About Pole Archery
A centuries-old tradition preserved in Manitoba, and practiced in Belgium, the Netherlands, and France.
The Ancient Sport of Popinjay
Pole archery, also known as popinjay, dates back to at least the 15th century. The annual papingo tournament of the Ancient Society of Kilwinning Archers in Scotland has been running since 1483, making it one of the world's oldest continuous sporting competitions. In 1926, Belgian immigrants brought pole archery to Manitoba, where it continues today.
How It Works
The object of pole archery is to knock artificial birds off their perches using arrows tipped with rubber blunts. The pole rises 90 feet to its top. At the top of the pole is the fork - a vertical bar with a series of five horizontal cross-arms - where birds are mounted on short pins welded to the cross-arms. Archers stand near the base and shoot upward to dislodge the birds.
Typically, the fork holds a total of 37 birds (targets), and the scoring has evolved over nearly a century of play:
- Singles (bottom 3 rows): 1 point each (30 birds)
- Kullas (4th row): 2 points each (4 birds)
- Sides (5th row): 3 points each (2 birds)
- King bird (top): 4 points (1 bird)
Vertical vs. Horizontal Forks
Pole archery is shot on two styles of forks:
Vertical Fork: Approximately 110 feet high and hinged so it can be lowered to the ground for loading birds. Archers shoot straight up outdoors and must account for wind and weather, watching for both falling arrows and falling birds.
Horizontal Fork: Set about 60 feet from the shooting area and slanted upward, away from the archer. The front of the fork is roughly 30 inches above ground and the tip about 50 inches, allowing clear aim at each bird along the arms.
Manitoba's Unique Position
Today, pole archery remains popular in Belgium and is also practiced by many clubs in the Netherlands and in France. Manitoba is home to the only active pole archery clubs in the Western Hemisphere, making the province a rare preserve of this tradition.
The sport arrived in Manitoba in the 1920s with Belgian immigrants who brought their customs and equipment. St. Sebastian Pole Archery Club was the first club, established in 1926, followed by Robin Hood Pole Archery Club in 1929, St Sebastianette Archery Club in 1975, and The Witty Belgian Archers in 2017. These clubs have maintained the tradition through nearly a century of changing times.
The King Shooter Tradition
Each season opens with a special shoot using a ceremonial King (or Queen, for the horizontal fork) bird placed alone on the fork. The ceremonial King (or Queen) bird is only used for this one shoot. The first archer to shoot it off earns the title of "King Shooter" (or "Queen Shooter") for that year, wins the club's King (or Queen) trophy, and earns the honor and right to shoot first at all meets for the rest of the season.