The Jousting Life

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Joust For Fun: Jousting Practice

Does this seem familiar?


Waiting for your turn to ride (photo by unknown)

If you know who created this cartoon, please let me know so that I can credit them properly.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

“Harcourt Park World Invitational Jousting Tournament” Gains Media Attention

The “Harcourt Park World Invitational Jousting Tournament” which takes place February 16 - 17 in Upper Hutt, New Zealand is garnering attention from the news services.


Harcourt Park Medieval Tournament poster (photo from Order of the Boar)

First the New Zealand tournament was mentioned in a CNN Travel article about contemporary competitive jousting, and now a couple of other articles have been written about it in some New Zealand newspapers:

1-17-2013
Wellington Scoop: "Jousting in Upper Hutt named by CNN as one of world’s top six locations"

1-23-2013
Upper Hutt Leader: "Serious jousting event goes global"


Frederic Piraux, the winner of the last tournament, takes a blow from a lance
(photo by Peter McDonald)

You can find out more specific information about the joust, the jousters and their horses on the "Order of the Boar" website.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

In Memoriam – Ulrich Kiener

The jousting community lost a valiant fighter recently when Ulrich Kiener passed away on January 12, 2013 from complications of liver failure. Ulrich had suffered from liver problems since he was 6 years old. He had two liver transplants before being able to live out his dream of becoming a jouster. He and his wife were well liked in the jousting community for the all too brief time that he was able to joust. He will be missed by those he left behind.


"His life was the riding and jousting and fighting. I´m very proud to have known him, having him as my husband and being part of his life... The same is the pain to have lost him.” – Melanie Sonja Mayr-Kiener

Ulrich's wife, Melanie, created a Facebook page in Ulrich's honor where she shared a message about Ulrich in both her native language, German, and in English. They are printed below along with a few statements made by others who knew and cared for Ulrich.

Mein liebster Ehemann, Freund und Fürst, Ulrich Kiener, ist am 12.01.2013 friedlich von uns gegangen. Wir erweisen Ihm die letzte Ehre am 23.01.2013.

Stattfinden wird die heilige Messe und im Anschluss (gegen 12:30) die Beisetzung.
Genaue Zeit und Ort gebe ich noch bekannt.

Ich bitte, da für mich das alles noch zu frisch und schmerzhaft ist von Beileidsbekundungen am Grabe abzusehen.

Ich weiss dass es einige unter Euch gibt die Ihm gerne noch etwas mitgeben wollen auf seinem Weg. Dazu stehen einige Möglichkeiten zur Verfügung:
Ich habe eine Kondolenzmappe auslegen lassen in die jeder mitgebrachte zeilen einlegen kann oder auch etwas einschreiben kann. Desweiteren können die die nicht kommen können aber etwas schreiben wollen gerne eine speziell eingerichtete EMail Adresse nutzen. Ich werde die Zeilen dann mit in das Kondolenzbuch binden lassen.
EMail Adresse: fuerulrich.kiener@gmx.de

Uli war es immer wichtig dass man zusammensteht und füreinander da ist. Damit sollte jeder in diesem Kreis willkommen sein.

Ich habe eine gewisse Anzahl Sterbebildchen drucken lassen. Ausserdem kann jeder der möchte und nicht da ist gerne mir auf die Email schreiben wenn er auch eines will.Das werd ich dann veranlassen.

Ich denke man kann in so einem Fall kein allgemeines Treffen danach machen, daher sollen sich die die den Wunsch haben gerne nach der Bestattung selbst zusammenfinden. Ich selbst weiss ganz einfach noch nicht wie es mir an diesem tag geht, und ob ich mich einer der Gruppen anschliessen will und werde.

Ich danke Euch allen wirklich vielmals für Eure Anteilnahme, im Moment habe ich nur nicht die Möglichkeit Euch allen lieben Menschen zu antworten. Das tut mir leid. Ich hole das nach, ich trage Eure lieben Worte fest in meinem Herzen und sie machen die Zeit wenn nicht leicht dann doch zumindest erträglicher.

Eure Melanie Sonja Mayr-Kiener


Ulrich Kiener (photo by unknown)

My beloved husband, friend and lord, Ulrich Kiener, on 12.01.2013 went peacefully from us. We pay homage to him on 23.1.2013.

After Holy Mass will then (at 12:30) be the burial.
Exact time and place I announce yet.

I ask because for me it is too fresh and painful nor refrain from condolences at the grave.

I know there are some among you who would like to give to him a little on his way. These are some possibilities:

There will be a book of condolonce for everyone who may enroll something. Furthermore,who can not write something because of not coming can write to the dedicated email address. I'll let the rows then bind with the condolence book.
email address: fuerulrich.kiener @ gmx.de

To Uli it was always important that we all stand together and for each other . So everyone should be welcome at the holy mass and the burial

I printed a certain number of memorial card. Who wants and is not there should write me on the email. I´ll manage you will get one.

I think such a case, no general meeting thereafter is possible, so if you have the desire to come togetherafter it please arrange for yourself. I myself would simply not know how I feel on that day, and wheter I want to join and become one of the groups.

I thank you all really very much for your words, right now I don´t have the possibility to answer to all of you lovely people. I'm sorry. I make up for it, I'm wearing your nice words in my heart and they make the time if not easy then at least bearable.

Yours Melanie

"I would like to express how sad I was when I heard the news. I met Ulrich and Melanie at Hackaland 2011 and they were wonderful to me. I was hoping to invite them to New Zealand for a tournament that we may be holding later this year and I'm gutted that this will now not happen.” – Callum Forbes

“I also met Ulrich and Melanie at Hackaland 2011. They sheltered us in their tent when a huge storm came through. Ulrich and Melanie were also kind enough to allow me to stay with them for a week during Grunwald 2012. It was a great opportunity to build a strong friendship. I want to express my gratitude to both Ulrich and Melanie for their kindness. It is so very sad to know that Ulrich has passed on. He will live on, though, through our fond memories and photos that will be shared throughout our own lifetimes. Farewell Ulrich. Melanie, my thoughts are with you at this awful time. Take care. Xx” – Sarah Hay

“Ulrich was an example of strength. Every hour spent with Ulrich and Melanie was an hour of good time and laughs. He will remain my friend forever. My condolences, Melanie.” – Audrius Jankauskas


Ulrich Kiener (photo from Tadas Laurinaitis)

“‎"Von Bruder zu Bruder, bis in den Tod.", du weißt schon Uli...” – Matte Farben

“Mir fehlen die Worte ...
ich bin einfach nur bestürzt und traurig :´(
Warum musst Du so jung sterben?? Das ist nicht fair ... Du hattest Dein ganzes Leben noch vor Dir ...
Tränen fließen im Gedenken an Dich ...

Dein Körper ist von uns gegangen ...
aber Du lebst weiter ...
in unseren HERZEN.

Good bye, good fellow
Wir sehen uns in einer anderen Welt wieder”
– Uwe Ahrens

“Und so soll unser aufrichtiges Beileid kundgetan sein. Es ist immer der größte Verlust, einen aufrichtigen Ritter dem Herrn überlassen zu sehen. Doch dort wo immergrüne Wiesen blühen, das Himmelslicht gar am schönsten ist, dort soll er weilen und sich sicher sein, dass er behütet sei fortan...

-in memoriam-
verneigt sei unser Haupt........” – Rajmund Bitowsky von Lichtenburg

“It was a honor to meet him in the field...” – Łukasz Dutkiewicz


"This is real fun" – Ulrich Kiener (photo by unknown)

“Ein wahrlich bewundernswerter mann.....wenn es mehr wie ihn gäbe, wäre die welt lebenswerter!” – Ulrich Steinhauser

“Sterben ist das Auslöschen der Lampe im Morgenlicht,
nicht das Auslöschen der Sonne.

“Möge ein Grosser Mann in Friden Ruhen
Herzliches Beileid an Seine Famillie” – Ewan Blakkarsson

“Wir werd in gedange bei euch sein in der schwern zeit in gedangen und in unsern herzen würd er weiter leben” – Ainè Festum


Ulrich Kiener (photo by Viduramziai.Lt)

Thursday, January 10, 2013

CNN Travel Posts a Nice Article About Contemporary Competitive Jousting

From CNN Travel:

World's most extreme sport? The modern renaissance of jousting:
Six places to watch competitive jousting around the world in 2013

By Dashka Slater for CNN Travel 10 January, 2013

Jousting -- the top-drawing sport across Europe for more than four centuries -- is undergoing a renaissance. And not just at renaissance fairs and goofy theme restaurants either.

The pastime has been the focus of two recent television shows: "Full Metal Jousting" on the History Channel and "Knights of Mayhem" on National Geographic.

As a new breed of modern athletes and equestrians exchange hard hits on horseback, opportunities are multiplying for modern spectators to see this most extreme of extreme sports....

To continue reading the CNN article, click here.

To see TJL's list of competitive jousting tournaments around the world in 2013, click here.


Jousting Tournament poster (photo from Order of the Boar)

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Charlie Andrews and the Knights of Iron Jousting Clinic

Along with The Knights of Iron, Charlie Andrews, of The Knights of Mayhem tv show and jousting troupe, will be teaching students how to joust at a jousting clinic in Sullivan, Ohio on March 9, 2013. There are 10 spots available for students and unlimited spots available for watching the clinic and demonstrations of jousting.

More information about the clinic and demonstrations can be found by following this link.


Jousting (photo from The Knights of Iron)

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Invitation to Joust in Russia

I've recently received information that a tournament in Russia is looking for experienced jousters for their historical festival, "Times & Epochs". You can find out more about the festival on this Facebook page:

Stefan Peetersvandenboschd'olbrecht, a member of "The Jousting Life" Facebook group, posted the following information about the event:

4 hours ago
Dear Stefan!
June 21-23, 2013, in the capital of Russia, in Moscow, in the historic park Kolomenskoye, will joust XV century. Moscow government gives money to spend the best historical event in the world! The main theme - equestrian joust. Main actors: Knights with heralds, squires and servants. Payable trip, maybe transport horses. In Moscow: ladies, food, wood for the historic camp. Arrival is possible from June 20. Joust be brutal. Therefore, the Knights should be experienced, and armor - complete. Please notify this tournament for familiar Knights! Questions - to me. I wil tell details and how to send request.

Is from a good friend Bogdanov Andrey

Russian website for the event (You can click on Google translate to get an English translation of the site.)

Email for the event