EMERGING Garnock Valley archer Jonathan Ralston is a promising prospect in the sport after producing some fine performances.

The Dalry youngster first picked up a bow in the summer of 2013 aged six. The club was Intergenerational Archery, run by NAC’s Community Learning and Development in the Love Memorial Hall, Kilwinning.

After a year, he joined Irvine Toxophilities, where he is still a member and represents them in competitions. He shoots two nights a week Monday and Wednesday, presently outdoors. He also shoots on a Thursday night at Inverclyde Sports Centre with Largs Archery Club, where he is coached by Douglas McCourt. The 11-year-old has amassed over 30 medals, is the current West of Scotland U12s Champion and also holds nine Scottish Records.

And last Wednesday he was presented with the Irvine Tox Handicap Trophy as the winner for the 2017/2018 season. This is the second time he's won this in the three seasons it has been competed for.

In his first competitive year as an U12 he was seventh in the Scottish Indoor Junior Rankings for U18s, which runs from October to March.

Aged 10 he was selected to shoot for the Scottish Junior Team.

The team comprises eight members, four boys and four girls, two of which must be compound archers. This leaves three spaces to be filled by male recurve archers. The other two places have been filled by juniors who shoot in the U18 age group.

Jonathan recently gave a talk on archery to his classmates at Dalry Primary and took his bow in to explain how to set it up and use it.

He is a member of Dalry 55th Scout Group and also participates in the snowboarding freestyle club at Soar, Braehead on a Saturday morning,which can mean leaving there to compete at archery on the same day.