Young Sault archer makes rare ‘Robin Hood’ bullseye shot

The Sault’s Connor Burtch, a nine year old Algoma Rod & Gun Club member, made a memorable shot while practicing at the club Wednesday evening, known as a ‘Robin Hood’ bullseye, in which he hit and split another of his own arrows already sitting in the bullseye on the target.

A ‘Robin Hood’ is the equivalent of a hole-in-one for a golfer.

“I never experienced anything like that before. It was just a normal day training and I got a bullseye. I was aiming for another bullseye but not in the exact same spot, but it went inside the arrow,” Connor said, speaking to SooToday.

“I didn’t even know it was possible (to make such a shot).”

The excited youngster did a moonwalk after getting the Robin Hood bullseye.

Connor, a Grand View Public School Grade 4 student, said his classmates, upon receiving news of the Robin Hood, didn’t believe his story of the impressive feat.

“I think it (archery) is really interesting because you don’t know where the arrow’s going to go. You might get a bullseye, you might hit the other person’s target and still get a bullseye. It’s crazy!”

Some have estimated archers have a 1 in 3,000 chance of making the rare 'Robin Hood' shot. 

Connor said he practices in his yard, “but most of it is at the Algoma Rod & Gun Club.”

“Me, my Mom and my sister watched all The Hunger Games movies (archery used by the saga’s hero to protect herself from enemies) so that got me interested,” Connor said, stating he’ll definitely stick with archery as a hobby.

“It was quite the shot. I’m excited and I’m very proud,” said Leslie Sanders, Connor’s mother.

“He started with archery by shooting with his Dad, everything to do with bow and target archery. We were able to get him into (weekly) lessons with Lana (Perry, Connor’s archery instructor) because there’s only a few kids at a time.”

Having no choice but to stay outside the Algoma Rod & Gun Club while Connor practiced (due to COVID-19 social distancing restrictions), Sanders said “Connor came flying out of the rod and gun club and was waving me to come inside. I’m a nurse by background and I thought immediately someone was injured, but he brought me in and everyone was very excited.”

“Lana explained to me what a Robin Hood was and how rare this was, and Connor was really thrilled.”   

“I always get excited when kids get a Robin Hood because it’s like payoff for all the hard work they put in. It happens occasionally but it’s not an everyday thing. It’s really, really exciting. It’s an achievement for them,” Perry said, adding both she and Connor wore big smiles beneath their non-surgical masks when Connor made the Robin Hood shot.

“It doesn’t happen every day for a kid. It doesn’t happen every day for us adults either,” Perry chuckled.

“I want them to go out there and do the best they can, but the main thing for me is for them to have fun. I like to see smiles on their faces, and a Robin Hood definitely puts a smile on the face.”