International Organizations
Photography by: Vincent McLean
International Horseback Archery Alliance
The International Horseback Archery Alliance is devoted to encouraging the standardization of rules and scoring systems for horseback archers around the world. The Canadian Federation of Mounted Archery works closely with the IHAA as the governing body and representative for Canada.
World Federation of Equestrian Archery
The Original Kassai System (OKS) was developed by Lajos Kassai, the founder of the Kassai Horsearchery School in Hungary. The Kassai School is the oldest and most developed HA school internationally. KHOW events are held all over the world and results are entered in a database where each participant can view results. The CFMA has currently 2 approved Kassai tracks and judges.
Canadian Rankings
Canadian athlete’s rankings. International ranking charts. Keep records and rank with other Canadians and the International community of horseback archery.
International Horseback Archery Alliance
How to Grade in Canada with the IHAA System
Quick Links
Application print out – HERE
IHAA grading website – HERE
Course set up, rules, and diagrams – HERE
Grading sheet print outs – HERE
Email track photos/ pictures / grading sheets – mountedarcherycanada@gmail.com
E-transfer payments to – mountedarcherycanada@gmail.com
Contact Information for grading – Uwe Schneider – mountedarcherycanada@gmail.com
Canadian Grading Information:
Grading consists of filling out an application form and submitting this along with a required set of approved IHAA grading score sheets from approved tracks and officials and completed within 24 months of the application date. The application sheet for IHAA grading is available here: HERE
Everybody in Canada can grade regardless of being a CFMA member. CFMA members may grade for free and may purchase a grade pin for $10. Non members pay $25.00 per submitted grading with pin.
Grading scores may be achieved through organized CFMA grading events, CFMA or International competition events (providing they are consistent with IHAA rules), or at private home or club events provided the performance is observed and timed by two additional witnesses (other than the athlete), 1 witness must be trained as a grading official. Grading must be done on an approved track. New tracks can be approved by either an official assigned by Canada’s grading officer, or via pictures and/or video footage submitted to mountedarcherycanada@gmail.com
New facilities and tracks must apply for a grading event no less than 30 days before the event. This gives time for track corrections/ approvals/ and training officials. If a track does not meet the IHAA standards within the time frame they cannot grade.
Established clubs with approved tracks and officials can hold events at their own will and as often as they wish. Grading on a specific track can only be done ONCE a day, you can submit multiple grades on the same day if the tracks are different. Example: 1 Korean 2-3-3, 1 Hun 99, etc…
Grading papers received outside of Canada are to be sent to Canada’s grading officer for review. Foreign grading papers must follow IHAA protocol for track and officials. Failure of this will void the grade.
Athletes are responsible for keeping track of their grading sheets and can choose which sheets to submit. Please only submit grading papers once a grade has been achieved. Random grading sheets are hard to keep track of and are the responsibility of the athlete. Athletes send their sheets to Uwe Schneider mountedarcherycanada@gmail.com . We have a 24 month window to submit scores. Athletes must keep this in mind when submitting scores and make sure they leave a time frame available to the grading officer to receive, process, and submit the grade to the IHAA. Grading papers that are not within 24 months of each other are not applicable.
About the International Horseback archery Alliance (IHAA)
The International Horseback Archery Alliance is devoted to encouraging the standardization of rules and scoring systems for horseback archers around the world. The Canadian Federation of Mounted Archery works closely with the IHAA as the governing body and representative for Canada.
IHAA maintains a horse archery grading system for assessing the skill level of horseback archers towards the following aims:
To allow mounted archers to have a fixed standard with which they can compare their ability from season to season, individually or against friends, so that they can monitor their improvement and find encouragement to practice and improve.
To provide an achievable goal for anyone in the sport, from beginners to experts.
As more people enter the sport grading provides a structure by which people may be grouped in competitions, so that they are competing against opponents of similar standard, and all have a chance to win against their peers.
To allow competition organizers to identify those with sufficient ability to compete at a particular event and potentially satisfy insurers of the competence of participants.
IHAA Grading offers an amazing system for monitoring our personal development as horse archers and gives us an ability to see where we stand in relation to horse archers from around the world! Grading can help us define our long term goals and keep us inspired and aware that we are progressing.
IHAA grading is open to all Canadian horse archers through the CFMA. CFMA board member Uwe Schneider is our Canadian IHAA representative and handles all IHAA grading results for Canada. Anyone can participate in IHAA activities and grading regardless of club affiliations.
List of Graded Archers
View the IHAA list of international graded archers
Grading Sheets
Make a copy of your score sheets for your records and send the IHAA Grading Application and completed score sheets to:
Uwe Schneider
Email: mountedarcherycanada@gmail.com
IHAA Information
For more information on the IHAA visit their website at http://ihaa.info
Payments
Payments can be made by e-transfer to:
mountedarcherycanada@gmail.com
or by cheque payable to
Canadian Federation Mounted Archery
Attn:
Doug Goodwin
Box 157, Edgewater
BC V0A 1E0
World Federation of Equestrian Archery
Competition Regulations of the WFEA
as posted from the WFEA website
Only approved international judges may organise the competition within the frame of the WFEA.
Every judge has the right to organise two official competitions every year. The judges have the right to choose the competition dates. The judges may ask for additional dates, should increased member numbers require further competitions.
The members of the WFEA, with the approval of the host judge, may participate in every official competition.
On the 31st of December the competition year closes. The WFEA office will post the results of the World Cup Series, on which the best score achieved by each competitor in all competitions will be posted.
Persons excluded from competition organisation and participation in the WFEA Series are those:
who did not submit the dates for the following year’s competitions before December 1st.
who cannot field 9 competitors.
who depart from or do not uphold the rules agreed upon by the WFEA.
who do not posses the photoelectric timer, or whose course differs in any way from the official course.
The WFEA will hold invalid the competitions of those judges, who during the given competition:
Field a person, or allow on the course any one who is not a competitor.
Do not submit the results of the competition within 72 hours.
Do not make known the new date of the cancelled competition (such as unforeseeable circumstances, e.g. weather and other reasons that would prevent the smooth completion of the competition) within 72 hours of cancellation.
Framework of the competitions:
The competitors start in groups defined by the organizer (groups of three, four, etc.).
All the competitors must have an assistant.
The competitors have the possibility to run three warm up gallops, after that the competition of nine gallops should be started.
The course (99 meters) has to be completed in gallop within 20 seconds, the time spared adds to the points, it is forbidden to stop on the course.
Time is measured with photoelectric automatic timer.
The target is positioned 9 meters from the center-line of the track. It can turn within a diameter of 90 centimeters, divided into 3 circles of 30 cms, the points of the divisions are from the inside 4-3-2 points.
The run is invalid when: stepping onto the course without consent, time out (20 seconds), leaving the course, and when the horseback archer is not able to acquire appreciable points.
Nobody is allowed to hold up his companions by disturbing the rhythm of the competition (such problems as injuries, inadequate equipment, being late, etc.). If so the competitor cannot start his run because the above mentioned reasons he will stay out the run until he is able to go on again. The lost runs cannot be recovered.
In the competition any archery style can be used (three fingers European, thumb release Inner Asian, Japanese and any different individual style).
Only bows can be used in the competition which are not center shooting bows and have no aids (grip, run-out window, aiming devices, stabilizers). The material of the bows can be synthetic or original natural and strength is not limited.
Some examples for the bows: bows of horseback archer folks (Scythians, Huns, Avars, Hungarians, Mongols, Turks etc.), Asian type bows (Chinese, Korean, Japanese etc.), European stick bow (longbow etc.), natural folks’ (like the bows of the North- and South American natives etc).
Any arrows can be used: wooden, aluminium, carbon etc.
Visit WFEA
For more information on the World Federation of Equestrian Archery please visit: https://wfea.world/