In this provided photo, Eugene equestrian Carey Norland competes in the World Yabusame Championships in Towada, Aomori, Japan, in October 2025.
Katsuhiko Sunawatari
Yabusame is a form of Japanese horseback archery that dates back centuries. The sport has traditionally only been practiced in Japan, but in recent years, students outside the country have been allowed to participate — including in Oregon. As reported in Eugene Weekly, Carey Norland participated in one of the first yabusame clinics outside Japan last summer. He then traveled from Eugene to Japan to compete in the World Yabusame Championships in October.
Norland is now set to become one of the first certified yabusame instructors outside of Japan. He joins us to talk about bringing the sport and its spiritual practice to students in the Pacific Northwest.
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