10 / Sport and Trail Magazine
Does it sound a bit crazy to shoot arrows from horseback at incredible speeds? Maybe. Combining so many elements of talent, focus, horsemanship, strength, archery and style, this sport is growing fast in the USA. It is also an adrenaline boost, feeling the air rush by as you have only seconds to reach into your quiver, grasp an arrow, load, knock, aim, and shoot. Horseback archery is an art, a form of defense, and a skill sport that has remained relatively unchanged for hundreds of years from a time when accuracy could mean your life or the life of another. Today these competitors are meeting not for war, but for sport.
As the sun rises in the desert, the large saguaro cacti cast long looming shadows across the desert floor. The four peaks in the distance take on a warm glow as the morning activity ramps up for the first day of competition. Riders tend to their horses quietly in preparation while other gather for a delicious catered breakfast communing over their shared excitement for the days runs. I went to breakfast and stumbled upon my friend and first teacher in the sport, Holm Neumann who hosted the first USA International Competition in Bend OR in 2010 and is a well respected horseback archer and teacher. We spoke about the future of the sport with great enthusiasm as Holm is one of the main advocates for these competitions in the United States.
As the sun rises in the desert, the large saguaro cacti cast long looming shadows across the desert floor. The four peaks in the distance take on a warm glow as the morning activity ramps up for the first day of competition.
Riders tend to their horses quietly in preparation while other gather for a delicious catered breakfast communing over their shared excitement for the days runs. I went to breakfast and stumbled upon my friend and first teacher in the sport, Holm Neumann who hosted the first USA International Competition in Bend OR in 2010 and is a well respected horseback archer and teacher. We spoke about the future of the sport with great enthusiasm as Holm is one of the main advocates for these competitions in the United States.
Riders tend quietly to their horses in preparation while others gather for a delicious catered breakfast, communing over their shared excitement for the day's runs. I went to breakfast and stumbled upon my friend and first teacher in the sport, Holm Neumann who hosted the first USA International Competition in Bend, OR in 2010. Holm is a well respected horseback archer and teacher. We spoke about the future of the sport with great enthusiasm as Holm is one of the main advocates for these competitions in the United States.
“So much goes into a big event like this, but it is all worth it to be with such great friends, gaining experience, friendships, helpful hints, loving horses, laughter, smiles, pictures and love from such a wonderful group of outstanding horse archers,” says Diana Troyk, host of the Duel in the Desert competition. Ms. Troyk founded Desert Warriors of the Southwest (DWSW), a mounted archery club in Scottsdale, AZ. Ms. Troyk competes as a mounted archer and has won multiple awards in the sport in the US and around the world for almost a decade. This 2018 contest marks the second time she has put on this gathering to celebrate this relatively newly emerging sport.
Chris Patton
Gloria Pidal