Club stalwart a safe pair of steady hands

Ross Fryer is aiming high at this weekend's  National Field Archery Championships, hosted by the club he has been shooting with for the past 15 years.
One of Northland's top contenders in his division, Mount Tiger Archery Club member Fryer will take on shooters from around the country in the bow-hunter unlimited category.
"There is some very good competition around at the moment as quite a few are planning to go to Aussie for the World Championships next year, and they are getting prepared for that," Fryer said.
While  he has considered heading across the ditch for the 2011 worlds,  Fryer said  the cost involved was prohibitive. He is focusing instead on a strong campaign at  the nationals.
"There are three grades of shooters - A, B, and C - and you compete in your grade at nationals.  I'm an A-grade shooter and my goal is to shoot over 500 for the 28-target course, which is pretty tough," he added.
Fryer placed sixth at the world championships four years ago in the barebow category and later set a New Zealand record,  but since then has been a top performer around the region.
"My main competition to look out for would be Terry Bassett from Auckland who I compete against at the League Series, along with Mount Tiger shooter Dave Sandiford."
Fryer is also the course captain for Mount Tiger, which means he  designs the course and ensures it is safe to shoot on.
"It's set up much like a golf course - I have to check the lines people are shooting at each target and check that people aren't in the way so they don't get hit - it could be very messy if the lines were out," he said.
The Mount Tiger course  consists of 28 targets, which have marked distances.
"At each target, there is a four-arrow compulsory rule, compulsory four arrows, and it should take about five hours to complete the course," Fryer said.
"That's a long time to be out there and it's hard if you are not bow-fit."
As each target  displayed the distance  from the peg, it took the guesswork out of the shot, and came down  to the competitor's shooting ability.
The two-day competition - which  has attracted 60 shooters from around New Zealand - gets under way on Saturday from 8.30am, with the 28-target field round in the morning followed by a 14-target animal round. On Sunday, a 28-target hunter round will conclude the event.
Other top contenders  in action at the nationals are locals Terry Hand and Trevor Irvine in the senior  men's compound sections, Sheryl Irvine and Lois Howe in senior women's compound open section and Rob Ward in the longbow section.
World Champion archers from Auckland Linda and Mike Lainchbury will also be contesting as will  up-and-coming junior archer Nathan Orchard, from Rodney.
The Mount Tiger Archery Club grounds are on Owhiwa Rd,  off Whangarei Heads Rd.