Ballyvally archers in contention for European Championship squad places

Already Ballyvally’s best archers are starting to prepare for the 2013 season which actually starts with the first qualifying shoot for the GB team and it will be organised by Ballyvally archers at Greenmount College in late October.

Ruth Gilmour Ballyvally’s best lady barebow will be especially looking forward to putting in qualifying scores having got her first International cap this year in France and now knows what is required to make the cut at the final 16 archers after two days shooting in the heat and altitude of the Alps near Val D’Isere this August!

SHARON VENNARD AT THE PARALYMPICS - Archery was represented at the Paralympics by Sharon Vennard from City of Belfast Archery Club. Sharon shoots freestyle and qualified in sixth place for the last 16 - and then the last eight archers.

Unfortunately she did not make the cut to the last four archers having been beaten by a Chinese lady archer!

CLANDEBOYE FIELD SHOOT; Sunday September 2. Lough Cuan Bowmen, based in Comber, organised their annual field shoot in the grounds of Clandeboye estate outside Bangor.

Ballyvally archers did well with Frank Mulligan winning the gents compound barebow and Ashley Russell-Cowan coming second in the ladies class.

Marion Patterson won the ladies barebow and Robert Mallon came second in the gents barebow. Mark Nesbitt won the gents freestyle by one point and Alan Convery came second in the gents compound unlimited.

In the junior section Rebecca Lennon, Morgan Russell-Cowan and Shannon Russell-Cowan won gold in their respective sections.

FREE COME AND TRY IT SESSON: This Wednesday or Thursday - Ballyvally Archery club will be moving indoors in to Banbridge Leisure Centre this first week in September and, given the interest in archery during the Olympic Games and the Paralympics, the club would like to invite anyone interested in finding out about this ancient sport to drop in to any of the club’s eight regular sessions on Wednesday 5th and/or Thursday 6th September at any of the following times:

Wednesday 3.30pm, 4.30pm or 6.00pm; Thursday 3.30pm/ 4.30pm/ 5.30pm /7pm or 9pm.

All equipment and coaching will be provided free. The club’s youngest archer is a four year old girl and the oldest member is 88!

Ballyvally is very much a family club with, in some cases, the whole family shooting! For further details phone club chairman Frank Mulligan on 028 406 23748 or email at frank_mulligan@hotmail .com