Bow builds family bond- It’s not drawing a long bow to say Cockatoo’s Ally Reid loves archery. 70485 Picture: Stewart Chambers

By Casey Neill
COCAKTOO’s Ally Reid is proving that archery isn’t just for Robin Hood.
The 10-year-old finished in second place in the under 11s division at July’s indoor State Archery Championships, hitting a target placed 18 metres away.
The Grade 5 student has been shooting arrows since she was just three years old.
“My dad had been doing it for years before I was born,” she said.
“He waited until I was strong enough to actually pull back a bow (before he introduced her to the sport).”
Her sister Olivia, 7, and her 17-year-old brother Hayden are fellow archers.
Ally competes through the Sherbrooke Archers every weekend, and enjoys meeting new friends.
“Some people think it’s only for hunting and weapons,” she said.
“Robin Hood is not the only one who does archery.”
Her advice for others thinking about giving the sport a go was “don’t be afraid to try”.
Robyn Reid said archery was quality bonding time for Ally and her father Peter, who’s been in the sport for 13 years.
“They go away to competitions together,” Ms Reid said.
“It’s a great family sport.
“It’s out in the fresh air and it helps with concentration.”