MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY – Archers from the western provinces competed at the ASA’s PSE Classic recently for the third year in a row south of Sundre at the Painted Warriors Ranch, which is also the Elk Ridge Archery Club’s home.
“There were a 115 archers,” said Valery Gaspard, the club’s event and fundraising coordinator, adding this was the largest turnout yet for the event.
The Archery Shooter’s Association event is the fifth and final shoot of a summer series sanctioned by Archery Alberta.
“Every year, this is the finale,” said Gaspard, adding there were archers ranging in age from seven to 75 this time.
While the largest contingent of contenders hailed from around Alberta, some also came from B.C., Saskatchewan, as well as Manitoba, she said.
Although some of the archers began to arrive on Friday, Aug. 9, the shoot itself is a two-day event that ran Aug. 10-11 with an opening ceremony on Saturday morning attended by Sundre mayor Richard Warnock and Doreen Bergum, Elder for the Métis Nation of Alberta Region 3.
The Painted Warriors Ranch boasts three separate courses and organizers could not have hoped for better conditions.
“It was excellent weather,” she said, adding the shoot “went off without any glitches.”
Archers notch their arrows and draw their bows taking aim at a variety of 3D targets resembling animals such as bears and deer, including some dinosaurs for the kids, she said.
On Saturday, there were two rounds of 20 targets followed on Sunday by one round of 20 targets in the morning and later that afternoon what is known as the grand prix shootout in which the top-5 archers in each category compete for bragging rights to win the title of “shooter of the year” and a chance to place on the podium with a medal, she said.
“You can’t have a more beautiful venue,” she said, later adding the location “is right in the middle of the province basically…this is a perfect spot.”
Entertainment on Saturday night featured some karaoke accompanied by dinner.
“Everyone just loves to come to this venue,” she said.
The club is already looking forward to once again hosting the shoot next year for the fourth time, she said, going onto express gratitude to all of the sponsors that supported the event.
