CHAMPION archer Barry Groves has retired from national competition after 21 years at the top of his game.

o Groves, now aged 71, won his last title at the National Flight Archery Championships in North Yorkshire last weekend, and he has now decided to call it a day.

Flight archery differs from the better-known target archery with competitors trying to fire their arrows the furthest possible distance.

Groves won his last event by firing an arrow 857 yards - almost half a mile!

He took up the sport at the age of 46 after leaving the RAF in 1982.

In 25 years of competition, he has been a world champion six times and broken five world records.

He's also been a British champion every year since 1987 with 22 British records.

Groves says the decision to retire was a difficult one, but was mainly down to the travelling involved.

He said: "It's very much a social event, and I've made a lot of friends during my time at the top.

"But travelling to and from events is taking its toll.

"The event in North Yorkshire last weekend was a nightmare journey.

"I will miss the social side for sure. We spend about 15 minutes shooting the arrows, and the rest of the time trying to find them," he joked.

"I will compete locally and will continue field archery - which is a kind of target archery."

After gaining experience with production bows, Groves began designing his own bows in 1994.

His prototype compound bow, which won him three world titles and two world records in 1996, is now in a private museum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

He has held the magnificent and unusual Uncle Hat Trophy, a mounted 17th century Turkish helmet, first awarded in 1950, for 15 of the last 16 years.

The trophy is given for the English-made bow that shoots the longest distance.

Groves has recently started to make longbows, and was successful in the longbow class at the British Championships with a world record in 2003 and a British record in 2005.

He's chairman of Windrush Bowmen - a thriving club who meets twice a week at Witney Rugby club.

The club is open to men and women, while juniors over 11-years-old are also welcome.

Groves said: "Archery is all about self-discipline and control, so juniors only really start after 11.

"But as I've proved, the interest can go on well past retirement age.

"Archery doesn't get much press, but it is a popular sport and we have lots of members."

Anybody interested in finding out more about archery should visit the club's website at www. windrushbowmen.org.uk The club hold a medieval archery demonstration as part of the Wychwood Forest Fair on Sunday, September 2.

The event starts at noon at Capps Lodge Farm, two miles north of Burford.