David Young Wins the "Knights of Mayhem Ultimate Jousting Event"

Riding the horse Arturius, David Young, an equine surgeon from Turlock, California, USA, was the overall winner, as well as winning each round, at the "Knights of Mayhem Ultimate Jousting Event" which took place May 30 – June 2, 2013, at Patriot's Ranch in Florahome, Florida. David Young has been riding most of his life. He began training to joust in 2005, and has competed in several tournaments since then.

David Young on Arturius (photo by Suzanne DeMink)

The tournament was produced by Charlie Andrews of the Knights of Mayhem in cooperation with Patriot's Ranch. Charlie Andrews did several training sessions before the competition and also acted as Master of Ceremonies during the competition.

David Young on Arturius breaks lances with Charlie Andrews on Jaegermeister
(photo by Suzanne DeMink)

There were a total of twelve participants at the jousting event from California, New York, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Texas, Colorado, Michigan, Florida, Utah and Ontario, Canada. Jeff Wasson from New York, won second place.

Jeff Wasson on Lady Chaos (photo by Suzanne DeMink)

Scott Wilson from Mississippi, earned third place.

Scott Wilson on Tanner (photo by Suzanne DeMink)

Nikki Fourtzialas from Massachesetts, finished fourth.

Nikki Fourtzialas on Arturius breaks her lance against Charlie Andrews
(photo by Suzanne DeMink)

Steve Hemphill from Texas, riding his Friesian/Percheron mare Tinkerbelle, finished in fifth place.

Steve Hemphill on Tinkerbelle breaks lances with Scarlett Coverdale on Jaegermeister
(photo by Suzanne DeMink)

Tied for sixth place were Scarlett Coverdale from New York and Jordan Heron from Ontario.

Scarlett Coverdale on Arturius (photo by Suzanne DeMink)


Jordon Heron on Thor breaks his lance against James Johnson
(photo by Suzanne DeMink)

And in her very first tournament, Elizabeth Jones from Colorado managed to complete the tournament and earn eighth place.

Elizabeth Jones on Duke breaks lances with Charlie Andrews
(photo by Suzanne DeMink)

Other participants at the event were Andre Renier, James Johnson, Steve Weaver and, of course, Charlie Andrews.

Many thanks to Suzanne DeMink for providing the information and pictures for this article.

Jordan Heron Wins the Lysts on the Great Lakes Jousting Tournament 2012

Despite rather nasty weather, The "Lysts on the Great Lakes" jousting tournament took place as scheduled August 10 – 11 in Belleville, Michigan as part of the 66th annual Wayne County Fair. Jordan Heron rode Sterling, a 16.2 hand Percheron cross gelding, to victory as the overall tournament champion. Charlie Andrews of the Knights of Mayhem earned second place overall, and Andre Renier of the Knights of Iron came in third overall.

Jordan Heron on Sterling (photo by Tammie Graves)

Unfortunately, L Dale Walter, the leader of the Knights of Iron – the hosts for this tournament – was injured when his horse Brenin slid in the mud and Dale was thrown into a nearby fence early on Friday. Brenin was not hurt and Dale will recover, but he was unable to continue jousting. However, Dale still played a big part in the tournament, assisting announcer Whitney Senn Rowlett by providing color commentary throughout the rest of the event.

L Dale Walter on Brenin (photo by Lillyrose Photography)

The tournament was originally going to be a team competition, but for various reasons became more of an individual competition with different winners for the different sections of the tournament. Andre Renier, on Riley, a 16.3 handTB/Percheron cross gelding, won the Mounted Skill at Arms(MSA) section of the tournament which was run as a series of individual games. He was also chosen as the winner of the Horsemanship award.

Andre Renier on Riley (photo by Tammie Graves)

Steve Hemphill won second place in the MSA and North Gienow (son of jouster Dale Gienow) came in third.

North Gienow puts on his medal while father Dale Gienow looks on with pride
(photo by Suzanne DeMink)

Kellyn Burtka, who rode a 15 hand foundation quarter horse mare named Ashlyn, was chosen as the Most Chivalrous competitor.

Kellyn Burtka on Ashlyn (photo by Tammie Graves)

The jousting section of the competition was intense with Charlie Andrews, Steve Hemphill and Dale Gienow earning perfect scores on multiple passes on Friday, and Jordan Heron, Jason Monarch, and Andre Renier earning perfect scores during their passes on Saturday. The winner of the jousting section of the tournament ended up being Jordan Heron, who also, as mentioned previously, won the overall tournament.

Jordan Heron(left) jousts Jason Edwards Monarch(right)(photo by Suzanne DeMink)

Charlie Andrews came in second in the jousting section of the tournament, and Steve Hemphill came in third.

According to Jason Edwards Monarch:

"This was one HARD tourney, with all the competitors separated by less than six points in the score. A 90% accuracy rate by all those who competed! Very hard rules, where only hits on the ecranch counted, and additional rules for horse control. I scored a perfect day on Friday, and almost on Saturday. Finally got to joust Steve Hemphill, who invited me to the TX tourney, and best in the world Charlie Andrews from Knights of Mayhem. Great time!" -- Jason Edwards Monarch

Mary Neill helps Steve Hemphill with his armour(photo by Tammie Graves)

The ground crew for the tournament was led by Samantha Matyas of the Knights of Iron and the head judge for the tournament was Gerald Pyra. The horses ridden by the jousters in the tournament were as follows:

Andre Renier rode Riley: Percheron Thoroughbred cross gelding, 16.3 hands
Charlie Andrews rode Baron: Shire gelding, 16.2 hands
Dale Gienow rode Druid: Clydesdale gelding, 16.3 hands
Jason Monarch rode Sabylla: Percheron mare, 16.3 hands
Jordan Heron rode Sterling: Percheron cross gelding, 16.2 hands
Kellyn Burtka rode Ashlyn: Foundation Quarterhorse mare, 15 hands
L Dale Walter rode Brenin: Belgian Quarterhorse cross gelding, 16.2 hands
Nikki Fourtzialas rode Thunder: Percheron gelding, 19.1 hands
Steve Hemphill rode Hershey: Quarterhorse mare, 14.1 hands

Dale Gienow on Druid (photo by Lillyrose Photography)

Many thanks to Suzanne DeMink and Tammie Graves for providing information and pictures for this article.

The Lysts on the Great Lakes Invitational Jousting Tournament

The "Lysts on the Great Lakes" invitational jousting tournament will take place August 10 and 11 at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in Belleville, Michigan, USA. This event is affiliated with a'Plaisance Ltd, the producer of the largest contemporary competitive jousting tournaments in the world, and is sanctioned by both the International Jousting Association and International Jousting League.

This tournament will be run as both a team and an individual event, and will include both mounted skill at arms(MSA) as well as jousting competitions. The jousting competitions will occur at 4pm on Friday and Saturday, and the MSA will begin at 1pm on Saturday. There will be a public meet and greet on Thursday, August 9, at 4pm during the practice session for all the competitors . The teams portion of the event will consists of the Knights of Iron Jousting Team vs the North American International Jousters Team.

The jousters for the Knights of Iron will be:

L Dale Walter

Dale was one of the first jousters in North America, beginning his career in the early 80's. After a long layoff, Dale returned to the sport in 2010 and jousted 29 days in 2011 across the USA and Canada. It is rumored that he is the “real" Tony Stark of Ironman fame as in addition to wearing a suit of armor, he owns a company that designs and builds military weapons systems. Dale lives in Howell, Michigan on his horse farm The Excalibur Horse Center where he trains his joust team “The Knights of Iron”. Dale's motto is: Aut Viam Inveniam aut Faciam ("I Will Either Find a Way or Make One")
(photo by Jay Baum)



Andre Renier

André Lee Renier began jousting in 1983, allowing him to merge his interests in history, science, and technology with his love of horses. A scholar, researcher and accomplished equestrian; he is a modern knight mixing his passions for history, horses and the games of antiquity. He is currently researching jousting and equestrian armor and working on a book on the history of horse training. Andre is the Director at WEC Institute, one of the nation's leading nonprofit, high tech, science and technology research organizations. Andre's motto is: Noblis in Verbi et Facti ("Noble in Word and Deed")
(photo by Dale Walter)


Kellyn Burtka

Kellyn has been riding and showing horses since childhood, and started her career as a professional trainer in 2000. She has always valued versatility in riding, and has competed in various equestrian sports including jumping, eventing, dressage, western pleasure, barrel racing and driving. She sees jousting as a new and exciting discipline for her and her horse to explore. Kellyn's motto is: Potius Ingenio Quam Vi ("Rather by Skill than by Force")
(photo by AzulOx)



Jason Edwards Monarch

J Edwards Monarch has wanted to be a knight since he was a child. He began this journey with brooms, trash can lids and tin foil cardboard armor at the age of eight. Over the years, he has worked at various Renaissance Festivals and medieval shows, done various sword shows, and started one of the largest LARP games in the mid-west. He is a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism and of the Ars Gladii western martial arts school. He has jousted professionally and for competition since 1991. He is also a member of the Team USA Battle of the Nations combat team for armored competition. An avid living history buff, he dabbles in almost every time period from the 1st Crusade to the American Civil War. He has appeared in television shows doing technical jousting and teaches European medieval combat arts. He lives in Michigan on a farm with a jousting school, along with his lovely wife, four children, several jousting horses, goats, dogs, cats, chickens and one ornery turkey. His motto is: Polleo Atqui Humilis ("Be Strong Yet Humble")
(photo by Dove Photography LLC)

The North American International Jousters are:

Steve Hemphill

Steve fondly remembers his father teaching him how to respect, train and ride the family’s horses. In the 1980's, he became interested in medieval and renaissance history while he was attending college, and in 2003, Steve decided to renew his interest in horses and to combine it with his love of medieval history. Since then, he has produced and competed in a number of medieval equestrian events around the world which showcased competitive jousting and other medieval equestrian sports. Steve is a member of the Board of Representatives of the International Jousting League and a level 2 Jouster with the International Jousting Association. He is the owner of a’Plaisance, Ltd. and the Executive Producer of the “Lysts on the Lake”. When Steve is not involved with jousting, he can be found competing in Dressage and Eventing. Steve's motto is: Unus sed Leo ("One but a Lion")
(photo by Jay Baum)

Nikki Fourtzialas

Nikki is a member of, and US Liaison to, the International Jousting Association (IJA), a co-founder of the New England Jousting Association (NEJA) and the Academy of Knightly Arts. Nikki competes in events with the IJA, NEJA, Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), and International Jousting League (IJL). She rides a 19.1 hand, 8 Year old Percheron named Grassy Notch Thunder Ripper(AKA Thunder), a big horse with a big heart. Professionally she is a desk jockey, Senior V.P. of a technology division for the financial services industry. Jousting and Sword fighting have proven to be great stress management tools in her life. Nikki's motto is: Tu Canis Est, Ut Omnes ("Is That All You Got, Dog")
(photo by The Jousting Life)


Jordon Heron

Jordan Heron has always been fascinated with things medieval, and his involvement in historical re-creation goes back well over three decades. Although interested in horses from a young age, Jordan was city born and raised, so he didn't learn to ride until relatively late in life, when he rashly bought a horse and quickly moved from pleasure riding to medieval gaming. Jordan's first joust tournament was in 2003. Since that time he has competed in seven countries on three continents. Jordan is a certified Project Manager by career, and his partner, Dr. Stephanie Campbell, is an anatomy professor and student veterinarian and they live in Dunnville, Ontario, Canada. Together they own Cricket Lane Farm, home to their equestrian activities: gaming, jousting, mounted archery, riding to hounds, quarter horse racing and, just lately, Cowboy Action Shooting.
(photo by Astrid Adelskold)



Dale Gienow

Dale Gienow is the founding president of the International Jousting Association – Canada. He has been jousting since 2004 and has run many tournaments in Canada. Dale enjoys many other medieval pursuits, including archery and the ancient art of falconry. He is a founding member of the Mounted Archery Association of the Americas and a Mounted Martial Instructor for the Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts. Dale lives with his son in Bracebridge, Ontario, where he owns the Muskoka Wildlife Centre and co-directs Chivalric Productions, a medieval education company.
(photo by Chivalric Productions)




In an interesting twist, during the MSA competition, the experienced jousters will act as ground crew for the less experienced squires and novices first. Then later, things will go back to normal with the experienced jousters competing while the squires and novices act as the -- so very essential -- ground crew. During the MSA, the jousters will compete wearing jerseys in the colors of their livery with their name on the back. These jerseys will be provided by the tournament.

The tournament will also provide each competitor with an ecranche so that all competitors will have the same size target to aim at. The ecranches will be painted with the competitors colors and will have their names on the front. The lances will be the standard IJA/IJL 8 foot shaped wood base with a 3 foot balsa tip. However, the standard rules have been modified so that points may only be scored if the lance hits the ecranche first -- no primary hit anywhere else will be scored. The scoring will be as follows:

1 point: if the lance hits the target
2 points: if the tip of the lance breaks but remains attached to the rest of the lance
3 points: if the tip of the lance breaks and falls completely off so that the coronel lands on the ground
There will be no points awarded for unhorsings.

Throughout the tournament, broken lance tips will be available in exchange for a donation to The Fallen and Wounded Soldiers Fund, which assists wounded veterans in the Michigan area.

For updated information on this tournament, check out the "Lysts on the Great Lakes" Facebook event page.

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

(*Sorry for the delay in posting. I had to wait until I got the official results.*)

“Lysts on the Lake 2012” was held May 11 – 13 in Taylor, Texas, USA. Jouster Steve Hemphill, creator of A'Plaisance, Ltd, produced this international jousting tournament which included a total of 39 competitors from 6 different countries. The tournament consisted of four competitions: 30 participants competed in the Joust a'Plaisance, 23 in the Melee a'Cheval, 29 the Mounted Skill at Arms(MSA) and all participants were considered for the Award of Honour.

Steve Hemphill and most, but not all, of the Lysts competitors (photo by Pamela Morgan)

Although not yet confirmed by the International Jousting League, "Lysts on the Lake 2012" will probably take the place of “Lysts on the Lake 2011” as the largest competitive jousting tournament in modern times. (To see a simple list of winners, skip to the bottom of this post.)

Video of a few jousting passes edited together by a fan.

Video by dsquard7

Jousters came from all over the world to compete in this year's "Lysts on the Lake". Many came from the USA of course, but there were also jousters from Australia, Belgium, Canada, France and Norway. Some of the competitors showed up early to take part in the Chivalric Martial Arts International symposium (CMAI) that took place during the three days leading up to the tournament. Other competitors were the instructors for some of the various classes offered, including Luke Binks, Theresa Wendland, Scott Wilson and Frederic Piraux(who is also the head of the International Jousting League).

Luke Binks teaching a class on jousting

On the third and last night of of the CMAI, during the final jousting practice before the tournament began, there was a terrible storm. A tornado warning had been issued, and several people believed that they heard tornado sirens go off. The horses were turned loose in the covered arena since that was the safest place for them, and while a few brave souls stayed to take care of the horses, everyone else took shelter in the cinder block bathroom buildings. (There are two previous articles about this frightening experience.)

"There was a point, when all of the horses were in the arena and we were breaking up the horse fights that I turned around and there was a flood of people coming out of the safety of the restrooms to help with the horses. At that point, nobody knew that we were safe. They just knew that there were horses that needed held and calmed. Talk about an amazing bunch of people." -- Robert Welch

Although there was no actual tornado, there were winds clocked at more than 60 mph that knocked down the tilt fence, blew various pieces of equipment around and knocked down several participants' tents. Once the weather let up, everyone worked together to safely return horses to their stalls, restore the arena as much as possible and help those whose tents had come down. Many of the competitors stayed up late that night and arrived early the next day to help the staff, ground crew and volunteers get everything set up again so that the tournament could go on as scheduled.

The Mounted Skill at Arms

The tournament began on Friday with the first half of the Mounted Skill at Arms (MSA) competition. The Second half of the MSA was held Sunday morning. MSA consists of five smaller competitions: Tilting at Rings, The Quintain, Thrown Spear, Cut and Thrust and Ground Target(aka Pig Sticking). There were 29 participants who competed in the various aspects of the MSA. One of the most memorable was Robin Daniel who, when she missed sticking the “pig” with her spear, dismounted, wrestled the "pig" into submission and stabbed it repeatedly with her dagger.

Robin Daniels stabs the "pig" with her dagger (photo by Pamela Morgan)

However, the winner of the MSA was Jeffrey Basham on his horse Pooh Bear.

Jeffrey Basham on Pooh Bear skewers all three rings (photo by Pamela Morgan)

The second through sixth place winners were: 2nd Frederic Piraux on Ladybug, 3rd David Young on Boccaccio, 4th Charlie Andrews on Jaegermeister, 5th Xavier Fauvel on Peaches and 6th Andre Renier on Riley.

The Melee a'Cheval

Saturday morning started with the Melee a'Cheval. This style of mounted melee has been compared to demolition derby on horseback – though the riders take MUCH better care of their horses, than the drivers do of their cars. In fact, striking a horse instead of its rider immediately disqualifies any competitor. The rest of the rules are simple. The competitors all take the field against one another and fight until they feel they have received five solid hits. Although there are mounted marshals who act to some extent as referees, this competition depends mainly on each competitor's own honour to withdraw from the field once they have been defeated.

There were 23 competitors in the Melee at “Lysts on the Lake 2012”. Sean Gulick outfought all other competitors and won the Melee a'Cheval on Red, a 14.2 hand Missouri Fox Trotter(though according to Red, he is a "Feerless War Pony") that had no trouble facing down the other horses despite being one of shortest horses in the tournament.

Luc Petillot on Earl(left) is struck by Sean Gulick on Red(right)(photo by AzulOx)

The second through sixth place winners were: 2nd Jim Myers on Moose, 3rd Scott Wilson on Peaches, 4th Dustin Stephens on Sampson, 5th Dave Wise on Pandora and 6th Charlie Andrews on Jaegermeister. Theresa Wendland came in 7th place and was the highest ranking female competitor in the Melee. She was riding Cash, a 15.1 hand 24 year old paint. Both Red and Cash are trained by Jen Jobst, Sean Gulick's wife.

The Joust a'Plaisance

There were 30 competitors in the Joust a'Plaisance, which was fought as a modified challenge tournament, rather than a bracketed elimination tournament. Each competitor got the chance to hold the field as tenan and face four challengers (venans). Each competitor also played the part of challenger at various times throughout the tournament. Each jousting pass could earn a total of 4 points. However, since some competitors ran a few more passes than others, the overall score for jousting was determined by dividing each competitor's total points by the number of passes they made. Therefore the highest possible score would be a perfect 4.0.

Charlie Andrews on Jaegermeister (and Dale Walter's rather green horse Baron for a few passes) came closest to earning that perfect 4.0. He earned 4 points on all but four of his passes, and on those passes, he earned 3's. His final score was 3.8333.

Luke Binks on Tinkerbell(left) jousts Charlie Andrews on Jaeger(right)(photo by AzulOx)

"Everyone had a fantastic time, and Charlie truly earned his victory, squaring off against some of the best jousters in the entire world! I was having trouble with my horses, and Charlie graciously loaned me Jaeger to use in my last set of passes. He also risked his overall score to ride my young Shire, Baron, to help get him comfortable in the Lysts." -- L Dale Walter

The second through sixth place winners were: 2nd Scott Wilson on Plum(3.7143), 3rd Luc Petillot on Lucky and Earl(3.5), 4th Lloyd Clark on Maggie the Awesome(3.3333), 5th Xavier Fauvel on Peaches(3.25) and 6th Luke Binks on Tinkerbell and Ladybug(3.2381).

The Award of Honour

One of the things that differentiated “Lysts on the Lake” from many other jousting tournaments was that the competitors were judged not just on their physical skills, but also on their behavior towards others both on and off the lyst field. At Lysts, you did not see or hear the kinds of fights and arguments that were depicted on certain tv shows about jousting. Instead you saw competitors loaning each other equipment and horses, helping one another to fix last minute problems, and squiring for their fellow competitors when they themselves were not busy competing. Competitors would also go out of their way to be polite and friendly to the ground crew, staff and volunteers helping with the event. There was a sense of camaraderie among everyone involved.

“Normal people leave their tooth brush at home - me, I leave my shield at the hotel and have to borrow Scott Wilson's. Kind of cool how our colors match up. Thanks Lesley! [Scott's wife]” – Jeffrey Basham

Perhaps the competitors were just trying to impress the Lady of Honour and her informants, but perhaps not. Whatever the reason, it was very difficult for Dawn Hemphill, the Lady of Honour, to choose the recipient of the Award of Honour this year. During the awards ceremony, she mentioned a number of competitors who were strongly considered for the award. What might surprise people who were not at the event, was that she mentioned Charlie Andrews, who received loud cheers for his generosity in helping others before and during the event. When she mentioned Ryan Saathoff, he received a thunderous round of applause for the seemingly endless work he did to help everyone at the event.

Ryan Saathoff on Shadowfax during practice(photo by AzulOx)

However, there can only be one winner of the Award of Honour. By the time, the Lady of Honour came to his name, she was so choked up with emotion that she could not list the reasons why he deserved it, she simply mentioned his name, Matt Machtan. The other competitors smiled, nodded and seemed to agree with her choice.

Matt Machtan(photo by Pamela Morgan)

The Overall champion

The overall tournament champion was chosen on the basis of how well he did in all three of the equestrian competitions as well as how honourably he behaved throughout the tournament. Considering that Charlie Andrews placed within the top six of all three equestrian competitions and was mentioned favorably by the Lady of Honour, it is not surprising that he was named the overall champion for “Lysts on the Lake 2012”

Charlie Andrews(photo by Pamela Morgan)

What was surprising for many, was Charlie Andrews himself. They weren't surprised that he was a great jouster; they were surprised at what a genuinely nice person Charlie is. He may not be your traditional storybook knight in shining armour, but he is far from the villain that the tv show “Knights of Mayhem” made him out to be. By competing in “Lysts on the Lake” and allowing his fellow jousters get to know him as a real person, Charlie Andrews won more than just another tournament championship, he won the respect of his peers.

“...how about when he [Charlie] took Dale's new horse down the list during the competition to train him.. shattering each time without issue. He also helped train and coach the same people he was competing with, graciously... For free.. I can't say enough.” – Nikki Fourtzialas

“Thank you Charlie. I have to compliment you on your jousting performance. Your skill in the lysts, both with horse and lance, were unmatched, and you got the results you deserved! I really enjoyed meeting you, talking with you and tilting with you, I'm looking forward to doing it all again!” – Luke Binks

“For those wondering, Charlie Andrews was the winner, and champion. To me, he is the Miyamoto Mushashi of jousting. If you understand Mushashi, you understand Charlie. Like him or not, he is simply the best jouster in the world. In person, he is a big teddy bear, who is there to win.” – Jason Edwards Monarch

The Other Champion at Lysts 2012

But there was another champion at this year's “Lysts on the Lake”, a little girl named Alexis. Alexis has been bravely fighting against the dragon of leukemia. Her bravery in combating this terrifying monster so impressed jouster and true Knight of the Templars, Matt Daniel, that he called her to come onto the jousting field during the award ceremony. In front of all the competitors on the field and spectators in the stands, Matt took off his spurs and gave them to Alexis to honour her brave battle. He also gave her the title of Dragon-Slaying Princess.

Alexis, the Dragon-Slaying Princess, with her father, Matt Daniel and her mother(photo by Pamela Morgan)

Many of the spectators and competitors were openly crying or fighting back tears as Alexis, carried by her parents, accepted Matt's spurs. A few days after Lysts, Matt Daniel posted online:

“UPDATE!!!! Alexis (the young girl from the ceremony on Sunday), had a bone marrow biopsy done yesterday.... No signs of leukemia cells remain! Thank you all for for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers! Something great has happened!!!!!” – Matt Daniel”

A wonderful ending to a wonderful tournament.

List of Winners at "Lysts on the Lake 2012"

Tournament Champion Overall rankings

1. Charlie Andrews on Jaegermeister and Baron
2. Scott Wilson on Plum, Peaches and Moose
3. Dave Wise on Pandora
4. Luc Petillot on Lucky and Earl
5. Sean Gulick on Saga and Red
6. David Young on Boccaccio

Joust a'Plaisance rankings

1. Charlie Andrews on Jaegermeister and Baron
2. Scott Wilson on Plum
3. Luc Petillot on Lucky and Earl
4. Lloyd Clark on Maggie the Awesome
5. Xavier Fauvel on Peaches
6. Luke Binks on Tinkerbell and Ladybug

Melee rankings

1. Sean Gulick on Red
2. Jim Myers on Moose
3. Scott Wilson on Peaches
4. Dustin Stephens on Sampson
5. Dave Wise on Pandora
6. Charlie Andrews on Jaegermeister
7. Theresa Wendland on Cash

Mounted Skill at Arms rankings

1. Jeffrey Basham on Pooh Bear
2. Frederic Piraux on Ladybug
3. David Young on Boccaccio
4. Charlie Andrews on Jaegermeister
5. Xavier Fauvel on Peaches
6. Andre Renier on Rilius “Riley” Maximus

The Award of Honour

Matt Machtan

Tirocinium (tournament for those just learning to joust)

1. Galen Bevel on Peaches
2. Jeffrey Basham on Pooh Bear
3. Matthieu Kevers on Ladybug
4. Jim Myers on Moose
5. Brian Dix on Hank
6. Zac Young on Earl
7. Michael Carroll on Plum

And, of course, Alexis, the Dragon-Slaying Princess.

The Ladies of the Lysts: Female Jousters Are Making Their Presence Known at this Year's "Lysts on the Lake"

There are twelve women competing in this year's "Lysts on the Lakes". That is more female competitors than there are competitors at many jousting tournaments. There are a total of 45 competitors at this year's tournament, which means that women form more than one quarter of the total competitors. That is a a pretty significant percentage of feminine participants for a sport generally thought to be almost exclusively masculine.

For a few of these females, jousting is still a fairly new experience, and they don't expect to necessarily do very well in the standings. This will be the first time Lady of Honour Dawn Hemphill will actually be competing in any tournament, and she will only be participating in the Mounted Skill at Arms(MSA) portion of the tournament.

For other competitors, such as Sarah Hay from Australia, who will be competing in the Melee a'Cheval as well as the Joust a'Plaisance, there is a chance she could win the entire tournament. She just recently won the Australian National Jousting Championship, and she has won at least six other jousting tournaments in the past few years. However, whatever the final standings are, simply by showing up to compete, the women competitors at "Lysts on the Lake 2012" are challenging the assumption that jousting is a "man's sport".

So here is a list of this year's Ladies of the Lysts:

Alison Mercer

Competing In: Joust a'Plaisance, Skill at Arms
From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Started Jousting: 2010
Motto: Tene Mensuram et Respice Finem - Be moderate and consider the end

"Alison started with historical equestrianism back in University, studying the equitation and weaponry of Alexander the Great's cavalry and the horsemanship of the Red River Mètis in the mounted buffalo hunt. After doing an MA in Canadian Military History in 2008, she decided academia didn't pay enough and got a job instead. She now works as the curator at the Air Force Museum of Alberta. Having been a history buff and a re-enactor for years, Alison decided to give jousting a go, feeling it was a more authentic form of living history since the hits are real. She is particularly keen on the history of the joust in the court of Maximilian I. Lysts on the Lake will be her first international tournament and she is thrilled to be riding against and learning from the established 'pros.'"

Bobbie Patterson

Competing In: Skill at Arms
From: Longview, TX, USA
Motto: dorso alis in equum habeo -- On my horse's back I have wings


"Bobbie Patterson has loved horses all her life and this love has carried over into many different aspects of horse activities. She has shown horses for over 30 years and trained for more than 20. She loves all horse breeds and never could pick just one. At present she has over 10 breeds at her East Texas ranch. Her love has been passed onto her two sons, Steve and Dusty Martel, who also are here at Lysts on the Lake and the reason for her involvement in jousting. She has been involved in the training of the joust horses in the Order of the Argent Spur and has personally participated at Skill at Arms for 8 years."

Dawn Hemphill

Competing In: Skill at Arms
From: Leander, TX, USA
Motto: Concinnitas est aeterna -- Style is eternal



"Dawn begged her parents for a pony as a little girl, but never got one. As an adult, she was finally able to fulfill her dream and started riding 10 years ago. Since then, along with her husband Steve, she has been instrumental in promoting jousting as a sport in North America. Dawn was the Lady of Honour at last year’s Lysts and is repeating the role this year. When not watching knights in shining armour, she competes in dressage and eventing on her Quarter Horse, Chocolate Moose. Dawn is also on the Board of Directors for The Baron’s Men, an Austin-based theatre company focusing on pre-17th century plays, allowing her to exercise her award-winning costuming skills. Additionally, she is a designer for a local home builder."

Kellyn Burtka

Competing In: Joust, Melee aCheval, Skill at Arms
From: Howell, MI, USA
Started Jousting: 2011
Motto: Potius ingenio quam vi -- Rather by skill than by force


"Kellyn has been riding and showing horses since childhood, and started her career as a professional trainer in 2000. She has always valued versatility in riding, and has competed in various equestrian sports including jumping, eventing, dressage, western pleasure, barrel racing and driving. She sees jousting as a new and exciting discipline for her and her horse to explore."

Kristin Flitcroft

Competing In: Skill at Arms
From: Cut and Shoot, TX, USA
Started Jousting: 2010
Motto: In omnia interritus -- Be fearless in all things


"Kristen is a native Texan and currently resides in Cut n' Shoot Texas. She earned a degree in Wildlife/Fisheries and Animal Science from Texas A&M University and works in a small and large animal veterinary clinic. She has been an active member of the SCA for 20 years and the last 5 has been spent with horses and medieval games. She has ridden horses all her life, with different types of riding instruction, and enjoys riding many types of horses in many environments."

Nicole Fourtzialas

Competing In: Joust, Melee aCheval, Skill at Arms
From: Haverhill, MA, USA
Started Jousting: 2005
Motto: Tu canis est, ut omnes -- Is that all you got, Dog


"Nikki is a member of, and US Liaison to, the International Jousting Association (IJA) (www.ija-usa.com), a co-founder of the New England Jousting Association (NEJA) and the Academy of Knightly Arts. Nikki competes in events with the IJA, NEJA, Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), and International Jousting League (IJL). She rides a 19.1, 8 Year old Percheron, Grassy Notch Thunder Ripper. AKA Thunder, a big horse with a big heart. Professionally she is a desk jockey, Sr.V.P of a technology division for the financial services industry. Jousting and Sword fighting have proven to be great stress management tools in her life."

Radar Goddard

Competing In: Joust, Melee aCheval
From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Started Jousting: 2003
Motto: Girls JOUST wanna have fun!


"Radar originally trained with the “Freelancers” jousting team lead by Roy Cox Team and debuted in Waxahachie, Texas at Scarborough Fair April 2003. She is the founder of the Society of Tilt and Lance Cavalry, founder and competitor at the Calgary Stampede Sheridan Hughes Memorial Tournament 2005 (At the time, the biggest international Tournament held in North America), joust team leader, competed from Estes Park Colorado (three times) to London Ontario, Renaissance Faires from Langley BC to Winnipeg Manitoba. Her goal is to joust in Europe and Australia over the next two years. Her degree is in prehistoric Archeology, she's a Certified Fire Service Technician (Firefighter), Fire Service Instructor and jousting enthusiast."

Robin Daniel

Competing In: Skill at Arms
Height: 5'0" Weight: 155 lbs.
From: Houston, TX, USA
Started Jousting: 2010
Motto: Modo Fac -- Just do it

"Originally from Torrance California, Robin came to Texas as soon as she could! She has competed in Polo Crosse for 16 years and is currently still umpiring for the sport. She has been involved in the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. (the world’s largest historical medieval living history organization) since 2010 and holds 4 equestrian championships within the organization. She has been married for 33 years and has 2 children. Aside from horses, she loves everything Disney!"

Samantha Matyas

Competing In: Joust, Melee aCheval, Skill at Arms
From: Howell, MI, USA
Started Jousting: 2011
Motto: A cœur vaillant rien impossible - To a valiant heart nothing is impossible

"Samantha has been riding for the past several years. Although a late comer to horses she immediately developed a passion for riding, and is often found jumping, running barrels, working with new horses or on the trail. In 2010 Samantha was asked to assist in training horses for jousting and from the moment she mounted in armor she knew she had to compete."

Sarah Hay

Competing In: Joust, Skill at Arms
Height: 5'6" Weight: 140 lbs.
From: Pheasants Nest, NSW, Austrailia
Motto: Courage. Passion, Integrity.


"Sarah lives on a farm in the outskits of Sydney, Australia. She currently looks after a team of 11 horses. Sarah has ridden all her life across a range of disciplines, but now dedicates her riding to jousting and horse archery. Sarah has been enjoying competing internationally for two years. She rides in a 1450s spring steel English harness made by an Australian armourer."

Theresa Wendland

Competing In: Melee aCheval, Skill at Arms
From: Denver, CO, USA
Started Jousting: 2011
Motto: Per aspera ad astra -- Through thorns to the stars


"Theresa Wendland is a horsewoman, scholar of the Chicago Swordplay Guild and member of the Rocky Mountain Swordplay Guild. She has been riding horses for over twenty years, focusing mostly on classical dressage. She has been working to combine her knowledge of horsemanship, of the biomechanics of riding and of equine behavior with the practice of western martial arts to interpret and reconstruct mounted combat, including wrestling, sword and spear from horseback. Theresa has been extensively researching historical horsemanship and mounted combat with a focus on the Italian and German medieval fighting manuscripts of the 14th and 15th centuries. In addition to her studies of mounted combat, she has recently begun to learn to joust."

Tiffany Geisendorf

Competing In: Joust, Melee aCheval, Skill at Arms
From: Midland TX, USA
Started Jousting: 2008
Motto: We are the Music Makers and We are the Dreamers of Dreams.

"Still a West Texas girl, Tiffany has always been a tomboy and very active in life. On top of being a proud mother of 2 children, Alex and Caylie, she is a seamstress, tiler, manager, and a jack of many trades. She served two reigns as Queen of Ansteorra (Texas and Oklahoma) in the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. (the world’s largest historical medieval living history organization) and 8 years ago, became the 23rd female to achieve knighthood within the society over its 38 years of history. Thanks to a wonderful horse name Plum, she overcame her fear of horses and now after a physically challenging two years, is looking forward to the continuance of her quest to hone her equestrian skills and living her love of the beauty of the joust and melee a' cheval. Ah, to live life to the fullest!"

Charlie Andrews and the Knights of Mayhem to Joust at Four Winds Faire

Four Winds Faire is home to Texas' oldest and longest running jousting tournament. The first tournament was held in 1994 and the eight weeks long 2012 tournament is going on now. The grand finale of the tournament will be held the final weekend of the Four Winds Faire on April 21 & 22.

The tournament includes a Mounted Skill-at-Arms (gaming) competition in addition to the usual jousting. At the end of the tournament, the five best jousters will win a spot on the State Joust Team representing Texas at the Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival Jousting Tournament in Estes Park, CO which attracts 20,000 spectators and has a prize purse of $20,000.

Champion jouster, Charlie Andrews, and the Knights of Mayhem, from the National Geographic tv show, will be participating in the jousts at Four Winds Faire the weekends of April 6,7,8 and 13,14,15. However, they are not currently planning to compete in the tournament finale.


Some of the jousters who are planning to compete are Dusty Martel, Steve Martel, Bobbie Patterson, Joseph McClain, John Young, Federico Serna, Dustin Stephens, Jerry Gordon, Robert Welch, Siobhan Welch, Kelly Hicks and Thom Barnett. Other jousters, such as Nikki Fourtzialas, the head of the International Jousting Association - USA, may also make an appearance.

The tournament is open and anyone with proper training and equipment is welcome to come and joust. However, arrangements need to be made with Dustin Stephens a couple of days before arrival in order for participation to be assured.

Because the various participants practice different kinds of jousting, a variety of jousting styles will be used throughout the tournament, including Shield Tag, Ecranche and Grande Guard. Participants will be matched against those who practice the same style of jousting and/or those whose styles are compatible with their own.

Each day's joust usually begins with a parade to the tournament field signaling the start of that day's competition at 1pm. The next competition usually begins at 5pm. However, depending on the number of competitors, the competition times may begin earlier.

Admission to the jousting tournament is included when you purchase a ticket to Four Winds Faire.