Raphaël Malet has just won his title at the world championships in Ulaanbaatar, in Mongolia, the birthplace of this demanding discipline. A young man impressive in speed and precision
Horseback archery has two major differences with football, rugby or cycling: it receives very little media coverage, and France excels at it. We are now even world champions ahead of Mongolia and Kazakhstan, after being 2022 European champions. Did you know that?
In Mongolia, the French team defeated the world elite in the discipline • © Enguerran Zandonai
Our equestrian fencers have just returned from Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia, where they participated in the World Championships against 21 nations and 83 competitors, from September 7 to 10. Mongolia is the cradle of this complete discipline in which it is important to shine in both riding and shooting.
The French horseback archery team, winner in Ulaanbaatar • © Fédération Française d’Equitation
Focus on a small corner of the Perigord countryside, 8,000 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar. We are in Saint-Avit Sénieur, in Dordogne. A horse, a galloping rider, whistling arrows: it feels like a scene from a Chinese action film, or an Indian western.
The discipline requires concentration and rigor • © France 3 Périgords – Anne-Laure Meyrignac & Colyne Rongère
The rider is Raphaël Malet. The young man is part of our proud French team, he himself has recently won the title of world horse archery champion individually in the young riders and team category. To win this title, he faced the best archers, on a borrowed horse, as the French horses were unable to make the trip.
A rider, a bow, a horse, and one of the oldest martial traditions in Asia • © France 3 Périgords – Anne-Laure Meyrignac & Colyne Rongère
No matter, Raphaël has something of a centaur. Today, guiding your mount with your lower body, while your upper body focuses on the target, has become second nature. Since he was four years old, when he rode his first pony, he has never been away from horses for long. He discovered horse shooting at the age of eight, and became French champion at the age of twelve. This new victory in Mongolia is like a judoka victory in Japan: a consecration.
In Asian countries, this martial art is traditional • © Enguerran Zandonai
It’s still winning against the people who created the discipline! Winning there is truly being “on the roof” of world mounted archery. We have reached the summit and our goal now will be to stay there.
For this, rigorous training and an unwavering will to win are necessary. “It is a fairly traditional discipline, which comes mainly from war, and from Asian countries who used it to conquer all of Asia.” he explains. This martial art that he has mastered at the highest level will allow him to fight other battles, the European Championships next year and the World Championships in two years.
2023-10-04 07:00:00
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