Don't try this at home - unless you're in the Landrie family and it's the only way to train for archery shoots in the winter.
Stand at one end of the house, shoot through doorways into the kitchen with a bow and arrow nearly at a target metres away. Bill Landrie admits he has done that on occasion at his house near the Battlefords, but the practice for Landrie, and the rest of his family for that matter, has paid off.
Landrie, his wife Cindy, daughter Jessica and sons Lucas and Dalton and brother Terrance, were in Red Deer, Alta. for the Mother of All Shoots 10 days ago and had an amazing time competing against 462 other archers from across Western Canada.
Not only was the experience something the local archers won't forget, but the medals and bows they won will be a constant reminder of their 2011 experience at the Mother of All Shoots.
Bill was the star on the first day in Red Deer winning two new Hoyt bows and two gold medals. In the first ever Hoyt Pro Am, Bill teamed up with Al Obrien to capture first place. Next, Bill took aim at the target on an iron buck and outlasted all other shooters. As the distance expanded and the target got smaller, Bill was the last one left standing and won his second gold medal of the weekend.
"I couldn't even watch anymore at the end," explained Landrie. "I heard the ting of the arrow off the buck and was thinking you won this thing - wow."
Cindy won gold in the women's division of the Mother of All Shoots, as did Jessica at the junior level.
Lucas, the youngest archer in the family at 11, was a bronze medalist in Red Deer.
Erica, another Landrie sibling, is a multi-sport athlete and since she has been tossing down opponents at high school wrestling meets she hasn't been able to join the family for the weekend shoots yet this season.
Erica did, however, place second in the outdoor provincial 3D shoot in Prince Albert last year and once the wrestling season ends in two weeks should be back spending family time with a bow in her hand.
At the 2010 shoot, Jessica earned a gold, Dalton captured a gold in the 3D shoot and second in Fita, Bill was first in Fita and second in the field portion. Lucas earned a bronze medal.
This past weekend, the Landrie clan loaded themselves and their bows for a trip to Prince Albert for the 2011 outdoor provincial shoot.
Lucas improved from bronze last year to gold this time around, Jessica repeated as the provincial gold medalist, Cindy brought home a silver and Dalton and Bill earned bronze medals.
Along with the Landries' success at provincials, six other members of the Battle River Archers Archery Club medalled. Elmer Woytiuk and Brock Nelson earned bronze medals, while Tyson Mackrell, Raquel Hepp, Corbin Prescesky and Ross MacAngus also earned medals.
Next the Landries and their extended family of archers will be looking forward to the local shoot at Allan Mitchell's farm April 23 and 24. Bill said he and his brother will also be organizing the first ever iron buck shoot for the event, but those interested need not worry, Bill already said he would be a spectator and organizer instead of a competitor.
Also the family will be looking forward to the national shoot, which will be in Saskatchewan July 30 to Aug. 1.
"I think I finally beat my issue with nerves," said Bill after two impressive weekends at highly competitive shoots. Bill explains since he took up the sport he hasn't had trouble winning the money shoots, but the ones with trophies and bragging rights on the line had been his downfall. It doesn't appear that way anymore and with archery practice everyday there looks to be no reason to get nervous and miss the target.
Bill hopes the sport continues to grow in the Battlefords, as his wife four children, father, brother and maybe soon mother will be firing arrows and winning medals.
