14 Oct 2025
Scottish Archery Judge and Field Captain Training Weekend Report
11th–12th October 2025 – Bailliefields Community Hub, Falkirk
On Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th October, we hosted a successful Judge and Field Captain Training Weekend at the Bailliefields Community Hub in Falkirk. The event brought together current and aspiring Judges and Field Captains from across Scotland for two days of learning, collaboration, and practical development. A huge thank you goes to Rob Potts and Curtis Hirst from Archery GB for leading an excellent weekend of training. Their expertise and enthusiasm made both days engaging and informative, providing invaluable support to all attendees.
Saturday
The weekend began at 9:00am on Saturday with arrivals and introductions. From 9:30am, participants covered key reference documents and explored essential elements of Judging and Field Captain duties. The morning focused on field checks, equipment inspection, and the various activities required during a shoot, giving attendees a strong grounding in the practical responsibilities of their roles.
After the lunch break, the afternoon session continued with myth-busting discussions and a hands-on practical session, allowing participants to put theory into practice. This was followed by topics including assembly procedures, post-shoot duties, an introduction to Clout and Field archery, and disability archery basics. The day concluded with an opportunity for questions and 5 Candidate Judges then completed the County-level paper exam.
Sunday
Sunday was dedicated to a Regional Judges’ Seminar, open to all Judges wishing to expand and refresh their knowledge. After arrivals at 9:00am and a 9:30am start, the seminar covered a broad range of advanced topics, including:
Philosophy recap
Head-to-Head and Team Head-to-Head procedures
Roles and responsibilities of the Director of Shooting (DOS) and the Chair of Judges (COJ)
Paperwork and record-keeping
Recent updates to judging knowledge
Scenario-based discussions
A lunch break at around 12:30 provided time to network and share experiences before the day concluded with further Q&A, and two Judges completing the Regional exam. The weekend was a resounding success. Attendees left with renewed confidence and updated skills to support the continued growth and professionalism of archery in Scotland. Once again, our sincere thanks to Rob Potts, Curtis Hirst, and all who attended and contributed to making this such a productive and enjoyable weekend.
Quote from Jonny Roy:
“It was an excellent weekend of learning and networking. Again, a big thank you to Rob and Curtis for their delivery and hard work over the weekend. Thanks to all of the Judges and Field Captains for their attendance and contribution, ensuring the weekend ran smoothly and successfully. A special thanks to Fiona Hirst for her help in organising the weekend, and for making an excellent soup! Your efforts made a real difference to the event’s success.”
