Husband and wife Exmouth archers Rob and Sophie Twigg competed at the 2019 UK 3D Field Archery Championships.

Exmouth Journal: Sophie Twigg in third sport on the podium at the UK 3D Field Archery Championships. Picture ROB TWIGGSophie Twigg in third sport on the podium at the UK 3D Field Archery Championships. Picture ROB TWIGG (Image: Archant)

It proved to be a most successful championships for the couple for Rob beat all that came before him to be crowned UK 3D Field Archery champion while Sophie came third and also secured her first qualifying score to shoot for Team GB!

The UK 3D Field Archery Championship is a national archery competition run by Archery GB and is attended by archers from throughout the United Kingdom.

The championships were hosted by Auld Braidlie Archers in Hawick, Scotland, and so it meant an eight hour drive from their Exmouth home for the pair!

Rob says: "We both shoot traditional wooden bows. Sophie shoots a traditional English Longbow and I shoot an American Flatbow.

Exmouth Journal: Action from the UK 3D Field Archery Championships. Picture ROB WIGGAction from the UK 3D Field Archery Championships. Picture ROB WIGG (Image: Archant)

"Sophie has been shooting since she was 11 and is currently ranked number two in the country and has attained the rank of Grand Master Bowman in each of the past four years!

"In my case, I have only been shooting for about five years and am currently ranked number four in the country, have won the UK Masters (in my first year of shooting), The Grand National Archery Meeting and, like Sophie, I have also obtained the rank of Grand Master Bowman for the past four years."

Rob continued: "We are based at Exmouth Archers who have some of the best archery facilities in the country.

"With a permanent archery field, indoor archery range and a full time field archery range."

Exmouth Journal: Action from the UK 3D Field Archery Championships. Picture ROB WIGGAction from the UK 3D Field Archery Championships. Picture ROB WIGG (Image: Archant)

The UK 3D Field Archery Championship involves shooting at 3D foam targets set at various unmarked distances up to 30 metres away, and is typically shot in woodland and over rough terrain.

Archers begin in groups of four and shoot two arrows at 24 different targets over the course of day one.

Day two sees the archers seeded into groups and shoot another set of 24 targets. Once the scores are totalled up those at the top of the leader board qualify for the single arrow, head-to-head semi-finals and final.

Rob says of the couple's championship efforts: "Sophie shot well on the first day and finished in second place, just behind GB archer Millie Williams.

Exmouth Journal: Action from the UK 3D Field Archery Championships. Picture ROB WIGGAction from the UK 3D Field Archery Championships. Picture ROB WIGG (Image: Archant)

"On the second day her shooting really improved. Although still finishing in second place she managed to secure a score that has now put her on the GB Team Qualification matrix.

"The head-to-head went well, but unfortunately Sophie was knocked out placing her in third place overall."

He continued: "In my event, I managed to secure a first place finish on day one and a second place finish on day two. However, my aggregate score over the two days put me in first place going into the head-to-head element of the competition."

"The first semi-final was hard and my opponent really put the pressure on, but I managed to hold my nerve and secure the win. However, the gold medal match didn't start well as my opponent went 8-5 up on the first target and I had to work hard to get back in to the match.

"On the second target we drew, making the score 13-10. The third target was a tricky uphill shot which I hit, but my opponent missed, making the score 15-13 to me.

So here we are stood looking at the final target 30 meters away, back to back.

"At this stage my heart really did feel as if it were beating out of my chest, but I controlled my breathing and visualised the arrow flying into the centre of the target.

"The judge then walked forward before saying 'shoot' and it was in that moment that it seemed as if the world actually stood still! I very slowly exhaled and relaxed my fingers letting the arrow loose.

"The rest, as the saying goes, is history, for the arrow sailed through the air, hitting the target and I had won the UK 3D Field Championships!"

If you are reading this and are interested in trying out archery, contact info@exmouth-archers.org.uk