What is jousting?
Jousting has been part of England’s culture for hundreds of years. It’s a medieval martial art, the ultimate test of horsemanship, man and animal. They need to work as a team, be strong physically, but, the joust is won in the mind. Knights must remain calm, focused and be brave to sit and give themselves up as a target at high speed. In this sport, there is no such thing as defence.
The jousting stunt shows that still grace our countries historic houses and palaces, castles and County fares every summertime are a great testament to that legacy, but are far removed what a real sporting joust tournament is all about.
About 5 years ago I began a journey for what was to become a formidable task, a quest.
That quest is to become a 21st Century jousting knight.
Will I be able to do it?
How do you become a jousting knight?
Jousting is a sport only for the brave, the sport of knights, clad in steel, thundering toward each other on their beautiful, brave war horses, conquering fear as they test man, animal and steel. Join me and see the amazing theatre of the medieval jousting tournament come crashing back to life in all its guts, colour and glory!
In this quest so far I’ve gone from a complete beginner in horse riding and combat in a bid to become a 21st century knight, to attempt to take to the world stage and pit my whit against some of the world’s best tournament champion knights.
What will it take to become a jousting knight, how does a total novice get into the sport?
Just like in the film ‘A Knights Tale’ I come from a humble background, not blessed with thousands of pounds for armour or even my own war horse! How will I break into an elite sport; just as it was in the 15th century when very few people had the status or could afford to do it? I will need constant training and discipline to maintain fitness and form.
Believe it or not there are quite a few specialty riding centres in the UK offering jousting and mounted skill at arms lessons. But first you will need to ride! Obviously; you may say! But I am a city lad and had never been near a horse until this quest began. So this is where I started and learnt to ride a horse Warwick school. Also based there are the Knights of Middle England, headed by Sky TV presenter, actor, model and top polo player Karl Ude Martinez. He runs a unique jousting tournament for amateurs that take place twice a year at his base in Warwickshire. I entered two of these competitions; I learnt their style of jousting and other combat skills before taking the move into the world of historical jousting tournaments.
For the crowds watching 15th century jousting tournaments it’s the equivalent of watching a premiership football match. And just like any elite sportsperson today, jousting is a sport that requires constant training. Not just for the knight also his war horse called a Destrier; they need to be as one.
Being able to ride a horse is one thing but to do it in plate armour with shield and lance, speeding at 30mph toward another knight who is trying to hit you is a totally different prospect. Knight and horse need unconditional trust in each other. The journey so far has had its share of highs and lows with constant training, learning to ride and joust has become all encompassing; ‘a jousting life’.
What will you see?
We will meet a horse trainer and get an insight on how they prepare horses for jousting tournaments; they are also a stunt rider and horse supplier to the film/TV industry like Games of Thrones. We will visit the stables and see what it takes to prepare the horses. Horses4History is where the main training will take place for the jousting tournament; you will meet on of the countries only female real steel jousters. She is Nicky Willis a formidable character that trains many of the country’s top jousters. She is the first female jouster to have jousted for English Heritage in England’s finest castles like Kenilworth and the Tower of London guardian article
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/jun/23/women-to-take-on-men-in-medieval-jousts-at-english-heritage-sites
We will look at how the manufacturing of the steel suit of armour known as a ‘harness’ is designed and made. Only a small number of highly skilled armourers keep the art of making armour for jousting alive today. We will visit the Royal Armouries in Leeds to show examples of historical jousting equipment and to get expert comment and opinion from the museum curator; who is a champion jouster.
https://collections.royalarmouries.org/#/objects
100’s of years on from its medieval beginnings jousting has become a well-established global phenomenon; in England there are elite horsemen jousting at English Heritage events, Arundel Castle Tournament, the Easter Royal Armouries Tournament and shows from internationally renowned 15th Century jousting group Destrier.
http://www.destrier.org.uk
With competitions from the International Jousting League, World Joust Tournament, and historical tournaments held in Europe, Russia, Australia
and New Zealand and the United States and Canada - a behind the scenes look at what it takes to become a 21st Century jousting knight is sure to be a hit! Support me in my quest and join my journey to my first real steel jousting tournament