The 312th recorded annual meeting to contest "The Antient Scorton Silver Arrow" was due to take place at Harrogate Rugby Union club in England on Saturday May 16, but the 2020 event has been cancelled and the next competition will not take place until 2021.

Organisers said "the decision was not taken lightly but with the situation regarding coronavirus, we had to look at the shoot for this year and decided that, as a large proportion of the archers that attend fall within the age for which isolation falls, the decision was made to cancel this year's event and not postpone until later in the year."

The competition was last cancelled during the years of the Second World War - 1939 to 1945.

The first "Antient Silver Arrow" was contested in 1673 at Scorton. a village in North Yorkshire.

A "Society of Archers" was established with the aim of maintaining target archery, which had declined following the end of the English Civil War in 1660.

The prize of a silver arrow was awarded to the winner.

It had been donated by Henry Calverley, a member of Parliament who was also recorded as the winner of the first competition in an original parchment which gave details of the 22 pioneering archers.

That original arrow is now kept at the Royal Armories in Leeds and a replica is awarded to the winner, the first to pierce a three inch diameter black spot at the centre of the target from 100 yards.

The winner becomes the captain of the society and assumes responsibility for organising the next shoot and nominating the venue. He is assisted by a lieutenant who is the first to hit the red and receives a bugle as a prize.

2019 winner Gordon Marshall had chosen Harrogate. The site in 2021 has not yet been officially confirmed, but it seems likely that the nominated venue will be retained.

Entries are open to "Gentlemen Archers" over the age of 21 using longbow or any other bare bow but no compound bows are permitted. 

Competition regulations require competitors to "wear dress in keeping with the prestige of this historic event."

No "cursing or swearing in the hearing of the company" is allowed and those who transgress must pay a fine which is donated to charities.

Women shoot for the Ascham Silver Arrow in a similar event which was introduced in 1976.