Fourth International Horseback Archery Competition: 2008
The Fourth International Horseback Archery Competition took place in Sokcho, Korea in August 2008. The BHAA was represented by Neil Payne and Mike Ashington, although a third Brit was present in the form of newcomer Cleo Houghton. This was the first time the British had entered the competition and were joined by participants from the USA, Germany, Japan and Mongolia.
We spent just under a week in Korea and a lot happened; too much to recount on this article! However I will try to go over some of the more salient points.
After the very long trip (it took me from door to door over 48 hours) we finally arrived in "heaven blessed Sokcho", on the north east cost of Korea. It was a stunning location with mountains, a lake and the sea. Our first day involved meeting the other contestants and getting to know our hosts and surroundings. We were allowed some practice on the horses which involved both trying our hands at the Korean style of competition, Mogu and also field archery (including the wonderful, yet deadly, "baby arrows"!). The set-up in Korea was simply amazing - a centre only for equestrian martial arts which included stables and of course a track.
It must also be said at this point that our Korean hosts were simply incredible; we were treated like royalty with our accomodation, food and transport all covered by the organisers. All we have to pay for was the $50 entrance fee!!
Day one of the competition was some might say a disaster as we had torrential rain that turned the track into a mud bath. However, all the contestants were there for fun and it didnt get our spirits down. Day one involved an opening ceremony followed by the single shot and double shot competitions. The 37 contestants put on a good show for the crowd; Mike and Neil did well score wise. To view the rankings please click > Single Shot Scores or > Double Shot Scores.
Day two involved the multiple shot competition as well as Mogu. The mutiple shot was simply an amazing buzz. Unlike the European style of shooting you always draw from the quiver and shoot to the side, plus the faster you go the better scores you get. The only disspointing thing was when your two turns were over. Unfortunately I did not record the winning run but the two clips below shot both Neil & Mike in action.
Neil Payne
Mike Ashington
To see the scores for the multiple shot competition please click > here. The day ended with the Mogu competition which was lots of fun and the awards ceremony at the end of the day.For anyone interested in going to Korea then all I can advise is go. It was not only the best fun I have had for many years but everything was simply brilliant, from the horses to the food to the company to the knowledge you get. 11/10 for the whole experience.
Pics and Videos
Some 1000 photos were taken on the trip, here are a few to give you a taster of who, what, were and how went on:
You can also check out some more of the video footage from the event by visit TubaTree at YouTube.come
