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<b>The Definition of the Royal Huntsman of Ansteorra...</b><br>
<br>
It is simply the Royal Archery Champion of Ansteorra. That is it. <br>
<br>
<br>
<b>The Duties and Responsibilities </b><br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
Some Crowns have specifically <u>requested</u> 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 <u>required</u>
battlefield participation.<br>
<b><br>
The Royal Huntsman Tournament</b><br>
<br>
Is a <u>Target Archery Competition</u> and has <u>never</u> been a
combat archery competition.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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 <b>TARGET ARCHERY</b> 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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
Regarding the number of arrows needed... Enough to get it done. <br>
<br>
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). <br>
<br>
Some might be timed rounds and you will need as many arrows as you can
shoot within the allotted time (typically 30 seconds). <br>
<br>
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?<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
HL Eadric Anstapa<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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