Geraldton bowmen have eyes on target as they represent WA at national titles

Four Geraldaton bowmen will be representing the entire State over the Easter weekend as the Australian Bowhunter Association holds its national titles in New South Wales. Reece Espinos, Dave Hancock and father-son duo Daniel and James Berry will be spending Easter trekking through the hills of Mudgee in hopes of adding national titles to their impressive resumes. The titles consist of two events, the ABA nationals which see competitors shoot at standard flat targets while in the national 3D titles competitors shoot at life-size 3D animal targets. Of the 75 competitors nominated for the titles so far the four competitors from the Greenough Archery Club will be the only WA representatives. “There’s definitely something in the water in Geraldton, archery seems to be in a lot of people’s veins,” Espinos said. “I’d say it’s kind of more like more adventurous golf, like you’re only playing against yourself, you’re only trying to get a better score to better yourself.” While the club is one of the smallest in the state, with members numbering in the 20s, it has often been the benchmark in interclub titles and has high hopes at the national titles. “We normally go to Perth once a month with a team of about seven or eight and generally we all come away with the first, second or third,” Daniel said. “If we manage to shoot how we normally shoot we should all go well.” Espinos believes the Greenough course they regularly practice at may give them an edge at the titles. “We’re hoping we’ll have an advantage because we coming from a club with lots of hills and most of the other clubs we go to don’t have anywhere near as many hills,” he said. “So we’re going to take into account all the elevation changes and whatnot, so that should hopefully give us a little edge. “But think we’re going to be shooting between trees which we don’t have, so it’s a bit of give and take.” While there is a competitive side, the social aspect is what Daniel believes is the most enjoyable part of archery. “There’s a lot of camaraderie even when you can go down to state titles most of us take it as a joke, we walk around, we have a laugh and you get to meet some great people,” he said. Preparation hasn’t been ideal for Daniel, who dropped a trailer on his foot breaking two bones but he’s still looking forward to the trip and shooting with his son. “I’ll be hobbling around but luckily I’ll be off crutches,” he said, “James and I will be shooting together but Dave and Reece will be in different classes. “It’s always good seeing how other clubs are set up, it’s always good to get different points of view and different ideas. “Because we fly to Sydney and then drive three hours inland we also get to drive through the Blue Mountains and do a bit of a sightsee while we’re going through, so should be good.” Daniel said the club was always looking for new members. “We’re a very welcoming club and open to members of all ages and abilities,” he said. “We put you on our practice range with qualified instructors so you learn the correct way of doing it, James is one of only three juniors and we’re always looking for members, it’s a great sport to get into. “We’ve got two courses with over 50 targets plus a practice range, so there’s lots of variation,” Espinos said. “It’s not an over-demanding sport, it’s something you can do at your own pace.” The titles begin on April 7, with 3D titles commencing on April 9. Anyone wanting to join or find out more about the Greenough Archery club should head to their website https://www.greenougharchery.com.au/.