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The first weekend in December and archers arrived for the National Indoor Championships at Hall 2 of the National Agricultural Exhibition Centre at Stoneleigh for the Junior Indoor Championship, Back 2 Back tournament and the Senior Indoor Championship.

I was there as DoS and also had Mike Peirce and Steve Johnson as fellow judges so a good turn out from the ECAA before the archers even arrived!

With 1200 archers attending over the weekend it was a busy time with the Juniors starting on the Saturday with their Indoor Championship. There were lots of people to say hello to and some very good shooting with the following archers winning medals.

Recurve - Junior Gentlemen U16
1          TATE Jonathan                      Clacton A      
3          VOBE Ollie                              Deben AC 

Recurve - Junior Ladies U16
3          BANN Lauren                         Rayleigh Town AC

Recurve - Junior Gentlemen U12
3          BIRDSALL Samuel                 Rayleigh Town AC

Recurve - Junior Ladies U12
1          NEWBY Imogen                     Braintree B
3          STRUGNELL Sydney              Braintree B 

Compound - Junior Ladies U18
3          MALLION Emily                     Mayflower A

Barebow - Junior Gentlemen U16
1          SMITH Ollie                            Deben AC

Barebow - Junior Gentlemen U12
1          BIRDSALL Samuel                 Rayleigh Town AC 

The seniors were also shooting in the Back to Back competition at the same time – which made for a few false starts as the buzzers went off and in this Daisy Clark made it through to the Ladies Compound Finals where she lost to Sarah Prieels.

We were all back again bright and early on Sunday for the Senior Indoor Championship which took up all 64 bosses in the hall. It was great to see so many of our archers there and if I didn’t manage to say hello to you it was because I was a bit stuck on the top of the DoS stand – I’m sure you heard me and were fed up of my voice by the end of it.

Again lots of good shooting Michael Judd, Alex Body, Jonathan Tate, Nicky Hunt, Phil Glover, Daisy Clark, Sophie Brown and Helen Harris all made it through to the finals.

It was a long weekend but good fun and I hope to see you all there again next year – as I’m on the timers as DoS again!

Photo © Chris Evans

Richard

Many of you will know Tommy Hodder, not just for his excellent string making, but also for the fact that he has always been a good shot and represented GB some years ago.

In more recent years he has suffered problems with his feet, and his left foot in particular, due to diabetes, which has made life difficult for shooting and judging.

On Wednesday, 25^th November, he underwent an operation at Basildon Hospital to have his left leg amputated below the knee and will remain in hospital for some weeks.  I am sure we all wish Tommy a speedy recovery and a happy return to archery when the time is right for him.  His determination to shoot again will see him through this very difficult time.

The photograph shows Tommy shooting from a stool at Pilgrim Archers Whit Shoot in 2015

I'm happy to say that RIchard Pilkington (that's me!) has recently passed his National Level Judge examinations and joins Mick and Tony at the highest level of Judging in AGB.

Judging is great fun as you get to meet all the archers without the actual need to shoot arrows and worry about your score. If you think you can eat cake, drink tea and want to help the sport then have a chat to a judge at a shoot, visit the Judges page or drop us a line at judges@ecaa.org.uk.

GRAHAM SIBLEY

27.03.1933 – 05.10.2015

There can be few people in any sport more dedicated and given more of themselves than Graham. Most notably Secretary to Essex County Archery Association for over 60-years, taking on the Post in 1952 to help out ‘temporarily’ until a permanent Secretary could be found. During these 60-odd years he has undertaken everything and anything that involved County work and never claimed to be too busy to help in any way he could.

In addition to the years spent as Secretary, the length of which is unheard of in the annals of the Society, Graham also spent 10-years as Chairman of GNAS Target Committee during which time he was involved in the selection of teams for both World Championships and Olympic Games.

He was one of the first archers in the County to become a Judge having been active as a Field Captain before the existence of Judges and he remained active as a Regional Judge, always preferring to remain close to the grassroots of the sport he so loved and was instrumental in introducing and supporting many archers in their efforts to progress in judging.

He was President of SCAS from 2010 to 2013, awarded every accolade that County and Region could bestow upon him. Was an AGB and SCAS Judge Emeritus, held the Hartwell Trophy, was a Life Member of Essex and SCAS. At the last ECAA AGM he was elected President of the County.

Our thoughts are with Betty, his wife of 50-years who has lost not only a devoted husband but one of the best-loved characters in archery.

Graham Sibley will be sorely missed.

Essex and the archery world will be a poorer place without him.

Thanks from Betty Sibley

BETTY SIBLEY would like to express her deep gratitude for the many kind letters and cards she received following the passing of Graham. She also gives thanks to the huge number of people who supported her by attending the funeral at the Church and Crematorium. The size of the congregation showed just how much Graham was respected and he will be sadly missed by all.The collection at the Church after Graham's funeral raised £1,036 for McMillan Cancer Support.  Betty is very appreciative of all who donated..

The First weekend in July saw Deben AC Juniors return for their second time to the Junior Nationals Outdoor Championships. Our team of Ollie Vobe, Ollie Smith, Jason Cooper and Roman Quinton travelled to the competition held at Lilleshall in Shropshire. The weather was good despite a couple of heavy showers on Sunday and wearing our new Squad shirts we managed to be successful. 

Roman Quinton won the Metric 4 and Bristol 4 Recurve section and so Under 12 Champion. His scores on Sunday along with Imogen Newby, Lauren Bann, Rhiannon Easton means they won the National County team trophy for Essex and Suffolk. Also Roman and Imogen secured a win for the Southern Counties Regional team.

Jason Cooper was up against some tough competition in the Metric 3 and Bristol 3 but still managed 8th place and 11th on the Sunday. However he did achieve PB's on both days.

Ollie Smith Won both the Gents World Archery 1440 round and the York round on Sunday. Winning the York round which is a senior round means he gets the title of Archery GB National Champion in Gents Barebow. 

Ollie Vobe came 2nd on the Gents World Archery 1440 round to a much older (who was celebrating an 18th birthday the next day) very experience International Recurve Archer but still put in a really good score. On Sunday for the York Round he won and claimed the title of Archery GB National Champion in Gents Recurve. 

If only we knew!!

Some 10 years ago this picture was taken on a day out to Bodium castle! Have a go, said this gentleman! Its only £2!!

Archery….. After £10 I was hooked, but I was just 6 years old! But I want to do archery, not football!

I was too young to be accepted by a club, although my name was down on lists! And gradually over the next 3 years I went to every fete stall and “had a go!” and Deno days during school holidays run by RTCA.

Finally at the age of 9 I was in a club!

This was the start of my archery……….

Going from local competitions, to a little further out! I started winning competitions, collecting county records, even the only junior in Essex to have a 6 gold end in Clout! I was called for County!  Then in 2011 I won the Indoor under 14 Nationals!

Someone made a comment, after this event!  Where did he come from!

I started coaching with Mike Peart, and it was Mike who suggested I applied for the “new” academies which archery GB were starting….. 18 months of hard training, weekly logs and lots of arrow repairs I was offered a place on the Southern academy, once a month I travel to Gloucester for a weekend of training, coaching and shooting.

My Coach became Tony Ferguson.  During the outdoor season last year I carried on shooting in competitions and realised almost at the end I had qualification scores!!! But I was 1 short to be able to submit them!

Team “me” came to the rescue and at 4am one morning we were on our way to the “last chance competition”! In Leicester…  I did it…. I had my last qualification score needed!

Winter season I hardly entered competitions, Academy was still every month, this was the time when I was “worked on!” changing technics, trying new things and lots of frustration!

 Fast forward………………………………

April this year was one very busy April, managing to get away on holiday to New York for the only 5 days we all had together! The hotel had a gym….training never stops

 Followed by a weekend to Kirby Muxloe, then to Gloucester academy, and then the GB selection shoot. (Dad tells me some 1600 miles travelled by car!)  I slept for most of those!!

If I’m honest top 10 was my goal, this was some BIG competition almost like the nationals…but everyone wanting the all important place…and the GB shirt! The atmosphere was so different to any competition I had shot in before. 

I qualified 5^th for GB and although just outside the all-important top 3 and reserve, I was please.

Then on the Monday we received and email!

Congratulations on qualifying for the second part of the English Archery Federation selection process for the Junior Commonwealth Games, Samoa 2015.

Back to Lilleshall the following Monday!  I was lying in 2^nd place.  A full day of head to heads, between the top 4.

After the day had finished and all the head to heads were done, I held onto my second place, I had made it I was reserve for Samoa! (Yep I googled it to see where it was too!)

As it stands at present I’m classed as Non travelling (due to funding!) but I can be called upon up to 24 hours before. It’s so frustrating knowing all the flight numbers and the itinery, taking part in webinars and even submitting the size for my England kit!! Knowing I probably won’t be going, but I am proud I achieved it!

Qualifying for this gave me automatic selection for the Home nations at the junior outdoor nationals on the 4^th July at Lillieshall, I would be representing England!!

Again having just moved into the under 18s section (by 2 weeks – blame my parents!) I could only do my best!  Not only was I shooting for myself I had the shirt! I was shooting for the England team! No pressure!

Again top 10 personally was my goal, I had tough competition from top junior archers who were just about to become seniors and very experienced!

I am pleased, very pleased England won!   And I finished 5^th on the Saturday, Sunday I finished 3^rd and came home with a bronze medal and a new personal Best by over 20 points! 

Already this season I have 13 JMB’s! And new county records, new PB’s and a “spare bow”! This is serious now!! 

If only this man knew some 10 years ago that it hasn’t turned out to be “just £2 to have a go”! But what a journey I have has so far…….and it’s just beginning……………………

Alex Body