South African Country Life – September 2019

monthsofrecuperation.Shemissedtheannual
field-qualificationrounds.“Thingshappen,
generallyfora reason,”thefullyrecovered,
upbeatcompetitortellsmebetweenpractice
arrows.Sheis nowfocusedon2020.
Luzannebegancompetitiveshooting
onlythreeyearsagobutit’sa slapdashview
ofherhistory.Shehasbeenshootingsince
2005,whenhusbandRedgegavehera bow
ontheirweddingday.Soonafter,thecouple
openedArcher’sEdgebowshopin Pretoria,
whereshehasworkedsince2009,learning
thefundamentalsofshootingandallthe
technicalaspects.Luzannealsorepairs,tunes,

andadvisescompetitorsaboutequipment,and

coachesnewcomers.

“I’mshootinga tournamentthisweekend,”

Luzannesays.“Whydon’tyoucomeandsee

whatit’sallabout?It’sa 3Dtournament,not

somethingI regularlyshoot,butgoodpractice

forfieldevents.”

A fewdayslater,I findanenclaveof

archeryenthusiastsat theendofa dirtroad

nearDonkerhoekruralcommunity,eastof

Pretoria.A throngofcompetitorsgathersat the

clubhouseanda coupledozenstandsideby

side,shootingonthepracticefield.Thesound

ofthuddingarrowsstartsslowly,buildsto

a crescendoanddiesoffastheshooters

completetheirsets.

Luzannecheerilygreetsmeandintroduces

PierrevanWyk,eventorganiser,seven-time

SouthAfricaNationalsChampionandtwo-time

fieldarcheryworldchamp.Hepainstakingly

explainsmatchobjectivesanddetailssomeof

thehistory.

The3DArcheryTournament,calledthe

2019 MpumalangaProvincialChamps,consists

of 20 targetsplacedat variousstationsin the

bushveld.Competitorsaregroupedin flightsof

sixandwalkthecourseto accesseachshooting

station.Thetargetsrepresentfull-size,three-

LEFT: Luzanne Grantapproachesa targetunderthecanopyoftalltreesandestimatesdistancewithherrange

finder, loads an arrowandexpertlyreleasesit.ABOVE:Archeryis a popularsportandleisureactivitythroughout

southern Africa. Here,a freneticmixofarchersandbows.BELOW:Luzanneis coachedbyhusbandRedgeon

her path to archery success.

http://www.countrylife.co.za 067 September 2019

LUZANNE GRANT ARCHERY