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Before deciding to hold their own competitions Ponteland Archers hosted competitions for the Durham and Northumberland Archery Association. In 1973 they hosted the Three Cornered Shoot between DNAA, Cumbria and Scotland and again in 1976, 1979 and 1991.
Four County Championships have been held at Ponteland and an open FITA.
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1989 Durham and Northumberland Annual County Championships held at Ponteland |
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January 1990 saw the first Indoor Vegas Competition, an annual event except for 2003 when the competition was cancelled due to the lack of light in the hall at Ponteland Leisure Centre.
The first Open Competition outdoors was held in June 1992.
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The Second Ponteland Open Competition 1993 |
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This was a good competition for one young Ponteland archer, winning the junior title, the best gold and finishing on a 6 gold end. |
The weather on the whole has been reasonable but in 1998 the round was reduced to 3dozen arrows due to heavy rain. That year was also interesting because, as we were setting up, runners started running round the field. It was the last leg of a triathlon, also being held at Ponteland Leisure Centre. After some running round ourselves their route was changed so that they only ran behind the shooting line.
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2001 |
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The long shot |
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The happy trophy and medal winners |
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The Twelfth Open Competition, held on the 8th June 2003, started in warm but damp weather which became successively wetter, warmer, colder and the day ended with thunder and lightning. The intrepid archers voted to continue to shoot to the end of the competition and had nearly finished packing up when the heavens opened and a very soggy group of archers waited for the results by the pool in Ponteland Leisure Centre.
On the 13th June 2004 we held a different competition for the Ponteland Open, a double clout. Sir Humphry Wakefield kindly gave permission for us to hold the competition at Chillingham Castle, Wooler. Again we had a problem with the length of the grass and it was an extremely hot day so after a single clout it was drinks all round and the presentation of awards.
To complete a hat-trick of not-so-good years 2005 was the worst. With heavy rain and arrows disappearing in the long grass the round was reduced to a Warwick. All the archers who continued shooting deserved a medal. We had a rest in 2006 and did not hold an Outdoor Open competition.