[Ansteorra-archery] Royal Huntsman

Susan McMahill sueorintx at hotmail.com
Wed Nov 18 07:12:26 PST 2009


Gentlemen,

 

Ideally, this would be done as soon as the date and event are announced, but sometimes you-know-what happens. In the 7 years that I have been involved in archery in Ansteorra, I have been to a lot of Royal Huntsman Tourneys, usually as a marshal. We have had to change things fairly quickly because of the cancellation of events and rescheduling at the last minute...Thanks Mother Nature! We have had to hold the tournament at sites you wouldn't imagine doing archery at, normally. We have had it in the freezing cold when the heavy fighters refused to fight in it...Moonshadow was memorable!

 

As anyone who has run events for long knows, the best laid plans can meet with Murphy's law and everything ends up in Heck's Handbasket. 

 

Combat archery has only been a real component for the last 3 years or so. I DO think that the term 'Huntsman' is a misnomer as we have required our champion to become a guard rather than a provider. It is misleading to folks that don't know our traditions. I don't do combat archery. The Huntsman tourney has never actually included true combat archery, only the donning of gear and the shooting of combat equipment at a target. Technically that is still target archery. It makes life tough for some of us who do not do combat archery. I understand the reasoning, but it was extremely disappointing when it started showing up as an unofficial requirement, blasting out a lot of very good archers, who, for health or financial reasons can't do CA.

 

As far as what gear to bring, you can keep costs/issuse lower by combining forces with other folks. I have never seen (though I will admit to having missed several RH's in the past couple of years) more than one archer shooting the CA component at a time. You can arrange for part of your companions to bring a helm, others demi-gauntlets, gloves, etc. A group of you can provide the equipment that will be used by you, and any others. Sometimes, you can borrow equipment. Not ideal, but it happens, though there is s certain amount of risk involved if someone can't go at the last minute. Unless there is actually a rule that says you can't borrow gear, most folks are pretty gracious. Of course, should you win, and the Crown says you need to fight alongside them at Gulf or Pennsic, you are on your own.

 

Please everyone, be mindful of the bow-out and use it if you know you can't do the duties. I have heard people competing talking to their non-competing friends and saying, "I can't do the job, but I'm going to win this thing one anyway. I'm a better archer than this whole lot." This person WAS one of the best and got into the finals. Fortunately, he was beaten. I have seen the fracture of friendships and the frustration and disrespect that occured when one who knew he couldn't go to Gulf War, won and stepped down as Huntsman within a month. It wasn't pretty.

 

Archery seems always to be a bit of a step-child when it comes to how we are viewed by others in the SCA. It is extremely important that we show that we are as 'honorable' as any Knight, Don. Behavior on the range, and especially if you win, must be worthy of withholding the reputation of ALL of us in the archery community. 

 

Respectully,

 

Lyneya de Grey

Central Regional Missile Marshal


Well-behaved women Seldom make history - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich


 
 		 	   		  
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