Commissioners participate in bow hunting challenge
Commissioners lined up for a shoot off Friday night at the Santa Rosa County Fairgrounds by taking part in the International Bowhunting Organization’s first annual Commissioners Challenge.
The event, put on by the IBO gave three of five commissioners the opportunity to test their bow and arrow accuracy skills on a set of targets.
Jaimie Hudson, a 4-H volunteer who helped promote the IBO program, brought the idea of the Commissioners Challenge to a county commission meeting several weeks ago. At the meeting, everyone but Chairman Gordon Goodin had agreed to come, but the commissioner still came out to shoot a few rounds at the tournament.
Ken Watkins president of the IBO said the county had been grateful by allowing the tournament to be held on the fairgrounds just weeks before the county fair.
“Escambia County did not want us back this year, and Santa Rosa County has opened their arms to us,” said Hudson. “This is a huge chance for us to bring the community together.”
For the Commissioners Challenge, nearly 50 people showed up just to watch three of the five decision makers duke it out.
Mike Donahoe, a resident in attendance said the event was something the county hasn’t seen before.
“This is good for the county as a whole,” Donahoe said. “We have good community participation here, and I hope it gets bigger and better.”
At the Commissioners Challenge, the three commissioners and two other citizens representing the missing Don Salter and Jim Williamson lined up with citizens in groups of five. Each person was instructed to shoot three arrows at the target, which was about 50 feet down range.
Bob Cole’s team took home a plaque for the winner of the Commissioners Challenge. All teams shot a total of two rounds, and Cole’s team outscored second place by only two points with 222 total points. Team Salter nipped second place with 220 points.
Several commissioners, including Cole had the advantage of having shot a bow and arrow before. Commissioner Lane Lynchard admitted it was his first time shooting a bow and arrow, but it didn’t show as his team took third place.
The IBO championship was one of three southern division championships. Winners from the actual competition, which was held on Saturday and Sunday, would head to New York for the World Championship Competition in August.
For many years, the national event had been held in Pensacola, but was declined by the county this year. Cole said when Hudson came to commissioners about the event, he always happy to take in the stranded competition.
“She (Hudson) came to me with this idea, and there was a neighboring county that didn’t want this anymore,” Cole said.
Hudson noted that in Escambia County, the weekend brought in anywhere from 300-500 people, and was hoping to see the same abundance in this county.
The event brought notable faces to the event such as IBO President Watkins who helped instruct commissioners at the shoot off.
“Santa Rosa County has been wonderful about welcoming this shootout,” Watkins said. “This is an opportunity for county commissioners to come out and support the community.”
Throughout the weekend, the IBO festival was open to free range shooters or those anxious to learn the sport. A fun shoot was held moments before and following the Commissioners Challenge.
Commissioner Goodin said events such as the IBO championship help promote not only events in the county, but ones that are unique to the area.
“These events bring a lot of tourism to the county,” Goodin said. “We’re starting to get more diversity in out tourism events.”
To view all of the photos from the Commissioner's Challenge, check out srpressgazette.com
