Target Championship & Open Tournament
This is the main event in the KAA calendar and has taken place every year bar one since the Association was founded in 1953. The normal date for the tournament is the 3rd. Sunday in August and this has remained unchanged since the formation of the Association; it is almost invariably adhered to.
The event is organised and run by a Tournament Organiser who is elected to the KAA Operational Committee each year at the Association's AGM.
The title of "Champion" is awarded separately for:
- compound and recurve bow-styles,
- ladies and gentlemen,
- each recognised age group.
Of course only a member of the KAA can compete to become a Kent champion, but visitors from outside of the county are always welcome and, typically, about 1 in 4 of archers at the event come from neighbouring counties. There are separate awards for visitors shooting in the more popular categories and a few awards that are open to all. However, it is important to note that only archers affiliated to ArcheryGB or another FITA member association are eligible to shoot at this event.
Because of the increasing popularity of longbow archery, we now hold a separate annual Longbow Championship, so, although longbow archers are welcome to take part, this event does not award the title of Champion to winners.
Recently the Association has included the equivalent Burntwood rounds to encourage participation by visually impaired archers, but again the title of Champion is not awarded at this event. Here too, because of the different technical requirements, the Association holds a specific event for archers with a disability and it is planned to recognise that as a County Championship, if the level of interest is sufficient.
Full details are available in the Association's Championships and Tournaments Policy and relevant information is also included in the entry form.
Rounds
The event consists of the traditional British 12 dozen rounds:
| Gentlemen | Ladies | Round | 100yds | 80yds | 60yds | 50yds | 40yds | 30yds | 20yds | 10yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | York | 6 | 4 | 2 | ||||||
| Senior | Hereford | 6 | 4 | 2 | ||||||
| Under 18 | Bristol 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | ||||||
| Under 16 | Under 18 | Bristol 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | |||||
| Under 14 | Under 16 | Bristol 3 | 6 | 4 | 2 | |||||
| Under 12 | Under 14 | Bristol 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | |||||
| Under 12 | Bristol 5 | 6 | 4 | 2 |
Archers are welcome to enter for an alternative round (this is especially to give less experienced archers the chance to take part, even though they are not able to shoot the full distance), however, in most cases awards will not be available to compete for.
Very occasionally the event has been reduced to a shorter round or even curtailed early because of weather conditions - when this happens all awards (including championships) are still presented provided that some shooting has been possible, but are based on the shortened event.
Venues
In common with most county associations, the KAA does not own a permanent tournament ground and the tournament is too large to be readily accommodated at any of our club grounds. Over the years this tournament has been held at a number of locations in the county:
| 2008 - ....... | Vigo Rugby Football Club | (map) |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Leigh City Technology College, Dartford | (map) |
| 1996 - 2006 | Hadlow College | (map) |
| 1991 - 1995 | Walderslade High School, Chatham | (map) |
| ???? - 1990 | Oakwood Park, Maidstone | (map) |
Results
Results of recent tournaments are available for download:
Champions
A full list of past and present champions is available in our Hall of Fame.
Trophies
The Association's trophies are all awarded on the basis that they must be returned in time for the following year's tournament. In most cases the trophy is accompanied by a medal, which the winner is entitled to keep in perpetuity.
Kent Awards
Individuals
- Ashbourne Award
- Freeman Family Cup
- Gold Cup
- Graham Cup
- Gravesend Shield
- Holmsdale Cup
- Invicta Horse
- KAA Cigarette Box
- KAA Veterans Trophy
- Kent Committee Cup
- Kent Judges Cup
- Lynwood Cup
- Medway Cup
- Philip Jenkins Cup [Bristol 1]
- Philip Jenkins Cup [Bristol 4]
- SCAS County Champion's Medal [Kent Gentleman Compound]
- SCAS County Champion's Medal [Kent Gentleman Recurve]
- SCAS County Champion's Medal [Kent Lady Compound]
- SCAS County Champion's Medal [Kent Lady recurve]
- Sharp Cup
- Silvia Hogbin Salver
- Swanton Cup
- Tom Wright Memorial Trophy
- Top Table Catering Cup
- Vincer Family Cup [Bristol 2]
- Vincer Family Cup [Bristol 3]
- Wentworth Trophy
Teams & Couples
- Allington Castle Archers' Shield
- Kentish Archer Trophy
- Kentish Cupid Trophy
- Logan Family Challenge Trophy
- Vigus Trophy
- Wright Shield
Visitors' Awards
- KAA Shield [Visiting Gentleman Compound]
- KAA Shield [Visiting Lady Compound]
- KAA Trophy [Visiting Gentleman Recurve]
- KAA Trophy [Visiting Lady Recurve]
- Whitworth Trophy
Open Awards
- Invicta Trophy
- Kent Archery Shield [Open Junior Gentleman Compound]
- Kent Archery Shield [Open Junior Gentleman Recurve]
- Kent Archery Shield [Open Junior Lady Compound]
- Kent Archery Shield [Open Junior Lady Recurve]
- M & P Virani Cup
Lost & Damaged Awards
The following trophies have been lost, some of them a good few years since. In some cases they have been awarded in the expectation of recovering them from a previous recipient, so tournament results lists are not the complete answer to tracking them down.
All of them remain the property of the KAA, so if anyone has in their possession or knows the whereabouts of any of the following trophies, we would ask them to contact any member of the KAA Operational Committee.
