Rain stopped play again at the weekend, so ten Club members assembled on Tuesday evening to shoot the annual Nev Mason Long Haul Trophy. This is another special club round shot over distances of 60 and 40 yards using Barebows, in memory of the late, great Nev. The call to hold the shoot was made by Rhys Moore who did not show up on Tuesday because, as he texted the Records Officer, “I didn’t think tonight was going ahead when I booked myself [to do something else] last week”. He wasn’t missed.
There was a light rain shower as the archers took to the shooting line, but this was mercifully brief, and the weather was warm and still. With the light fading fast the decision was taken to shoot a single line (everyone at once) without a break at the change of distance. Tom Rogers took the prize for speed shooting, often finishing his six before some archers had nocked their first arrow.
Barbara Harris turned up in the hope that she would be able to replicate the form she had shown in the Roger Brown shoot and so avoid the wooden spoon. She made a reasonable start at the first distance, shooting the opposite hand to normal, but couldn’t adjust to the shorter distance, her arrows winging away over the top of the boss. Barbara finally discovered which blade of grass to aim at in the last dozen, by which time it was too late, and she came dead last. Pete Mumford likewise struggled to adjust to the shorter distance and the comfortable lead he had at the 60 yards dwindled away. A bit of string walking got him back into the groove, but Stan Gorry steam rolled through the second distance to seize the trophy by a clear 34 points. Rich Hainge found the shorter distance much more to his liking and shot up the leaderboard to secure third. Erin Hainge got nowhere near her dad’s score but being the only junior present picked up the Short Haul Trophy for her pains.
Peter Howland was enjoying himself so much at one point that he shot 8 arrows instead of 6 and had to discount two of his scoring arrows. Stan Gorry helpfully shouted “last one” to keep him on track thereafter. Jonathan Gordon shot solidly throughout but had to settle for fourth, while Les Corrin’s blistering assault at 30 yards earned him fifth place. He might had done even better if he known that he was allowed to use a pressure button in his bow, something the other archers failed to mention until after the shoot was over. There is nothing like sportsmanship and that was nothing like it.
With the Windsor Trophy still to shoot, everyone is hoping the weather gods will smile on one of the two Sundays left in the season. Fingers crossed.
Results: Nev Mason Long Haul- 1.S.Gorry 476, 2.P.Mumford 442, 3.R.Hainge 434, 4.J.Gordon 396, 5.L.Corrin 389, 6.T.Rogers 339, 7.P.Howland 282, 8.E.Hainge 157, 9.M.Hainge 149, 10.B.Harris 139.
Isle of Man Archery Club 