Horseback archery draws new riders across Australia: ‘You can ride on any horse with any gear’
As her horse gains pace, Kimberley Robertson draws a 30-pound recurve bow and stands high in her saddle. A moment later a 70cm carbon-fibre arrow fletched with pink-dyed turkey feathers thumps into a foam target.
Surrounded by a paddock of cattle at dusk on her family property two hours west of Brisbane, the 25-year-old Robertson is training for the national horse archery championships.
“I’ve done archery since I was 13 and I’ve always ridden horses, so combining the two, well, that seemed cool,” she says, rounding the arena for another run at the target.
Six years ago Robertson and a few friends founded the local Lockyer Valley horse archery club. In a few days Robertson and her horse, Chiko, will travel more than 1,000km to a property in north-east Victoria to make their debut on the national stage.
“I’m nervous for sure,” Robertson says. “Some people have heard of it, they’ve seen it in TV shows, but they don’t realise it’s actually a sport in Australia.”
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Competing against 10 other riders across three events at the canter, Robertson will be judged by the accuracy of her shots and pace of her horse.
One event requires competitors to ride along a 90-metre raid track and hit three ground targets while going as fast as possible. The tower track works the same but riders must instead land three arrows on a target, which is set 2 metres above ground. The last course is the hunt track of up to 20 targets at all angles over cross-country terrain.
“The true origin of the sport comes from countries that had a lot of cavalry in their history and is very much based in war, martial skill and hunting,” says Liberty Deaman, the Australian representative of the International Horseback Archery Alliance.
The 2024 championships in Cheshunt will be the largest to date, with 21 entries. Deaman says the sport’s popularity has grown because it is “a very inclusive sport as horse riding goes … Not many of them are.”
As well as the fast-paced canter events, riders can compete in walk or trot classes, which are more forgiving for beginners. There are also options for people with disabilities to take part.
“That makes it very, very welcoming for a lot of people,” Deaman says. “And it’s a really good sport to build a bond and strong line of communication with your horse.”
Robertson agrees. “It’s not cliqueyor judgy,” she says. “In a lot of horse sports you have to have the right gear and the right horse, where as in archery you can ride on any horse with any gear as long you’re safe.”
The rise of medieval festivals and events in Australia and their growing popularity on social media is also contributing to greater interest. In September Deaman travelled to the world horse archery championships in Mongolia. “We did everything through social media, all of our fundraising, all of our publications and publicity … we had a really massive response,” she says.
But, as a small sport on a large continent, many competitors have to travel long distances to find their nearest event. Riders who can’t bring their own horses are catch-riding, competing on a horse they’ve never ridden before.
“The Queensland teams are probably travelling somewhere close to 20 hours all up,” Deaman says. “That certainly can be stressful for the horses – it’s a big commitment to make.”
As the competition approaches, Robertson is making preparations for the two-day journey so it’s as comfortable as possible for Chiko, 15, while cramming in a bit more practice.
“I’ll just let my horse do what I’ve taught him to do and let off arrows as quick as I bloody can,” she says.
The Australian Horse Archery Association national championships will be held on 12-14 April
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