20th May 12 
CLUB ORGANISER . . . Ronald Sneddon
On target with centuries-old sport
ARCHERY is steeped in romantic mythology, with stirring tales of rebellion featuring noble heroes in Lincoln Green and a father forced to shoot an apple from his son’s head.
But in the context of the modern-day sport, bowmanship is a serious discipline demanding a sober outlook, patience and countless hours of practice.
Ronald Sneddon, from Kirkpatrick Fleming, took up the sport about ten years ago.
He said: “I used to do clay pigeon shooting, but then all the gun laws came in and it got harder and harder, and I found it just wasn’t worth bothering with.
“It became so restrictive that I just decided to pack it in, and I was just looking for another kind of sport to do, just to get out and about.”
Ronald, 49, who works at Lockerbie sawmill, was introduced to Loreburn Archers, warmly welcomed into a sport he knew very little about.
Now a veteran, serving as coach and equipment officer at Loreburn Archers based at St Joseph’s College, and having set up his own junior club, Kirkpatrick Archers, based in Annan Academy’s games hall, he explains that there are many different styles of archery.
He said: “The Robin Hood style is what we call longbow, which is most traditional — there are quite a few clubs up and down in the area and they’ve got their own society as well.
“Then you’ve got recurve, which is what most people think of.
“Then there’s compound, and there are many variations in between.”
Getting the right bow is crucial for any would-be archer, matching the length of the arm to the poundage placed on the bow, and Ronald advises against rushing into a rash purchase, like his initial recurve bow.
He said: “If you buy completely the wrong thing you could shoot for years and years and never get any better, just because the equipment’s wrong. My bow I’m shooting with in competition now is really no good to anyone else.”
Advances in aluminium and carbon fibre bows have seen performances improve in recent years. Competition targets have shrunk and scores are increasingly tight, with little margin for error.
Ronald estimates that his own range of equipment is worth up to £2000, and notes that top-level competitors require two of every piece in case of breakages. He said: “It can be expensive.”
However, the sport attracts a steady stream of local interest, with about 40 members of Kirkpatrick Archers ranging from eight-year-olds to OAPs, and Ronald maintains that archery remains quite accessible at the club.
Ronald said: “Everything’s there for them. We have a full range of enough equipment to get them started learning.
“We usually do a beginners’ course and everything’s there for them — bows, arrows, whatever’s needed to get them going. And then after six weeks the stuff’s still there for them, but it’s up to them to decide whether to get into it or not.”
Archery features disabled competitors such as Keith Thorn from Annan who shoots from a wheelchair, while there are increasing calls for men and women to compete against each other on an even footing.
Top archers to have emerged from the region include Ronald’s son Mark, formerly under 12 Scottish champion, and daughter Emma, who was the under 12, 14, 16, 18 and 21 Scottish champion and a member of the Scottish squad.
Other notable names include John Murray from Sanquhar, Jim Buchanan from Moffat, Alan McWhinnie from Dumfries, Wilson Ross from Dalbeattie, Gordon Donald from Dunscore, Heather Urquhart from Castle Douglas and relative newcomers Jill Spencer and Lisa Newbold from Hightae.
And with clubs in Gretna, Lochmaben and Castle Douglas, there are plenty of opportunities to take up archery as a hobby.
Pleased to see the sport thriving locally, Ronald said: “It’s quite a healthy interest for a rural region.”
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