[Ansteorra-archery] Definition of Royal Huntsman

Eadric Anstapa eadric at scabrewer.com
Wed Nov 18 20:17:28 PST 2009


*The Definition of the Royal Huntsman of Ansteorra...*

It is simply the Royal Archery Champion of Ansteorra.  That is it. 


*The Duties and Responsibilities *

Are defined by each crown and by tradition but are similar to that of 
any other of the royal martial champions including Queens Champion and 
Kings Champion.

You are generally expected to attend TRMs as much as your possibly can.  
While with them at events to all that they need and ask you to do.  You 
typically work closely with their head of entourage to find out where 
the help is needed.  You typically do not have to follow them around all 
day and they are typically very happy with you being at the archery 
range and helping out there serving the archery community that way.

It is generally always expected that the Royal Huntsman go to Gulf War  
and help there.  Help will all the archery activities, help to win the 
target archery war point, help encourage all the archers to get down to 
the range and shoot the war points, encourage combat archers to be on 
the field and help to win combat war points. 

Also there is the Grand Archery Exhibition Tournament at Gulf War.  The 
Royal Huntsman as the Crowns Archery Champion is by default qualified 
for that tournament.  Meaning that by default that person is Ansteorra's 
representative in that tournament.  Other Ansteorran archers may qualify 
if they shoot high enough scores but our Royal Huntsman is our default 
representative there and is always qualified.

Some Crowns have specifically _requested_ that the Royal Huntsman attend 
them on the field of battle at Gulf War (and other wars) and there is 
even a War Tabard for the Royal Huntsman to wear when he is on the 
battlefield.  I am not aware of any crown that has _required_ 
battlefield participation.
*
The Royal Huntsman Tournament*

Is a _Target Archery Competition_ and has _never_ been a combat archery 
competition.

The Kingdom Missile Marshal works with the heirs to schedule their 
tournament and make sure that appropriate marshals, facilities, and 
equipment are available.  After the KMM has it scheduled, announced, 
and  assured the event is on the calendar the outgoing Royal Huntsman 
typically helps out running the tournament.

The Royal Huntsman Tournament has always been a Target Archery 
tournament and you should bring a full set of gear and be ready to 
compete in whatever style of Target Archery you are presented with. 

Consider if you wanted to compete in the Queens Champion Tournament.  
You will certainly need a rapier  but is is entirely appropriate to 
expect that you might need a case of rapiers, a dagger, a buckler, and a 
cloak.  You should be prepared for whatever standard forms and weapons 
combinations are called for.  The same is true of the Royal Huntsman 
Competition, come prepared.

The precise numbers and types of rounds in the Royal Huntsman tournament 
will depend on what the hosting archery range will accommodate, the 
number of competitors, the schedule for the day, and what the Crown 
wants to see.  Some Crowns are VERY involved in their Royal Huntsman 
tournaments going as far as shooting all of the byes themselves, 
choosing the format of each round themselves or choosing the pairings 
themselves.  Other crowns have hardly been involved at all.

You should expect that the gambit if SCA Target Archery styles will be 
used to the test the folks competing the be the Royal Huntsman.  It 
should be expected that the champion be a competent and very versatile 
archer.    This means you should very certainly expect that there will 
be both timed and untimed shoots at a broad range of targets likes FITA 
targets, Period Style Rondel Targets, Wreaths, Wands,  3D Animal 
Targets, Clouts, and  IKCAC style shooting.  You might see moving 
targets, or they may all be static.

Reminder that this is a Target Archery competition.  You do not have to 
be authorized in Combat Archery to participate.  There has never been a 
Royal Huntsman Tournament where you had to be authorized for combat.  
However, there is a style of target archery that  has been practiced 
across the Known World of the SCA for several decades that is the 
IKCAC.  As often as not the Royal Huntsman Tournament has included IKCAC 
style target archery.  IKCAC is a form of *TARGET ARCHERY* shot with 
combat legal  bows and ammo with the added requirement of combat legal 
hand and head protection.  The combat legal kit (bow, ammo, head, hands) 
can be either a armored combat legal kit, or a rapier combat legal kit.

Usually the competition is a head-to-head double elimination style of 
tournament.  There have been exceptions but in most cases it is an 
elimination tournament.

Regarding the number of arrows needed...  Enough to get it done.   

Some rounds may be a sudden death round and if you are good enough (or 
lucky enough) to defeat your opponent with a single shot or if your 
opponent is good enough to defeat you with a single shot then you may 
only need a single arrow/bolt that round (I tend not to like those 
rounds because I believe that people came to shoot). 

Some might be timed rounds and you will need as many arrows as you can 
shoot within the allotted time (typically 30 seconds).

Other rounds will be static rounds, usually of six arrows.  But what 
happens if you only bring six arrows to the tournament and break one or 
lose one in an early round?  How will you compete in the next static 
round requiring 6 arrows?

For an IKCAC style round you might need as many arrows as it takes to 
defeat your opponent.  Or that might be an IKCAC Underhand Round and you 
will need 12 arrows.  Or it may be an IKCAC Underhand Speed Round where 
you need as many arrows as you can get off in 60 seconds.  Or it might 
be an IKCAC Archers Choice round where you will need 12 arrows.  Or it 
may be an IKCAC Archers Choice Speed Round  where you need as many 
arrows as you can get off in 60 seconds.  Or an IKCAC Pavise Round or 
Pavise Speed Round.

All of the above are well understood and broadly practiced forms of 
target archery within the SCA that you can experience in all of the 
kingdoms of the known world and at most of the InterKingdom wars.  You 
should all be practicing them and it should not be a surprise to any of 
you to see them in any Royal Huntsman Tournament.

We do not have loaner equipment available at the Royal Huntsman 
Tournament.  Persons wishing to be the Royal Huntsman should come 
equipped and prepared.  If you have come with borrowed equipment then so 
be it, as long as they pass inspection you are equipped prepared.  As a 
matter of fact, this past Royal Huntsman the herniated disks in my neck 
where killing me and I could not shoot my longbow without my right arm 
tingling and hurting terribly and my crossbows where disassembled and in 
pieces on my shop workbench as I made new roller nuts for them and 
traded out prods.  I wanted to participate in the tournament so when my 
Arcarius, Padriag, could not attend the event I asked him if I could 
borrow his crossbow so that I could compete.  I came prepared and I won.

I hope to see you all at the Royal Huntsman Tournament.  I will be 
making the long trip from the Coastal Region bringing an assortment of 
targets included printed faces, wreaths, wands, 3D targets, and IKCAC 
style targets.  Come prepared.

Regards,

HL Eadric Anstapa







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