Muche's Equine Action Photos

Let the Games Begin!
A Medieval Sport Finds New Life

~Images Available for Private and Commercial Sales and Licensing~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Probably everyone has things that they would love to do but for various reasons feel that they’ll never get the chance. I’ve been extremely lucky that I’ve been able to at least try most of the things that I’ve wanted to, but one of those things, in particular, seemed to be the impossible dream.. Well, there’s this medieval sport called jousting that’s still practiced in dinner shows and movies but is only done by stuntmen. Or so I thought. Thanks to James Zoppe, my dreams of jousting became a reality . The website for the American Jousting Alliance (www.jameszoppe.com), says it was an “extreme” sport before the phrase was even applied to such things — a competition of strength, skill and agility in which medieval knights challenged each other in contests of courage and honor in pursuit of favor with the court and kings. The sport of jousting began roughly 900 years ago and according to Zoppe it served to keep the knights in top form between true military skirmishes. "Contrary to what many people think, pitched battles were rare in the Middle Ages,” he explained. “Tournament jousting became popular starting around 1125-1130, when it was no longer popular to employ it on the battlefield.” The tournaments had an established point system that allowed judges to determine winners, and the sport flourished well into the late 1500s.” And into the 21st, if Zoppe has his way. A former trick rider (he descends from a family of rosin-back riders), Zoppe trained riders for Universal Studios’ Western stunt show and also for Renaissance faires before codifying a set of rules that would allow for competitive jousting tournaments. He founded the Alliance in 1996 and set up a training facility in Frazier Park, where students, of all ages and levels of riding ability, come from as far as Mexico, Canada and England. On a recent summer day he focused his attention on me. The lesson started simply enough — I was introduced to my mount, a 17 year-old gray gelding named Brutus, who stands 16.1 hands and weighs 1,600 pounds. I then took up a spear, ring lance and tournament lance. Safety gear included a helmet, a pair of chaps and roping gloves (which prevent blisters). We began with the Skill-at-Arms Events that included spear throwing, ring spearing and something known as “shield quintain hitting”. Each required balance, strength and a good eye as well as decent horsemanship. In spear throwing the rider must accurately lance a target — usually a hay bale — while galloping past. Points are awarded for accuracy, with the highest points awarded for a center hit. Sounds simple enough, but I found this to be the most difficult challenge of the day. If my aim was good the strength of my throw was not sufficient, or vice versa. After many tries, I was able to put it all together (but the target suffered very little damage in the process). A thin, 10- foot lance is used for ring spearing, the object of which is to get as many rings as possible while galloping a specific pattern. The lance must pass through the center of the suspended ring or it will be knocked aside rather than sliding onto your spear. Once I got used to the length and weight of the lance I was at least able to hit the rings and usually managed to spear at least one. Finally, on my best run I collected two of the three rings. One of the finer points of competitive jousting is to be able to hit your opponent’s shield dead center, and ring spearing helps to fine tune your aim. The last skill-at-arms event was shield quintain hitting — you attempt to hit a shield attached to a pivoting arm, held by a post (the apparatus is called a quintain). At a gallop, the rider must hit the shield dead center with a tournament lance. Points are awarded based on how many times the shield spins (partial revolutions earn fractional points). Maximum spin is caused by hitting the shield squarely, leveraging both the speed of your horse and your own strength. My best hit score: 1.75 revolutions. (Zoppe estimates above average would be anything over two , and offered a pat on the back for coming close on my first try.) The next step was the jousting itself, taught in two parts: giving and taking a hit. For this a helmet and shield became part of my arsenal. The goal in tournament jousting is to hit your opponent’s shield as squarely and powerfully as possible. Rivals face each other from opposite sides of the list (lane) and, after signaling their readiness, charge at full gallop. Each shield must be properly presented as a good target with one hand, while the lance is wielded in the other. Points are awarded for the quality and placement of a hit. Tournament Lances are 10 feet long and weigh 5-10 pounds with a grip 24- to 31 inches from the base. Shields are no more than 24 inches wide by 40 inches high and weigh between 18 and 24 pounds. Now the test of what I’d learned! I received the hits and quickly learned the importance of the proper placement of the shield and of my helmet. The shield is to be held on a plane with the body and extended far enough so the arm can act as a shock absorber. On my first run my shield was askew and not far enough from my body. The result was that the oncoming lance was deflected into my head. (Alliance rules do not allow intentional hits to the helmet.) Even with the heavy helmet I definitely felt the blow and quickly learned my lesson improving my technique on each of the subsequent runs. Giving a hit was actually more difficult, because if you do it wrong you will actually feel it more than your opponent will. A basic medieval design, the lance has a beveled hand grip which allows it to slide backwards by intentionally relaxing the grip. This absorbs some of the shock and allows for more control but does not lessen the impact on your opponents shield. On my third run I forgot to release my grip and felt the full impact of the hit. When it became clear that I was going to be unseated, I cast the lance aside so Brutus would not be injured. I hit the ground and rolled onto my back, finding time to marvel that I’d found an new way to be removed from the saddle. Brutus just stared, as if asking what I was doing, while Lani looked on with concern. Determined that my lesson should end in the saddle, I made one more run after that. Since it was a good run I was happy to retire from the field tired and bruised but with a smile a mile wide.. Any contact sport has its dangers and jousting is definitely a contact sport but the safety precautions and the training provided by James Zoppe and The American Jousting Alliance provide a positive environment where you can not only learn this noble sport but go on to compete in it if you so desire. You’ll get a good workout, have some fun and experience some medieval history first hand. Would I do it again? Definitely. Would I recommend the experience to others? Without hesitation. For more about the American Jousting Alliance, call 661-245-4000 or go to www. jameszoppe.com.

~Return to Main Menu Page~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you have any questions or comments please e-mail us at the address below or mail us at P.O. Box 4122, Alhambra, CA, 91803.
Jim & Lani Muche muche@earthlink.net