Bentonville’s Best-Kept Secret? World-Class Archery at The Quiver

If you’re planning a trip to Bentonville, Arkansas, you already know about the world-class mountain biking, the art scene, the food. But here’s one you might not have on your radar yet: archery. Bentonville is quietly becoming one of the best places in the country to pick up a bow, and The Quiver Archery Range at Osage Park is the reason why.

To understand just how far the sport has come in Northwest Arkansas, we sat down with Richard Bowen, competitive archer, Vegas Shoot veteran, and reigning Arkansas State Archery Champion, ahead of this year’s USA Archery Arkansas State Outdoor Target Championship, taking place June 13 & 14, 2026, right here in Bentonville. His story is the kind that makes you want to grab a bow and give it a shot yourself!

Young Bowen with scoring targets

It Started in the Backyard

Like a lot of archers in Arkansas, Richard Bowen’s introduction to the sport came through family. “When I was a kid, my granddad, my dad, and my uncles shot archery — mainly for bowhunting,” he recalls. “Watching them shoot in the yard just got me very fascinated with the bows and watching the arrows fly.” His first real experience with a bow was chasing deer, not targets. But that foundation established a curiosity that would eventually take him beyond the woods.

The shift toward competitive archery happened almost by accident. During an off-season winter, with no hunting available, Bowen tried an indoor range just to keep shooting. An employee there taught him how to score a proper indoor round, and something clicked. “I shot a round and really enjoyed trying to get my score better every time I went,” he says. “Eventually, that drive to want to get better was just as exciting as a deer coming through the woods.” It’s a feeling that anyone who visits a range, like The Quiver, might recognize after their very first session.

Bowen at competition

Chasing the Perfect Score

What followed for Bowen was years of goal-setting, travel, and relentless practice. He worked his way up from local ranges to out-of-state competitions across the Midwest, and eventually set his sights on the Vegas Shoot, one of the most prestigious indoor archery events in the world. His ultimate goal was a perfect score of 900 across 90 arrows over three days. “That seemed like such an impossible task,” he says. “But trying to accomplish that was a lot of mental focus.” He eventually got there.

The preparation behind scores like that is serious. At his peak, Bowen was practicing nearly every day, shooting double the arrow count he’d face in competition. “If the format required 120 arrows, I would try to shoot double that at least every day. I didn’t want to be fatigued when the actual time came,” he explains.

The Mental Game

Ask Bowen what he loves most about archery, and he doesn’t talk about equipment or technique first. He talks about what happens mentally, and it’s a big reason why the sport is so accessible and addictive for those who try it for the first time.

“The mental challenge of shooting a bow is a very personal experience — it’s just you and your bow. There’s no defense out there trying to stop you,” he says. “You train and practice, and then at a tournament you have all of these extra forces: the nerves, the people watching, the anxiety — really trying to prevent you from doing what you practiced. Overcoming that is what’s so cool about this game.”

He grins when he sums it up: “You could train a monkey to shoot a compound bow. But to do it on the line when it counts — those little mental hurdles, overcoming those challenges, is what really keeps it interesting.”

That challenge is part of what makes archery such a great activity for everyone! Whether you’ve never held a bow or you’ve been shooting for years, walking up to the line and finding your focus is a universal experience. Bowen even sees it translate to everyday life. “The same success you have performing under pressure in archery can apply to a job interview, or approaching someone you’re nervous to talk to,” he says. “Those skills you learn to cope with stress can directly apply to other things.”

The Best Place to Start? Right Here in Bentonville.

When Bowen first walked into The Quiver, his reaction was immediate. “Just the officialness of the facility,” he says. “It’s not just a backyard or a repurposed building. This was built to be an archery facility, and you can tell.” The wind berms, the covered shooting line, the purposeful layout — it all signals that this is a serious place, no matter your experience level.

The Quiver Archery Range, located at Osage Park in Bentonville, is the only fully-staffed archery range in Arkansas. The 70-meter outdoor facility features 20 lanes, certified USA Archery instructors, and all the equipment you need, making it the perfect stop whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned competitor visiting NWA. Hourly reservations start at just $20 per hour per person, or $50 for a family of four with all gear included.

No experience? No problem. The Quiver’s certified instructors are there to walk you through everything, from how to hold the bow to how to find your aim. It’s one of those Bentonville experiences that surprise visitors! “To have it look like a professional setting that has all the things archers need, to come and learn how to shoot safely, to learn the rules, and be familiar with the process,” Bowen says. “It’s a really cool opportunity.”

Bowen at USA Archery Arkansas State Outdoor Target Championship in 2025

A State Championship Right in Your Backyard

Arkansas hadn’t hosted an official state archery championship in decades when The Quiver stepped up to change that. Bowen entered the inaugural event and came away with the title, battling challenging wind conditions to hold on and finish on top. “That medal is still hanging where I can see it,” he says. “It has a very special place in my heart because it’s Arkansas.”

Growing up, he had looked up to a family friend who’d been the Arkansas state champion in the 1970s, and holding that same title, in his home state, at a world-class facility right in Northwest Arkansas, carried a weight that his other accomplishments simply couldn’t replicate.

Now the championship is back for year two, and Bowen is aiming to defend. He’s been watching the weather closely. “The windy conditions last year were kind of an equalizer,” he laughs. “You can practice all you want and walk in with all the skill in the world, but when the wind hits you at full draw, everyone’s fighting it equally. If the wind stays calm, I like my chances.”

Come Watch… Or Pick Up a Bow Yourself!

The USA Archery Arkansas State Outdoor Target Championship takes place June 13 & 14, 2026, at The Quiver Archery Range in Osage Park, Bentonville. The tournament features recurve, compound, and barebow divisions under official USA Archery rules.

Spectators are welcome for just $5 at the door, and Quiver members receive one free spectator pass per registered archer. It’s a rare chance to see elite competitive archery live in Northwest Arkansas, and is the kind of event that might just inspire you to pick up a bow and start your own story.

Richard Bowen’s journey began with watching his grandfather shoot in the backyard. Yours might begin with an afternoon at The Quiver. You never know — next year, that could be your name on the leaderboard!