CANORA – The Assiniboine River Archery Club’s 31st annual 3D shoot was held at the Doug and Debbie Lapitsky farm east of Canora on Aug 8 and 9. Seventy archers were registered for the two-day event, which was down from previous years, according to Desiree Owchar, club president.
“We had perfect weather for the shoot,” said Owchar. “Unfortunately there were a number of other events going on at the same time in Canora and surrounding area, so some people were unable to join us.”
The practise area set up on the Lapitsky farm continues to be popular with archers, especially those who haven’t done any shooting for a while. “Some of the archers come here and maybe haven’t picked up a bow since our last 3D shoot,” said Owchar. “It helps them out to be able to re-set and re-sight their bows.”
Once again there were two courses set up for the weekend, both giving archers the opportunity to experience authentic hunting conditions. The ‘A’ course has plenty of bush and trees, providing a considerable amount of shelter. The ‘B’ course has very little bush and is much more wide open.
Owchar said they had to make some changes due to recent flooding of the Whitesand River. “Two or three targets had to be moved closer or to a completely different spot. At some of the wet spots we decided to put down pallets to make it easier for walking.”
Owchar said they had archers make the trip all the way from Birtle, Man. to participate in the 3D shoot. “Of course we had local shooters from Canora, Sturgis and Preeceville, but also from places like Yorkton, Endeavour, Esterhazy, Langenburg, Regina, Kipling, Kennedy and Raymore.”
Among the Raymore participants were Lonny Gray and Andrea Wiens, two well-known competitive archers. Wiens is currently the top-ranked female archer in Canada.
Owchar said they didn’t have any official competition during the weekend, but archers were free to record their scores and post them.
“Some of the high performance archers like to keep track of their scores and see how they compare with other archers doing the same courses.”
Even for non-archers, there is plenty to see and do throughout the weekend. “Some just come for a visit,” said Owchar. “We have the concession, beer garden, bucket draws, 50/50, silent auction, some just like to walk the scenic course and maybe watch their favourite archers in action.”
This was the fourth year that the 3-D shoot was held at the Lapitsky farm, and Owchar said the club is grateful for Doug and Debbie’s support.
“They’re very flexible, as long as we all respect the space. It’s such a beautiful location and close to Canora. With so much bush being pushed down these days, we’re very fortunate that we can have the shoot here.”
Awards presented
Following the weekend, Owchar presented the Assiniboine River Archery Club’s two annual awards; the Travis Sleeva Memorial award and the Colleen Tiechko Memorial award.
These awards are given each year to one male and one female archer in the club that displays a love for archery, dedication, good sportsmanship and are always willing to lend a hand.
“This year’s Travis Sleeva Memorial award goes to 17-year-old Lane Smith. Lane has been a member of our club for three years,” said Owchar. “Lane is a very quiet, respectful individual. He has a great attendance record and is always willing to help out. He is polite and displays a positive attitude. Lane has shown great improvement and dedication to the sport. Congratulations Lane.”
The Colleen Tiechko Memorial award goes to 11-year-old Courtney Pozniak.
“Courtney has been a member of our club for five years, starting archery when she was six years old. Courtney is respectful, attends archery on a regular basis and will always ask if she can lend a hand. She is an expressive young lady and full of life. Whether she has a good or bad night at archery, she displays a positive attitude. Courtney has continuously been improving and growing within the sport. Congratulations Courtney.”
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