Special Needs.

Competition was fierce in the Open FITA, with Josie and David Herd (Balbardie) claiming the Compound Team award by a margin of just 16 points.

In the Open Individuals, Derek McAulay (Glasgow), pipped David Herd to the Gents Compound Gold medal and trophy by just nine points, and Martin Krusche (Shetland) claimed the bronze; while Muriel Kirkwood (Pentland) won the Ladies Compound Gold medal and trophy, beating Fiona Quayle (Clyde) into silver by 25 points.

The Gents Recurve Open Gold and Trophy was won by Tom Whalley (Grange) with a score of 1102; with Bruce Russell (Falkirk) trailing by 68 points for silver, and Tim Giles securing 3rd place. The Long Metric medal was won by James Deverill (Welbeck) with a score of 467, and Ciaran Murphy (Bannockburn) claimed the Short Metric medal with 540.

Caroline Buchanan (Bannockburn) won the Open Ladies Recurve Gold and Trophy on 1029, with Patricia Malone (Bannockburn), who was competing in her first FITA, winning the silver medal with a score of 942.

Brenda Williams (Bannockburn) won the Open Ladies Barebow Gold medal; while Douglas Blyth (Bannockburn) got gold in the JBRU18 category, Gareth Fleming (Lasswade Disabled) won the JBRU16 category, and Eilidh Gregory (Monklands) won both the JGRU16 section and the highest scoring junior prize with a score of 1018.

In the Bannockburn Bowmen Outdoor Championships, Tim Giles claimed the GR Gold Medal and Trophy, followed by Ciaran Murphy in Silver, and John Fell, also competing in his first FITA round, claimed the bronze. The LR Gold medal and Trophy was won by Caroline Buchanan, and Brenda Williams won the Ladies Barebow Trophy and Gold medal. Douglas Blyth won the Junior Trophy and Gold.

Competition was also tough in the Scottish Civil Service Archery Association Championships, with Ciaran Murphy claiming the Gold medal, after beating John Fell into second place by just 27 points.

In the Scottish Championships for Archers with Disabilities or Special Needs, three members of Lasswade Disabled, Basil Ford, Keith Wilson and Gareth Fleming, secured trophies in the three categories being competed for.

On Sunday, June 14, Bannockburn Bowmen hosted their first ever Scottish Record Status Tournament when they held an Open Double Warwick, and an amazing 22 new Scottish Records were claimed.

Ken Myles (Dalmore) claimed the Gold Medal, trophy and two Scottish Records for the New Warwick round for Gents Compound, while Fiona Quayle (Clyde) did the same for the Long Warwick round for Ladies Compound.

In the Recurve category, Bruce Russell (Falkirk) set another two Scottish Records and won the Gold medal and trophy for Gents New Warwick, with Ciaran Murphy (Bannockburn) getting the silver medal, followed by Tim Giles (Bannockburn) with bronze; while Moira Taylor (Falkirk) claimed the Ladies Long Warwick Gold medal and Trophy and Caroline Buchanan (Bannockburn) claimed the silver medal. Adelle Fleming (Lasswade) won the trophy for overall highest score in Warwick round.

Brenda Williams (Bannockburn) set a further two Scottish records shooting as Ladies Barebow for only the third time in competition, and also won the gold medal and trophy.

George Matthews (Bannockburn) secured another two Scottish records for the Warwick round for Gents Longbow and won the gold meda.

In the Juniors, four gold medals were won and another eight Scottish Records were claimed (two each) by Douglas Blyth (Bannockburn) JBRU18 Long Warwick; Gareth Fleming (Lasswade Disabled) JBRU16; Kristina MacEachern (Bannockburn, and shooting in her first Open competition) JGRU16; and Connor Thomson (Bannockburn) JBRU14. Gareth Fleming won the highest overall Junior score prize.

The next tournament in the “25th anniversary series” will be the Open Single Clout on June 26.