Warwick horsewoman Kimberly Robertson has finished fifth overall at her first Australian Horse Archery Association National Championships at Cheshunt near Wangaratta in Victoria earlier this month.
“The competition went really well overall. I competed against 11 other canter competitors and managed to secure fifth place overall,” Robertson said.
The talented rider, who took up the sport in 2017, finished fifth in the tower, sixth in the raid and fourth in the hunt competitions for the overall fifth position.
“My strategy was to maintain a slow and steady pace to maximize target points,” she said.
“Despite limited practice on the Tower Track (where the target is two metres above the ground), I surprised myself with a couple of bullseye shots, earning the second-highest target points. “Unfortunately, time penalties pushed me to fifth place.
“On the next event, the Raid Track, I learned that time penalties are quite severe if you don’t go fast enough, so I adjusted to complete the run quickly, impacting my score and putting me in 6th place.
“The Hunt Track was a highlight, with the second-highest target score of 35 points across 17 targets and challenging shots, including a 30m distance shot, an offside shot, and multiple 3D targets. Although I achieved a good score, time penalties placed me in fourth.”
Robertson said the experience was invaluable.
“Especially navigating the Hunt Track with my pony Chiko for our first time attempting an unbarriered course,” she said.
“The weekend was filled with new friendships, skill development, and goal achievements. I am very proud of my efforts as well as my pony and thankful for the opportunity to compete.”
Robertson, a clubmate and their coach Blake are set to host a Horse Archery clinic at Warwick Pony club on the 19 May
