On Sunday, December 1, nearly a hundred gathered at the Peytavin high school gymnasium for a new competition in which companies of archers from Lozère but also neighboring departments, particularly Aveyron, took part.
To practice shooting, archers have a bow of which there are several varieties: the bare bow or barebow, without any accessories, the classic bow with a stabilizer (which improves balance) and a sight, the bow finally with pulley, the advantage of which is mainly to optimize the acceleration of the arrow.
The Mende company has around forty members, women and men, who are all divided between categories of young people (U13, U15 and U18) and seniors (1, 2 and 3). “In the department, there are six companies, those of Mende, Chanac, Chirac, Saint-Chély-d’Apcher, Langogne and Florac…”confides Patrick Béraud, president of the Company of which he was already a part, fifty years ago, when Michel Thuault created it. “In Mende, training takes place three times a week and competitions are organized throughout the year…”continues the president.
Before the awards ceremony, by Marine Richard and Brigitte Morge, the wrens and queen of the Company, a shot of honor took place in tribute to the archers Fabienne Parent-Albouy from Mende and Dominique Chollet from Chanac, who had recently passed away.
To close the afternoon, Michel Thuault wanted to offer a cup to his archer disciple, who returned to Lozère two years ago, and new president of the First Company of Mende. “When I knew him, he was fourteen. Two years ago, I saw someone come to my house that I didn’t know. It was Patrick Béraud with the only difference that he was no longer fourteen but sixty…”said Michel Thuault.
It’s a beautiful story, as associative life sometimes has in store…
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