The Jousting Life

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Experience life in Medieval Times at Leeds Castle this Summer

From Leeds Castle:

The Royal Armouries and Leeds Castle will bring history to life by staging a magnificent nine day Medieval Festival within the beautiful Castle grounds in Kent from Saturday 23rd to Sunday 31st August 2014. There are endless sights and sounds to discover and at the heart of festivities, display of an exceptional collection of armour that belonged to King Henry VIII, The Tonlet Armour and The Horned Helmet, which will be on display in the Castle from 23 July to 21 September 2014.


The Horned Helmet given to King Henry VIII by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian I
(photo from Leeds Castle)

Leeds Castle visitors will experience life as it was in the Middle Ages with a different programme of inspiring activities each day, ranging from the Royal Armouries’ Knight School, Princess School, a 15th century-style Longbow Archery Tournament, Skill-at-Arms demonstrations by jousting knights and Infantry Skirmishes. Twice daily falconry shows, a medieval market and living history reenactment camps will allow visitors to embrace the sights and sounds of this colourful era for Leeds Castle’s flagship event of the year.

The return to a glorious past will culminate in a thrilling Grand Tournament comprising authentic jousts and a real life unchoreographed Mêlée on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 August in a thrilling special ticketed event. For more information on The Medieval Festival presented by The Royal Armouries and Leeds Castle please visit:
http://themedievalfestival.leeds-castle.com


Andreas Wenzel and Mark Caple of Destrier, Mounted Melee(photo from Leeds Castle)

From 23rd July until 21st September, the Exhibition Centre will host the Henry VIII and the Royal Armour Workshops Exhibition examining the world of Tudor armour and armourmaking techniques with highlights from the Royal Armouries collection. Shortly after Henry VIII came to the throne in 1509, he established a royal armour workshop in the Palace of Greenwich, bringing armourers from abroad to make armour of the highest quality for the king and his court.

Evening Open Air Cinema screenings will allow visitors to enjoy picnics under the stars whilst being entertained by Medieval-inspired films choosing from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves on Sunday 24th August or The Princess Bride on Wednesday 27th August. Tickets are £12 for adults and £8 for children.

Special Guest Appearance from Mike the Knight: Tuesday 26th August
A must-see for budding knights and princesses is a Children’s Day on Tuesday 26th August with a special guest appearance from Cbeebies Mike the Knight and Evie. These popular characters will entertain with magical stories and photo opportunities at the Squire’s Courtyard Playground from 11am to 4.30pm. Royal Armouries Knight School gives young knights the chance to practice skill-at-arms and jousting and budding courtiers can learn about Royal etiquette and court dances in the Princess School. Medieval Characters, Cedric Super Knight Puppet Show, Walkabout Jesters and Medieval Circus Skills also begin on Tuesday 26th running until 31st August.

Arms and Armour Talks: Wednesday 27th August
Expert presentation and talks from Dr Thom Richardson, Deputy Master and former Keeper of Armour and Karen Watts, Senior Curator of Armour and Art at the Royal Armouries will provide in depth background into the incredible armour displayed at Leeds Castle this summer and the specialist armour used for the joust. Dr Thom Richardson: 'Arms and Armour in the Tudor Period' is at 11am and 2pm with Karen Watts: 'The Tournament' at 3pm both in the Maiden’s Tower.


Jousting Armour(photo from Leeds Castle)

‘Herstory’ day – Talks by women, about women of the Tudor age: Thursday 28th August
A fascinating day of knowledge awaits with three historians and historical novelists giving talks on the life of women in the Tudor period. Talks take place in the Maiden’s Tower at 11.30am with Lauren Mackay, 2.00pm with Amy Licence and 3.30pm with Elizabeth Fremantle. Books signings will be taking place after each talk and books will be on sale in the Maiden’s Tower and the Leeds Castle shops. Talks are included in entrance ticket free of charge.

An Evening with Best-selling Historian, Alison Weir at Leeds Castle: Thursday 28th August
Join historical author Alison Weir and other guests for an intriguing talk entitled ‘The Monstrous Regiment of Women: Tudor Queens and Commoners’ followed by a wonderful summer feast in the 17th Century Fairfax Hall and optional overnight stay in a B&B Stable Courtyard bedroom. Alison is currently the best-selling female historian in the UK specialising in queens from the Medieval and Tudor periods. Event price including dinner - £40 per person. Accommodation - £140 per room.

Medieval Banquet in the Fairfax Hall: 29th August
Come dressed as Lords and Ladies from the Middle Ages for a hearty feast fit for a King, in the oak beamed Fairfax Hall at Leeds Castle. The Medieval Banquet will be served on trenchers in four courses. After dinner, dance the night away with a traditional Ceilidh band. Evening price - £59 per person. Accommodation - £140 per room.

The Grand Tournament: Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st August
The return to a glorious past will culminate in a thrilling Grand Tournament comprising authentic jousts and a real life unplanned Mêlée on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 August. Visitors will see the squires arm the knights in full plate armour, before witnessing four knightly warriors compete in this thrilling special ticketed event. Tickets are £24 per adult, £21 per concessions, £16 per child. Annual tickets to Leeds Castle are not valid for this special event.


Mark Caple and Andreas Wenzel of Destrier, Joust(photo from Leeds Castle)

Leeds Castle is located near Maidstone in Kent, within easy reach of London, just off Junction 8 of the M20. Royal Armouries is one of Britain’s oldest public museums and home to one of the finest collections of arms and armour in the world. It has sites at HM Tower of London, Leeds and Fort Nelson in Hampshire.


Medieval Festival poster(photo from Leeds Castle)

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

The Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen in the News

Here are links to a number of articles from other news sources about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen. As more articles are found, they will be added to this list.

The Wallace Collection: Curator in Combat
posted July 10, 15, 18 and 21, 2014
blog posts by Toby Capwell about the tournament

SRF TV Duell der Ritter
posted July 10, 2014
tv news video

SRF TV Männer in Rüstungen duellieren sich in Schaffhausen
posted July 10, 2014
tv news video(much the same as the previous video with slight differences)

Shaffhausen.net Ritterturnier auf dem Herrenacker in Schaffhausen
posted Friday, July 11, 2014
includes text, photos and videos

SWR TV Die großen Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen
posted Friday, July 11, 2014
tv news coverage

SWR TV Ritterspiele ohne Knautschzone
posted July 15, 2014
tv news video

SRF TV Ritterspiele in Schaffhausen
posted July 15, 2014
tv news video

SWR TV Kämpfen wie ein Ritter
posted July 16, 2014
tv news video

SRF TV Kulturplatz an den grossen Schaffhauser Ritterspielen
30 minute cultural program including segments about Schaffhausen
posted July 16, 2014

Badische Zeitung Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen: Stolze Ritter hoch zu Ross
posted Monday, July 21, 2014
includes text and photos

Results of the Giostra di Monteriggioni 2014

Roberto Cinguegrana was kind enough to send in the results of the Giostra di Monteriggioni 2014 and a picture from the tournament.

GIOSTRA DI MONTERIGGIONI (Siena) 2014 - Piazzamenti
1st place - Roberto Cinquegrana
2nd place - Attilio la Mura
3rd place - Fulvio Bianchi
4th place - Claudio Coacci
5th place - Daniele Chiveri


Jousters at the Giostra di Monteriggioni 2014(photo provided by Roberto Cinquegrana)

Related articles:
An Aerial View of a Jousting Tournament in Italy

Jousting in Italy: Giostra di Pisa 2014

Monday, July 28, 2014

Burgundian Alliance Wins Team Championship at Arundel International Tournament 2014

Congratulations to Ben van Koert and Per Estein Prøis- Røhjell of the Burgundian Alliance for winning the Team Championship of the Arundel International Tournament 2014!


Ben van Koert(left) and Per Estein Prøis- Røhjell(right) of the Burgundian Alliance,
Team Champions of Arundel Castle International Tournament 2014
(photos by ARW Photography)

The two teams to make it to the finals on Sunday were the Burgundian Alliance and Team England. Andy Deane of Team England won the Individual Championship.


Andy Deane, Individual Champion of Arundel International Tournament 2014
(photo by ARW Photography)

Jan Gradon of Team Poland won the Mounted Skill at Arms competition.


Jan Gradon, winner of the Mounted Skill at Arms competition at Arundel International Tournament 2014(photo by ARW Photography)

Patrice Rolland of Team France was chosen to receive the Award of Chivalry.


Patrice Rolland, chosen to receive the Award of Chivalry for Arundel International Tournament 2014
(photo by ARW Photography)

Congratulations, also, to Arundel Castle and everyone involved in creating yet another marvelous tournament!


The jousters and ground crew of Arundel International Tournament 2014
(photo by ARW Photography)

Related articles:
TV news Coverage of Arundel Castle International Tournament 2014

Photos and Scores from Day 2 and 3 of the Arundel Castle International Tournament 2014

Photos and Results from the First Day of Arundel Castle International Tournament 2014

Arundel Castle International Jousting Tournament 2014 Starts Today

Arundel Castle International Jousting Tournament 2013

"Arundel Castle International Tournament 2013" Score Summary

Holy Roman Empire Defeats England at Arundel Castle International Jousting Tournament 2012


Friday, July 25, 2014

TV news Coverage of Arundel International Tournament 2014

The Arundel International Tournament is taking place this week, July 22 - 27 at Arundel Castle. ITV news was there to report on the tournament. This news segment includes statements about the event by Knight Marshal Andreas Wenzel; jousters Philip Leitch and Ben van Koert; and Mounted Skill at Arms rider and member of the Ladies Court(horsemanship and chivalry judge) Kyle Van Dolah-Evans.


This video with a brief text describing it can also be found on the ITV news website.

Related articles:
Photos and Scores from Day 2 and 3 of the Arundel International Tournament 2014

Photos and Results from the First Day of Arundel International Tournament 2014

Arundel International Jousting Tournament 2014 Starts Today

Arundel International Jousting Tournament 2013

"Arundel International Tournament 2013" Score Summary

Holy Roman Empire Defeats England at Arundel Castle International Jousting Tournament 2012

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Photos and Scores from Day 2 and 3 of the Arundel International Tournament 2014

At the end of Day 2 of the Arundel International Tournament, it looked like Team Poland still had the lead in the team competition, but Team England was catching up, and Team France and the Burgundian Alliance were still within striking distance. In the individual competition, Jan Gradon had caught up with Andy Deane and the two were tied for first, with Jarek Struczyński and Ben van Koert both only one point behind, and Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell and Steve R. Gagnon only one point behind them.


Day 2 Scoreboard for Arundel 2014(photo by Kyle Van Dolah-Evans)


Phillip Leitch(left) and Jan Gradon(right) joust during Day 2 of Arundel International Tournament 2014(photo from Victoria Dawe/ArundelCastle)



Phillip Leitch(left) and Jan Gradon(right) shake hands after their match
(photo from Arundel Castle)


Jarek Struczyński and Patrice Rolland joust during Day 2 of Arundel International Tournament 2014(photo from Arundel Castle)


Andy Deane attacks a hapless cabbage during the Mounted Skill at Arms competition
(photo from Arundel Castle)

By the end of Day 3 of the Arundel tournament, Team England had managed to pull ahead in the team competition, though Poland was still close enough to be a threat. Team France was now only one point behind Team Poland, and the Burgundian Alliance, though behind by three points, was still in the running. In the individual competition, Andy Deane managed to gain the lead again, with Ben van Koert surpassing both Jan Gradon and Jarek Struczyński to reach second place. The two Poles were tied for third and Steve Gagnon was only one point behind. With four more days of competition, however, anything can happen.


Day 3 Scoreboard for Arundel 2014(photo by ARW Photography)


Andy Deane of Team England smashes his lance against Ben van Koert of the Burgundian Alliance
(photo by ARW Photography)



Phillip Leitch of Team England and Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell of the Burgundian Alliance both break their lances during their jousting pass(photo by ARW Photography)


Ben van Koert of the Burgundian Alliance(photo by ARW Photography)


Jarek Struczyński of Team Poland(photo by ARW Photography)

Related articles:
Photos and Results from the First Day of Arundel International Tournament 2014

Arundel International Jousting Tournament 2014 Starts Today

Arundel International Jousting Tournament 2013

"Arundel International Tournament 2013" Score Summary

Holy Roman Empire Defeats England at Arundel Castle International Jousting Tournament 2012

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Photos and Results from the First Day of Arundel International Tournament 2014

The first day of the grueling seven day Arundel International Tournament is over. After the first three sessions of jousting, Poland is leading the team competition and Andy Dean is in first place for the individual competition. The teams and jousters competing at Arundel Castle this year are:

Team England – Andy Deane and Phillip Lietch

Team France – Patrice Rolland and Steve Gagnon

Team Poland – Jan Gradon and Jarek Struczyński

The Burgundian Alliance - Ben van Koert and Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell

The Knight Marshal this year is Andreas Wenzel. And the Ladies Court includes Catherine Tranter, Kate Vigurs and Kyle van Dolah-Evans. Click on the names to see a brief biography and photos of each.


The Scoreboard at the end of Day 1(photo by Kyle Van Dolah-Evans)


Andy Deane looks happy to be in the lead at the end of Day 1(photo by ARW Photography)


Jarek Struczyński jousts Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell during Day 1 of the Arundel International Tournament 2014(photo by ARW Photography)


Phillip Leitch jousts Jan Gradon during Day 1 of the Arundel International Tournament 2014
(photo by ARW Photography)


Arundel Castle on the first day of the Arundel International Tournament
(photo by ARW Photography)


Arundel Castle International Jousting & Medieval Tournament(video by SeeThat)

Related articles:

Arundel International Jousting Tournament 2014 Starts Today

Arundel International Jousting Tournament 2013

"Arundel International Tournament 2013" Score Summary

Holy Roman Empire Defeats England at Arundel Castle International Jousting Tournament 2012

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Jousting in Schaffhausen a Success!

According to tournament organizer Arne Koets, over 14,000 people came to watch the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen which was held in association with an exhibition of knightly arms and armour at the Museum zu Allerheiligen. Quite the turnout considering that the stands were only built to hold an audience of 890, the weather was frequently "inclement" and one of the jousts was held during the final match of the World Cup. According to Arne,"Quite a few shows were sold out, and the visitor numbers were much higher than expected. About 80% of all possible tickets sold."

And, of course, there is more TV news coverage of the Die Grossen Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen:


TELE TOP: 14'000 Besucher an Ritterspielen in Schaffhausen(video from TELE TOP)

You can read the article(in German) that goes with the above video by clicking here.


One of the mounted melees during the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen
(photo from Museum zu Allerheiligen)

Although the live jousting is over, there is still time to see the rest of the exhibit of knightly arms and armour which will continue until September 21 at the Museum zu Allerheiligen.

More articles about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen:
Toby Capwell Posts Pictures of the Schaffhausen Tournament

Toby Capwell's Third Blog Post About the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen: 'Helmets Off'

Arne Koets Comments on the Tournament So Far, Plus More TV News Coverage of the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

Tobias Frin Talks About the Riding at The Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

Even More TV News Coverage of The Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

Toby Capwell's Second Blog Post About the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

More TV News Coverage of the Schaffhausen Tournament

Toby Capwell is Writing Blog Posts about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen!

TV Coverage of the Grand Tournament of Schaffhausen 2014

Video: Toby Capwell Explains His Passion for Jousting

Promotional Video for Die Grossen Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen


Arundel International Jousting Tournament 2014 Starts Today

Text and image from Arundel Castle:

With prestigious competitors from Norway, the Netherlands, France, Australia and Poland, this is one of the largest tournaments in the United Kingdom. The week-long event, held under the shadow of the mighty Castle, attracts large audiences from far and wide to enjoy the magnificent 15th century jousting action. Set in 1470, the tournament offers a whole week of action with three jousts per day.

Knights compete for the ultimate glory of winning the Championship of Arundel Castle. In addition to the individual medal, an award is also presented to the most chivalrous knight, but the most hotly contested prize of all is the team award. This year’s teams are made up of old rivals, the Kingdoms of England and France, plus two new teams, the Burgundian Alliance and the Kingdom of Poland.

“This prestigious event is truly the highlight of our year at Arundel Castle,” commented Castle Manager, Bryan McDonald. “Visitors of all ages will be able to revel in the sights, sounds and smells of an authentic medieval tournament which brings the drama of 15th century Britain to life.”

As well as cheering on their jousting team of choice, visitors will be able to witness hand-to-hand combat with a medieval tournament from the knights and men-at-arms of Raven Tor living history Group. Set within an authentic medieval encampment, the Distant Trumpets storyteller will enthral visitors with tales from the period. In addition, have-a-go archery, craft displays and the musicians of Rough Musicke combine to make this a unique event sure to capture the imagination and entertain the whole family.


Arundel International Tournament 2014(image from Arundel Castle)

Related articles:
Arundel International Jousting Tournament 2013

"Arundel International Tournament 2013" Score Summary

Holy Roman Empire Defeats England at Arundel Castle International Jousting Tournament 2012

Monday, July 21, 2014

Toby Capwell Posts Pictures of the Schaffhausen Tournament

For his fourth and possibly final blog post about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen, Toby Capwell decided to share a number of pictures of the event.

From The Wallace Collection:

Wallace Collection Curator in Combat: NEW UPDATE! Part 4


Jousting tournaments are not known for their live reporting… until now. Toby Capwell, our Curator of Arms and Armour, reports from ‘The Great Tournament of Schaffhausen’ in Switzerland. Remember to keep checking in for updates or add the blog to your RSS feed!

Fourth Report- Monday 21 July, Final Weekend
Well, we’ve made it to the final weekend. It’s been getting hotter and hotter and therefore physically much more challenging for everyone involved in the tournament. Two more days left!
There have been a lot of fantastic photos being made over the last week, so I thought in this installment, possibly the last, I’d pick out some of my favourites to feature here. I don’t need to say much about them- they speak for themselves and tell their own stories.
Many thanks again to Isis Sturtewagen and the museum staff photographers for this amazing record of a really special event.
Enjoy!
TC

To see all of the pictures, click here.


Squire Max Knegjens holds aloft the broken crest of Arne Koets
(photo from The Wallace Collection)

More articles about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen:
Toby Capwell's Third Blog Post About the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen: 'Helmets Off'

Arne Koets Comments on the Tournament So Far, Plus More TV News Coverage of the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

Tobias Frin Talks About the Riding at The Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

Even More TV News Coverage of The Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

Toby Capwell's Second Blog Post About the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

More TV News Coverage of the Schaffhausen Tournament

Toby Capwell is Writing Blog Posts about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen!

TV Coverage of the Grand Tournament of Schaffhausen 2014

Video: Toby Capwell Explains His Passion for Jousting

Promotional Video for Die Grossen Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen


Sunday, July 20, 2014

Toby Capwell's Third Blog Post About the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen: 'Helmets Off'

This is an excerpt from the third of a series of blog posts that Dr. Tobias Capwell (aka Toby Capwell) has been writing about his experiences in the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen. In this post, he introduces the other jousters involved in the tournament.

From The Wallace Collection:


Wallace Collection Curator in Combat: NEW UPDATE! Part 3


Jousting tournaments are not known for their live reporting… until now. Toby Capwell, our Curator of Arms and Armour, reports from ‘The Great Tournament of Schaffhausen’ in Switzerland. Remember to keep checking in for updates or add the blog to your RSS feed!

Third Report – Friday 18 July, The Riders
Its Day 8 of 11 and the weather has changed in a big way. It’s HOT. Don’t get me wrong, the sunshine is glorious and its nice not to be getting soaked whenever we get on the horses, but the heat is a new challenge. Out in the sun, you can feel your armour slowly heating up, like your own personal humanoid-shaped oven. Now I’m thinking all that effort polishing the heck out of my armour is paying off- I must be reflecting a lot of heat. Black armour doesn’t seem like such a good idea anymore… I’m certainly glad to be shiny today.

In this installment I thought it would be nice to introduce the riders here at Schaffhausen- we’re so often enclosed in our steel carapaces its sometimes difficult to get a sense of who we actually are. So welcome to ‘helmets off’.

To read the rest of the article, click here.


Joram van Essen breaks his melee club across the back of Toby Capwell's head
(photo from The Wallace Collection)

More articles about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen:
Arne Koets Comments on the Tournament So Far, Plus More TV News Coverage of the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

Tobias Frin Talks About the Riding at The Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

Even More TV News Coverage of The Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

Toby Capwell's Second Blog Post About the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

More TV News Coverage of the Schaffhausen Tournament

Toby Capwell is Writing Blog Posts about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen!

TV Coverage of the Grand Tournament of Schaffhausen 2014

Video: Toby Capwell Explains His Passion for Jousting

Promotional Video for Die Grossen Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Video Interveiw with Professional Jouster Ripper Moore

According to Ripper Moore,"This was an interview done by some good folks from our local college. It profits from featuring my lovely wife." You may remember Ripper as the coach of the red team on the tv series Full Metal Jousting:



Ripper Moore(photo by Steven Kohus)

Related articles:
Results for the 2013 Estes Park Jousting Tournament

Rope Myers Wins the “Taking the Reins: Full Metal Jousting Armored All-Star Challenge”

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Arne Koets Comments on the Tournament So Far, Plus More TV News Coverage of the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

Despite his busy schedule, Arne Koets, the organizer of Die Grossen Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen took a few minutes to chat with me online. The Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen is a grueling 10 days long, with jousting and mounted melees twice daily. Arne owns two jousting horses, Maximillian who is a grey Andalusian gelding and Sultan who is a Lusitano stallion, and is alternating which horse he rides during the tournament in order to avoid tiring one horse out.


Arne Koets on his Lusitano stallion Sultan faces Joram van Essen on his Murgese stallion Zogo during a mounted duel at the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen 2014
(photo from The Wallace Collection)

Here is what Arne had to say about the tournament so far:
"The tournament is a real challenge due to the weather and the 20 performances we are riding. Yet the riding has been really good. The Sunday night ride was the best so far I think. We had many broken lances, and many broken clubs as well. It has been extremely well received, to do a truly museum-based event where we bring back an actual tournament with all its parts.

"As you might gather from Toby's blog, it is meant to show authentically how the event would work, and we structured it to fit the precise history and persons rather than as a sporting event. Yet the combat is real and unscripted, using historically shaped solid lances, wooden clubs and steel rebated swords. It has attracted academics from all over the world, and they are loving it. Hopefully many good things will come of it.

"It seems to be supporting serious knightly combat in the German speaking world. We really are doing the 'turnier' and the 'nachturnier'. The turnier is the fight with clubs (mounted melee) and the nachturnier is the crest melee with swords. We are being taken very seriously by all the curators and museum directors, and we have had visits from the Landshuter guys, Wien Museums, Philadelphia, Georgia, Coburg, Munich, loads of academics.

"Noel Fallows [the author of Jousting in Medieval and Renaissance Iberia], also came to the tournament. It was quite an honour to meet him." – Arne Koets

And of course, there is still more TV news coverage of this spectacular tournament/historical research opportunity. (Again, I had to download the video from the SWR Landesschau Baden-Württemberg website and upload it onto YouTube because the SWR site allows downloads, but not embedding.)


TV news coverage of The Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen from July 16
(video from SWR Landesschau Baden-Württemberg)

Die Grossen Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen has even been featured in a 30 minute long Swiss cultural program, though other cultural events are also included in the episode. After the introduction, the segments about the tournament come at 7:45(living history displays), 16:15(interview with Arne) and 24:50(jousting and mounted melee).


Kulturplatz an den grossen Schaffhauser Ritterspielen(video from SRF TV)

More articles about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen:
Tobias Frin Talks About the Riding at The Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

Even More TV News Coverage of The Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

Toby Capwell's Second Blog Post About the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

More TV News Coverage of the Schaffhausen Tournament

Toby Capwell is Writing Blog Posts about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen!

TV Coverage of the Grand Tournament of Schaffhausen 2014

Video: Toby Capwell Explains His Passion for Jousting

Promotional Video for Die Grossen Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen

Tobias Frin Talks About the Riding at The Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

Tobias Frin (whose birthday is today, Happy birthday!) was in Schaffhausen acting as part of the living history displays in association with Die Grossen Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen and the exhibit of historical jousting equipment at the Museum zu Allerheiligen. He was kind enough to direct me to several videos of the jousting tournament and to offer his commentary on a video featuring one of the mounted melees fought during the course of the event.
"Here is a clip from the Schaffhausen Turnier. Please have a look at the first part. For most people, it seems that the horses are lolloping around tiredly. But it is actually a highly collected canter, sometimes changing into a redopp or terre à terre with gallop pirouettes and such stuff. This is exactly where the academic art of riding comes from, and it is the art of riding that you are seeing!

By the way... What I didn't realize before: The words 'tourney' and 'tournament' come from the French 'tour' which means turning. You can easily see why." – Tobias Frin


Ritterspiele Schaffhausen 2014(video by Felix Walder)

The video shows the last part of a crest melee involving Arne Koets, Petter Ellingsen and Wouter Nicolai, although it looks like Toby Capwell may have been involved in the melee in the bits before the video begins. The melee ends when Arne knocks part of Petter's crest off. The marshal for the melee is Wolfgang Krischke of the Fürstlichen Hofreitschule Bückeburg.


Tobias Frin acting as part of a living history exhibit at the Museum zu Allerheiligen 
(photo by Eliane Caramanna)

More articles about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen:
Even More TV News Coverage of The Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

Toby Capwell's Second Blog Post About the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

More TV News Coverage of the Schaffhausen Tournament

Toby Capwell is Writing Blog Posts about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen!

TV Coverage of the Grand Tournament of Schaffhausen 2014

Video: Toby Capwell Explains His Passion for Jousting

Promotional Video for Die Grossen Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen



Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Even More TV News Coverage of The Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

Another nice long news segment about Die Grossen Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen(The Grand Tournament of Schaffhausen), which is taking place July 10 - 20 in association with a museum exhibit of jousting arms and armour at the Museum zu Allerheiligen in Switzerland.

The video, which is from a Swiss TV station, can be a little slow to load, be patient. If anyone would like to provide an English language transcript of the video, it would be much appreciated.


SRF TV news coverage of the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen(video from SRF)

If the video does not work, here is a link to the page on the SRF news station's website where the video was originally published.

More articles about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen:
Toby Capwell's Second Blog Post About the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

More TV News Coverage of the Schaffhausen Tournament

Toby Capwell is Writing Blog Posts about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen!

TV Coverage of the Grand Tournament of Schaffhausen 2014

Video: Toby Capwell Explains His Passion for Jousting

Promotional Video for Die Grossen Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen

The Knights of Mayhem Post a Sizzle Reel

Thanks to Charlie Andrews for the heads up about the latest Knights of Mayhem video. It is a longer version of the teaser trailer for a possible new Knights of Mayhem tv show that was presented in an earlier article.


Knights of Mayhem -- Reforged Sizzle Reel 2014(video by Blue Mesa Entertainment)

When asked for a comment about the video, Charlie Responded:

"Thank you to all my Family , friends and fans ...... Most importantly thank you to Jägermeister and my other Warhorses for without them none of this would be possible ..... KIA KAHA!" -- Charlie Andrews

In case you are wondering, 'kia kaha' means 'stay strong'.


Knights of Mayhem - Reforged(image from Knights of Mayhem Facebook page)

Related articles:
Will the Knights of Mayhem TV Show Return?

Video of the Knights of Mayhem at the Sherwood Forest Faire Jousting Tournament

Charlie Andrews Wins the Sherwood Forest Faire Jousting Tournament

Charlie Andrews Wins More Than Just Another Tournament at "Lysts on the Lake 2012"

Video: Chevalier de l'Ordre du Frene 2014

A very nice video of the tournament held at the Jessy Dufresne Equestrian Center in Quebec on July 5, 2014.


Chevalier de l'Ordre du Frene 2014(video by Benoit Larivière)

The tournament is an annual event, always held the first weekend in July. The competitors were Jessy Dufresne, Jean-Sebastien Drapeau, Eric Charbonneau, Myriam Guèvremont, Patrice Rolland, Caroline LaBrie, Genevieve Bond, Geneviève Boucher, Michel Arsenault, Yvon Jr Beauvais, Hélène Lacombe, Alexandre Marcotte, Marina Poirier, Éric Leroux, Joffrey Fleurice and Patrick Grenier. [Edited to add the following information provided by Caroline LaBrie.] Marc Hamel was also planning to compete, but only participated in a demonstration joust because he quite chivalrously lent his horse, Ben Hur, to Patrice Rolland for the competition.

Jessy Dufresne earned first place in the tournament.


Jessy Dufresne(photo by Caro Berger - Photographie)

Éric Charbonneau earned second place.


Eric Charbonneau(photo by Caro Berger - Photographie)

Myriam Guèvremont earned third place.


Myriam Guèvremont(photo by Caro Berger - Photographie)

Many thanks to Myriam Guèvremont for providing the information about the tournament and to Caro Berger - Photographie for allowing the use of her photographs.

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Toby Capwell's Second Blog Post About the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen

A previous article gave an excerpt and a link to Toby Capwell's first blog post about Die Grossen Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen (aka The Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen). He has just published his second post.

From the Wallace Collection website:

Wallace Collection Curator in Combat: NEW UPDATE! Part 2


Jousting tournaments are not known for their live reporting… until now. Toby Capwell, our Curator of Arms and Armour, reports from ‘The Great Tournament of Schaffhausen’ in Switzerland. Remember to keep checking in for updates or add the blog to your RSS feed!

Second Report – Tuesday 15 July, The Forms of Combat
OK, we’re three days in. The fighting has been fierce, and so has the weather. We had to pause for 30 minutes yesterday before we could start the first joust when the heavens opened and dumped what seemed like several storms’ worth of water on us. But soon the sun came out and we began. Today was better, with beautiful evening sun shining on the second round, which takes place at 19:00 every day. The sun inspired us I think, solar-powered creatures that we are, to greater efforts and the mêlées today were certainly the best yet.
We have already suffered injuries- not me personally, but one of the other competitors was stabbed through the hand yesterday, by the cross-guard of one of his opponent’s sword. It isn’t quite clear whose…. so we are down to seven riders in operational condition.
But I should at this point outline some of the basics of the event. In this instalment I’d like to briefly explain the forms of combat which comprise the Schaffhausen tournament. Somewhat unusually, there are four disciplines in which we all have to compete, which makes this a very challenging event. Challenging in terms of skill, stamina, and concentration.
All of this is based very closely on two detailed accounts of tournaments held in Schaffhausen, in 1436 and 1438, which seem to have inspired and formed the basis of King René d’Anjou’s famous Book of the Tournament (c. 1460). In the fifteenth century, all of the different forms of combat took place over about a week. We have one hour, twice a day, to demonstrate everything in the historical records. As I said, its challenging.

To read the rest of the article and see the rest of the pictures, click here.


Toby Capwell jousts at Schaffhausen 2014(photo from The Wallace Collection)

Related articles:
Toby Capwell is Writing Blog Posts about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen!

Video: Toby Capwell Explains His Passion for Jousting

An Interview with Dr. Tobias Capwell: Jouster at "The Grand Tournament in Sankt Wendel"

An Interview with Dr. Noel Fallows, Author of Jousting in Medieval and Renaissance Iberia: Part One 

Will the Knights of Mayhem TV Show Return?

According to a post on the Knights of Mayhem Facebook page, it sounds like the show may be making a comeback.


If the image doesn't show up, follow this link.

This teaser trailer for the new version of the show was also posted:


Knights of Mayhem - Reforged short teaser(video by Blue Mesa Entertainment)


Knights of Mayhem - Reforged(image from Knights of Mayhem Facebook page)

Related articles:
Video of the Knights of Mayhem at the Sherwood Forest Faire Jousting Tournament

Charlie Andrews Wins the Sherwood Forest Faire Jousting Tournament

Charlie Andrews Wins More Than Just Another Tournament at "Lysts on the Lake 2012"


Monday, July 14, 2014

More TV News Coverage of the Schaffhausen Tournament

A television news segment about Die Grossen Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen(The Grand Tournament of Schaffhausen) 2014:


News coverage of Schaffhausen tournament(video from SWR Fernsehen in Baden-Württemberg)

If anyone would like to provide an English language transcript of the broadcast, it would be appreciated.

More articles about Schaffhausen 2014:
Toby Capwell is Writing Blog Posts about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen!

TV Coverage of the Grand Tournament of Schaffhausen 2014

Video: Toby Capwell Explains His Passion for Jousting

Promotional Video for Die Grossen Ritterspiele zu Schaffhausen

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Toby Capwell is Writing Blog Posts about the Grand Tournament at Schaffhausen!

From the Wallace Collection website:

Wallace Collection Curator in Combat: Reports from The Tournament at Schaffhausen, Switzerland


Jousting tournaments are not known for their live reporting… until now. Toby Capwell, our Curator of Arms and Armour, reports from ‘The Great Tournament of Schaffhausen’ in Switzerland. Remember to keep checking in for updates or add the blog to your RSS feed!

First report – Thursday 10 July
You might not have thought that jousting, and otherwise fighting on horseback in full plate armour of the fifteenth century, would involve a frankly incredible amount of sewing. It seems like that’s all I’ve been doing since I arrived in Switzerland two days ago. I suppose it’s understandable that, when we think of medieval knights, we think of the glittering steel armour, the thundering hooves, the crashing lances, the dizzy ecstasy of victory and the crushing humiliation of defeat. But I assure you, it’s also about the consumption of miles of waxed linen thread, and about accidently stabbing oneself in the fingers… a lot.
I’m on a short break from my duties as one of the curators at Hertford House in order to take part in a modern tournament. I do this several times a year. As Curator of Arms and Armour, I deal with a subject that involves the history of art, technology, chivalric literature, warfare, and courtly life in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. However arms and armour is also an intensely active, physical subject, and I’ve always been drawn to the experience of that physicality. I suppose I wanted to be a knight a long long time before I wanted to be a curator, or even knew what a curator was. So in the summer months I take breaks from the museum to go off into the world and fight in tournaments.

To read the rest of the article and see the rest of the pictures, click here.


Toby Capwell jousting(photo from The Wallace Collection)

Related articles:
Video: Toby Capwell Explains His Passion for Jousting

An Interview with Dr. Tobias Capwell: Jouster at "The Grand Tournament in Sankt Wendel"

Guest Writer, Photographer Oliver Dunsch: My Day in Sankt Wendel

An Interview with Dr. Noel Fallows, Author of Jousting in Medieval and Renaissance Iberia: Part One

Friday, July 11, 2014

An Interview with Jan Gradon, Coordinator of the Tournament of King John III at Gniew Castle

Jan Gradon is one of two main organizers (Jarek Struczynski is the other one) for the largest international jousting tournament in Poland, Turniej Króla Jana III Sobieskiego na Zamku w Gniewie. Outside of Poland, the joust is generally referred to as the Tournament of King John III at Gniew Castle. Jan graciously agreed to be interviewed about this year's 23rd annual tournament.


Jan Gradon(photo by Andrzej Wiktor)

Hello Jan, please tell us a little about yourself.

I’ve been involved in historical re-enactment since 1996/7, but at first it was not that "historical". I got more into it around 2001, when I first traveled to England for the Battle of Tewkesbury and other events abroad, and then when I joined the Society of St. Michael Archangel (TaŚMA) in 2004 and my equestrian re-enactment group Xiazeca Druzyna in 2005.

With the group, we portray many periods, from Normans through 13th century knights and Rus warriors, early 15th century with the battle of Tannenberg, mid/late 15th century (we started jousting roughly in 2006/7), 17th century with Polish national cavalrymen and Finninsh Reiters, 2nd Ulhan Regiment of Grand Duchy of Warsaw from the Napoleonic Times to Polish cavalrymen of WWI. We also have a horse archery team within our group, that participates in horse archery contests. In the plans there are Romans too. The group trains due to massive help from our stables Pa-Ta-Taj near Warsaw. They train us also in "normal" riding – dressage, horse jumping, etc.


Jan Gradon, riding Briar, jousts Mark Caple at Arundel International Tournament 2013. In the bottom left is Jan's friend and squire, armourer Tomek Samula(photo by Richard Pearn)

From my past experience, the best equestrian memories I have are: Hastings 2006 where we were riding in Dom Sewell’s conroy, and I was riding his horse George [a 'conroy' is a name for a Norman cavalry troop]; my first international joust in Gniew Castle in 2008; winning of Tournament of the Phoenix 2011, and second place in 2013; Le Tournoi du Lys d'Argent in Canada in 2012 where I was unhorsed; and getting into the final (and losing by 1 point as a team, and receiving 2nd individual score) at Arundel International Tournament last year.

Besides jousting I do skiing in winter and do quite a bit of wargaming and painting miniatures. I enjoy a family life with my wife Ula and two daughters, Marysia and Zosia, and our border collie Gibon.


Jan Gradon with his wife Ula and their two daughters(photo by Andrzej Wiktor)

When and how did the Tournament of King John III get started?

The Tournament of King John III started in Gniew Castle in 1992. In 1994 the first mounted tournaments were organized, but at that time they were mainly for a show and only Mounted Skill at Arms contests. Twenty years ago, no one thought of doing jousting, as historical re-enactment was just starting in Poland. In 2007 the first jousting tournament was held, and since then it has grown bigger with higher equipment standards. This year it was the 23rd edition of the event, and the second tournament affiliated with WJT.


Steve Mallet jousts Jeffrey Hedgecock at Zamek Gniew 2014(photo by StudioA)

What makes Zamek Gniew a good location for a jousting tournament?

First of all, Zamek Gniew is a real castle, so it is always better to joust on a historical site. Secondly, it is an ideal place to organize an international tournament as it has everything on site: a four star hotel where competitors stay, a restaurant where they are fed, a hotel for all the ground and stable crew, a permanent tilt yard with recently covered stands for the public, permanent stables, armoury for the competitors and a fully equipped party hall to have fun in the evenings.


The tiltyard at Zamek Gniew(photo by StudioA)

Who is allowed/invited to watch the tournament?

The tournament is open for the public, so anyone can come. On Fridays we usually hold training sessions, and they are free to watch. Saturday and Sunday are ticketed, but the prices are not very high, and as far as I know, residents of Gniew have a discount. There was a limited advertising this year, but we had around 2500-2800 spectators.

How did you become involved with organizing this year's tournament?

I was active around the Tournament since 2008 or 2009. Having traveled with Jarek Struczynski to various international events, we saw many things that we could change and include in our tournament. The first tournaments were more in the sport format with competitors in equipment from different periods (i.e. 14th century jousting with 15th century). Having participated in the Tournament of the Phoenix 2011, I came to an idea of organizing a strictly 15th century tournament in a similar format, where competitors have to participate in many contests to get the final prize. I shared that idea with Jarek, who approved it. I divided the work with Jarek. He and his team organized everything on site, preparing the premises, and I must admit they did an enormous job. My part was to organize and arrange everything with the competitors and ground crew.

In 2013, we organized the first tournament affiliated with WorldJoust Tournaments(WJT) and the International Jousting League(IJL) which involved 12 competitors! Unfortunately the weather was terrible, and not everything went smoothly. This year our second WJT tournament was moved in time to the end of June. The weather was perfect, and we were able to run all the contests.


Adam Firyn of Team Poland at Zamek Gniew 2014(photo by StudioA)

How was the tournament organized this year?

This year we ran a team tournament with four international teams:  England with Steve Mallett and Sean George, Norway with Petter Ellingsen and Per Estein Prois-Rohjell, Burgundy with Wouter Nicolai and Jeff Hedgecock, and last but not least, Poland with Michał Ruda and Adam Firyn.

First we held a Mounted Skill at Arms(MSA) competition. This was just for the MSA prize and the scores were not counted towards the team score. The MSA was won by Steve Mallett from team England.

For the Team prize, we were to count scores from Jousting (overall 6 sessions), mounted melee and crossbow. However, because the competitors did not have a chance to practice the crossbow before the contest, in the end we made it an individual competition that did not count towards the overall score.

As for jousting, we had each of the teams jousting with all the other teams. In each session, one team was jousting with another, and each competitor was to make 3 passes with each competitor from the other team. The scores were counted depending on the area hit (shield, armour), and breakage (attaint, full break). The Lady of Honour and the other Ladies could add 1 or 2 extra points to a total score of a team or individual if they liked his riding, behavior etc...


Lady of Honour Viktoriya Borisova wraps a token around the lance of Michel Ruda
(photo by Marta Kitta)

The mounted melee was watched by the Marshall, Knight of Mercy and Court of Ladies, and scores were applied under their opinion. In the end, all scores were put together, and England became the Team winner, Petter Ellingsen earned the Individual title, and Michał Ruda won the crossbow competition.

What can you tell me about the horses that were ridden in the tournament?

All the horses this year were provided by the Castle crew and Krystian Mróz, who was the Stable Master. They were various breeds, from Trakehner, Silesian, Polish Halfbred, and Shire cross breeds.

What were some of the most exciting/interesting moments during the tournament?

There were a lot of good, and strong hits. Quite a few lances broke in their solid parts. I must say that I cannot choose one exciting moment, as I’m very happy with the event as a whole.


Sean George breaks the base of his lance against Wouter Nicolai(photo by StudioA)

Did anything exciting/interesting happen before or after the tournament?

On Thursday prior the event, we had a nice party during the day with a few drinks and laughs, and then Jarek Struczynski ordered us to mount up. Steve Mallett, Jeff Hedgecock, Sean George, as well as the Gniew team and I were dressed in 17th century Polish costumes, and we went for a ride onto the fields and forests on the banks of the Vistula River. Everything began calmly, and then Jarek ordered a flat out gallop. I hope this will be well remembered.

On Friday we had an excursion to Marienburg Castle – the capital of the Teutonic Order, which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful castles in Europe.

We also held a bareback melee, where we rode just in pants with no saddles, and were fighting with softer maces, and grappling was allowed. It did hurt a bit, but it was fun!


Luc Petillot(left) and Jan Gradon(right) compete in the bareback melee
(photo by Martin Hagen Johnsen)

After the Tournament, we also had a Mass with a Gregorian choir in the Castle’s chapel.

What can you tell me about the night jousting that took place by torchlight this year?


Jan Gradon, Luc Petillot and Adam Ałaszewski await the beginning of the Tournament of the Golden Rose(photo by StudioA)

It was not a part of the competition. We organize it annually as the Tournament of the Golden Rose. There is a local legend about a Golden Rose and its Protector. In the tournament, knights joust to get the Golden Rose, and the winner has to duel the Protector. This year we had Luc Petillot (Knight of Mercy during the day competition), Adam Ałaszewski from Gniew, and me as the knights, and Jarek Struczynski as the Protector of Golden Rose. It was a show, but the jousting was real. All done with bonfires, torches and nice music. I was very happy to do it, as I could try my new armour before this season (btw, huge thanks to Pelle for letting me use his helmet).


Adam Alaszewski and Jan Gradon joust during the Tournament of the Golden Rose
(photo by StudioA)

What is unique about the Tournament of King John III?

As I said to the Competitors during the briefing on Friday evening, the Tournament is mainly a social event, where people from different countries and cultures can meet, talk, have fun and break some lances. Jousting is a crucial part of the event, but it is very important to have fun. We definitely had fun… especially on Saturday night!

How does the tournament vary each year? What are some of the ways the tournament was organized in previous years?

We change the format annually. In the past it was mostly a foot combat. Then when the jousting started, we change from individual, to team, change the rules, etc..., but the spirit stays the same.

What would you like to say about/to this year's participants?

This year we had some Competitors that participated in the past (Jeff, Steve, Petter, Michal and Adam), and two new ones – Sean and Pelle.


Per Estein Prois Rohjell(aka Pelle) and Sean George exchange blows in the mounted melee 
during their first competition at Gniew Castle(photo by StudioA)

The crew was Viktoriya Borisova as the Lady of Honour; Luc Petillot as Knight of Mercy; Jarek Struczynski as Field Coordinator; Stanislaw Szmit as the Herald; Krystian Mróz as Stable/Horse Master; Jakub Grybek, Leszek Struczyński, Darek Ostaszewski, Paweł Piotrowski as scoring judges; squires from Chełmno and Gniew; and me as the Marshal.


Jan Gradon(mounted) with other members of the ground crew for the tournament
(photo by StudioA)

What are your hopes/plans for future tournaments at Zamek Gniew?

We will talk about it after this season ends. Next is Arundel International Tournament, where Jarek Struczynski and I will joust as team Kingdom of Poland! Wish us luck!

Best of luck at Arundel and in all your future jousts!


Jan Gradon, holding his Marshal's baton watches the joust at Zamek Gniew intently
(photo by Klaudia Rulinska)

Related articles:
Jarek Struczynski Wins the "Tournament of the Phoenix 2013"

Arundel Castle International Jousting Tournament 2013

An Interview with Jouster Mark Caple, Champion of the "Queen's Jubilee Horn Tournament 2014"