OVERTON Black Arrows have just staged their annual field archery tournament at Watership Down.

The event was over 24 targets of various sizes. On the first day the distances are unmarked, so archers have to judge the distance to set their sights. On the second day, the distances are marked, but the archers then have to allow for slopes and wind, on a course which is renowned as probably the most difficult in the country. The World Championships were staged on this course in 1982.

The event had World Archery status as well as British Record status, and was the penultimate selection event for the British team to shoot in the World Championships at the end of August, in Dublin.

Many of the possible Great Britain team members were present at the event.

Jane Langley of South Coast Archers shooting Bare Bow (without sights), who is almost certain to be representing the Republic of Ireland at the World Championships.

She was placed second on the first day, but eventually finished in third place behind Victoria Williams of RSM Archers, South Wales, and Lizzy Rees of Ballands Bowmen, England.

Overton Black Arrows' William Jones shooting in the Gentlemen’s Bare Bow class finished a creditable seventh, following most of the possible British team archers in that class.

During the summer the Black Arrows are holding a number of Have a go sessions, aimed principally at school children.

These are not formal training sessions, and no booking is needed, simply turn up with £2 to register.

l Old Basing Archers’ junior compound archer Jacob Caine scored a gold medal-winning 1,294 (out of a possible max of 1,296) with 143 golds out of 144, in the Bristol Round at the Junior Championships at the Lilleshall.

Caine was also part of the gold medal winning Southern Counties Team and the mixed compound team.