In 2011 a conversation between Nick Hawken of Muscovy Archers and Ian Boulton of Toad Hollow worked its way around to an upcoming NFAS Championships and how many of each club were planning on attending the event, and it wasn’t many.  So they came up with a plan of having a regional championships for NFAS archers in the South West and from that chat the South West Crown was born

The first Crown event was hosted in 2012 by Toad Hollow and in 2013 by Muscovy Archers since then apart for the Covid affected years The Crown has been held by various clubs in the region, sharing both the workload and prestige of hosting this unique Championship

The original, regional championship idea was based in postcodes, rather than counties.  We used these postcodes to define our South West catchment area but, recognising that there might be entrants who did not live in these codes, we included a class for “visiting archers”.

There are special features of the South West Crown. The first is that all of the class winners go forward to win the Antler Crown. Originally there was just a single crown of antlers, but thanks to the genorosity of Rob, “Pasty” Caine donating 2 more Crown trophies there are now three Crowns one each for Adults, one for Juniors, and one for cubs

The scoring for the Crown is calculated using a very accurate handicap system which has been built up over the years by analysing the scoring of over 250 NFAS shoots, where all classes shoot the same course and the same pegs,  scores from championship events where sighted and unsighted shoot different courses or where archers of different classes shoot from different (wasp – zebra) pegs are ignored 

 There is also a team championship, where eligible adult and junior archers form groups of six, either on a club basis,  an amalgamation of archers from smaller clubs or even a group of 6 eligible Independent archers shooting any style. As in the Individual the team scores are handicapped and the total score for the 6 archers including their handicaps are added together, as always highest total score wins

The class winners have their handicaps added to their scores and the highest score wins the Crown. This is a cluster of Roe deer antlers set on a turned, oak base. The trophy has been won by an archer shooting in a different class each year, so far. Only a few points separate the final scores. You will need a big mantelpiece for this one!

The teams have their, multi-style, handicaps added together and the highest total wins. Each of the members of the three winning teams receives a trophy or medal.  

The “visitors trophy” and visitors medals are won by the highest scoring of all of the archers from outside of the eligible area after handicaps have been added,

All winning class, team and visiting archers are awarded superb quality laser produced, acrylic trophies which are truly unique. They are cut in the silhouette of a group of deer and bear the logo of the hosting club