The Jousting Life: Norway

Showing posts with label Norway. Show all posts

Monday, June 22, 2015

Video of St. Hallvard's Jousting Tournament 2014

Back in 2014, from May 23 through May 25, the St. Hallvard's Jousting Tournament was held as part of the Oslo Middelalderfestival in Oslo, Norway. The tournament was organized by jouster Petter Ellingsen of Ridderhest and featured ten jousters from Norway, the Netherlands, Germany and Australia.

Jousters at the St. Hallvard's Tournament prepare to enter the lists for the mounted melee
(photo by Renate Skeie)

Jouster Joram van Essen, who was born in New Zealand, but lives in the Netherlands, won the tournament championship. Jouster Luke Binks of Australia came in second place overall, and jouster Wouter Nicolai of the Netherlands was named Most Chivalrous.

Luke Binks(left) and Joram van Essen(right) joust at St. Hallvard's Jousting Tournament 2014 in Oslo, Norway(photo by Renate Skeie)

Ben van Koert of Kaos Historical Media (who also happens to be a jouster, though he did not compete in this tournament) created two videos about the event. The first video features the jousters competing in the tournament.

St. Hallvard's Tournament (video by Ben van Koert/Kaos Historical Media)

The second video features behind the scenes footage showing all the work(and the people who do it) that is required to put on a competitive jousting tournament.

Behind the Tournament (video by Ben van Koert/Kaos Historical Media)

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Favorite Moments from 2014: Part Five

A few more favorite moments from 2014...

...from Ivar Mauritz-Hansen of Norway:

The season of 2014 has been my best season yet, and my first season doing shaped solid lances and full contact melee, and because of that, a lot of moments spring to mind when I am called upon to supply my favorite.

Ivar Mauritz-Hansen jousting at St. Hallvard's Tournament 2014 (photo by Renate Skeie)

My first tournament of the season was without doubt the most anticipated one this year. Petter Ellingsen, with others, spent years of planning and preparing for the Tournament of St. Hallvard in my home town of Oslo, Norway. After months of training, traveling to Crimea during the referendum to finish my new shoulders and helmet from Roman Tereschenko, and practicing with solid lances and wooden clubs, actually doing the tournament of that magnitude in a local venue was a true blast. To meet so many good people on and off the field really makes a tournament great, even if your merits in the lists themselves are not as good as one would like them to be.

Later in the summer, I once again went to the annual Tournament of St. Olav in Trondheim and had some really good days there with lots of good jousting. No solids this time. At the last day, I let my horse pass on the melee, as we were both tired, and my crew and I were going to Denmark that evening. So we took off all gear and walked back into the lists for the final victory lap after the melee was over. I was on his back without a saddle and my groom was leading him with just a rope.

Ivar Mauritz-Hansen, riding without gear at St. Olav's Tournament 2014
(photo by Hanne Prøis-Røhjell)

At the end of the round he just let the rope go, and we cantered out of the arena with no reins, saddle or anything. It is so wonderful to be able to trust one's mount to a degree that you can let go and know that he will take care of you... even if we both know that there is a bucket with feed by the trailer right outside the arena. This truly was a great moment.

Ivar Mauritz-Hansen at St. Olav's Tournament 2014 (photo by Hanne Prøis-Røhjell)

Then it was on to Denmark for The Tournament of the Golden Chain at the Nykøbing Medieval Center with Arne Koets and Stichting HEI (am I missing someone here?). I was really looking forward to meeting these people again after Oslo, and they did not disappoint me in or outside the lists. Jousting with Arne Koets was like getting jabbed by a bus. It was awesome. But the absolute top moment of the season was getting smashed to bits by Joram van Essen in the melee. You truly never feel alive before your body believes it's about to end. I'm looking forward to crossing clubs with Joram again in the future.

Joram van Essen(left) prepares to smash Ivar Mauritz-Hansen(right) over the head during
the mounted melee at the Tournament of the Golden Chain (photo by Middelaldercentret)

... from Rozemarijn Keuning, who is on the cusp of becoming a jouster:

My favorite jousting moment of 2014 was of course when I had a lance broken on my shield for the first time! During the show season in 2014 and related training events, I didn't have my own horse with me here in Norway, as he was still in Spain being trained. I was lucky to have such good friends who would lend me their warhorses so I could join the training events.

Rozemarijn Keuning on the experienced jousting horse Misty
during joust training in Norway (photo by Karoline Gudbrandsen)

I purchased a second-hand armour so I could join the fun while waiting for Luke Binks to create my properly fitted jousting armour. While I was getting help with my equipment, my good friends Pelle (Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell) and Ivar (Ivar Mauritz-Hansen) decided to break some solid lances and produced such a hard hit that it almost unhorsed both of them. I must admit I was wondering why I wanted to do this so badly in that very moment!

Unfortunately, I had some trouble with my equipment rendering myself unable to break a lance on someone else's shield, but at least I had a lance broken on mine, which really was a barrier I needed to cross to proceed with my training. The picture is a still from the GoPro and mostly just a blur, but you get the idea.

Rozemarijn Keuning has a lance broken against her for the first time
(photo by Ivar Mauritz-Hansen)

My other absolute favorite moment of the show season in 2014 was at the tournament in Trondheim. The St. Olav's Tournament is always well organized and great fun. I was squiring for Pelle and his wife took care of his horse. Of course we were very happy to get a phone call from Arundel hearing he'd won the tournament together with Ben van Koert. But best of all was that he flew straight from Arundel to Trondheim, and even though he lost a day of gathering points due to his armour getting lost on the way, he still managed to win this tournament as well! Veni Vidi Vici! Very cool.

Rozemarijn squires for Pelle(Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell) during
St. Olav's Tournament 2014 (photo by Odd Røhjell)

Also, Pelle finally got to ride his own horse Promyk, and of course I cannot speak for him, but I believe this was the first tournament where he did not need to spend all of his energy on his horse and could rather focus on the competition. Good training pays off, and Promyk was a star! He would do the job regardless of what was happening.

The reason why this is awesome you've probably heard before, as Promyk has a history of being dangerous to people. He ended up at Pelle's place kind of as a last resort, and if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would probably have trouble believing the total change he went through during his stay. Both his body and mind needed some serious fixing, and from directly attacking people to a very reliable warhorse in such a short time is truly a great achievement. Luckily he gets to stay, and I hope it will be to the end of his days.

Rozemarijn Keuning watches Pelle compete on his jousting horse Promyk during St. Olav's Tournament 2014 (photo by Ragnhild Krogvig Karlsen)

Rozemarijn Keuning watches Pelle compete on Promyk during St. Olav's Tournament 2014
(photo by Ragnhild Krogvig Karlsen)

While writing this, I realize how lucky I am to have such great friends and teachers to train with, and I'm very much looking forward to the day I will be able to compete myself!

“Life before death, strength before weakness, journey before destination.” – Brandon Sanderson in The Way of Kings

So, these were my best jousting moments of 2014.

Cheers, Rose

... from Joel Evans of the UK, who acts as ground crew for the jousting troupe Destrier.

I was unfortunately only able to attend two events this season due to work responsibilities, but of those two, Bosworth was my favourite. We often have the opportunity to hold jousts in some really spectacular castles and historic properties, and as a bit of a fan of medieval architecture, this aspect appeals to me. It makes the entire joust far more evocative and atmospheric. However, as you're probably aware, Bosworth doesn't have that draw – it's just a field in the middle of the countryside. It is, of course the site of the Battle of Bosworth, and that is something very special, which added to the experience of the event.

The joust itself was a real challenge, with adverse weather, difficult horses and very tight timing for setting up and taking down the arena, which therefore made it difficult for all members of Destrier – from the knights (and King) to the ground crew guys such as myself. But I think that was what made it so satisfying. We were able to put on a joust that ran to a successful conclusion, was enjoyed by the public and also by the other re-enactors at the event. It was hard work for everyone involved, and a lot of running backwards and forwards on my part (the lot of the ground crew!), but it's always a great feeling when everything works out a success in the end.

The Destrier Team at the Battle of Bosworth 2014 (photo by Christina Pearn)

Do you have a favorite moment from 2014? Please share it in the comments.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Interview with Per Estein Prøis- Røhjell, Team Champion at Arundel and Individual Champion at St Olav's 2014

Editorial Note: I apologize for the lateness of this article. Pelle sent me the answers to the interview questions over a month ago, but I was not feeling well and was unable to put the article together in a timely manner.

After winning the team championship with Ben van Koert at the Arundel International Tournament which took place July 22 - 27 in West Sussex, England, Per Estein Prøis- Røhjell, known by many as Pelle, immediately left to compete in the St Olav's Tournament which took place July 28 - 30 in Trondheim, Norway, where he won the tournament championship.

Per Estein Prøis- Røhjell(photo by ARW Photography)

Pelle very kindly agreed to answer a few questions about his experiences during these two tournaments.

Congratulations on winning the Team Championship with Ben van Koert at the Arundel International Tournament! AND on winning the Individual Championship at the St Olav's Tournament! How did it feel to win two tournaments back to back?

Ben van Koert(left) and Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell(right)display their Team Championship rings in front of Arundel Castle 2014(photo by Victoria Dawe)

Thank you! It was emotionally incredibly intense, for a plethora of reasons. St. Olavs Tournament is something of a pet for me, as we are trying to build a high-quality tournament, where Norwegian jousters – newbies and oldtimers alike – can come together and duke it out, all the while being in a "safe" environment, where winning is secondary, and showing your skills is the main attraction for jousters and spectators alike. Trondheim is a very nice city like that – strong with tradition and culture. And Arundel was much the same, which I of course couldn't have known until I had been there! And the added challenge of riding a bunch of different horses has always daunted me. This was actually the first season where I tried that particular evil.

What was/were your favorite moment(s) of the Arundel Castle tournament?

This is a hard one. My first proper "moment" with Arundel, was to be invited at all! Such an honour, I felt, and still feel. As I noticed Ben already mentioned, an evening of culture; music and poems, and with the greatest comic relief – was a very strong experience. Andy Dean's presentation of "The Charge of the Light Brigade" and "The Last of the Light Brigade" showed how strongly all the jousters connect to soldiers and cavalry, while also bringing to the forefront the depth of the personalities around the campfire that night. One morning I got caught by the scoreboard, of which we had all been warned, and I saw that Ben and I would have to win both our team shows that day, in order to stay in the running.

The scoreboard on Day 3 of Arundel Castle International Tournament 2014
(photo by ARW Photography)

I had not thought of winning at all until that moment, but the competitiveness woke up right then. Finally, there are just too many little nuggets of awesome to share in a short interview. Suffice it to say, I was awed by the level of quality in each and every person.

How did you become involved with the Arundel Castle International Tournament?

Ben van Koert invited me, as his former teammate was very busy with the shaped solid lance jousting on the continent. I was honoured!

What would you like to say about/to your teammate Ben van Koert?

About him: he is one meticulous man! He just keeps crossing out the weaknesses he has, and added to that he allows himself to express his personal awesomeness. This allows others to shine, as well! To him: Thank you man, for an awesome experience! May it not be the last! [Click to see Ben van Koert's interview]

Ben van Koert during Arundel Castle International Tournament 2014
(photo by ARW Photography)

When and how did you become involved in jousting?

Well, I started riding in 2001. I had just met my then future wife and needed to impress her. She was a rider already, of course... The plan was to ride to the first night of "The Two Towers" – which we more or less accomplished. Much riding and training later, I met up with Arne Hagerup, and Hans Joergen Belseth of De Norske Frilansene (The Norwegian Freelancers), and they introduced me to the whole community in Norway. I learned – and still learn – to ride from my wife. We run a riding school of sorts together. Also, Luke Binks has taught me a whole lot of important stuff with regards to jousting and the general mindset of the historical knight.

What would you like to say about/to the others involved in the Arundel tournament?

The crew running Arundel was an absolute pleasure working with. Scoring was brilliant, I had all the help I could possibly want from ground crew and squires. The horse people were utterly awesome! Never a "no" in their mouths, always a piece of advice, and even occasionally a sinister note when you´d done bad. Andreas Wenzel, who was the Knight Marshall, managed to look the part, do the job, AND be a help to jousters and scorers alike. Brilliant job.

Andreas Wenzel, Knight Marshal for Arundel Castle International Tournament 2014
(photo by Victoria Dawe)

Arundel Castle International Tournament ended on Sunday, July 27 outside of London, England and St Olav's Tournament began on Monday, July 28 in Trondheim, Norway. Please tell us about getting from one tournament to another so quickly.

Oh, that sucks a bit, actually. I don´t know whether I can recommend it, really. I had a stayover at Copenhagen, which was actually rather nice, but I recommend getting a ticket including the lounge, to save some time dining and such. However, Stacy van Dolah Evans´ father took me to Heathrow efficiently, and I was picked up at Trondheim by my wife, so I could hardly complain.

How did you get involved with St Olav's Tournament?

The dude who runs it is a personal friend of mine, and I happen to be rather close with most of the Norwegian jousters. Norway is a very small country when it comes to numbers of people of any kind...

What was/were your favorite moment(s) of the St. Olav's Tournament?

Again it´s kind of hard to tell, but a couple of moments do shine through for me personally: I managed to throw a spear properly TWICE in one round of mounted skill at arms. I have never even managed that once in my life. I really, really suck at throwing stuff with a normal overhand technique. And then my horse being awesome for nine passes in a row with no pause! He stood like a rock eight of those times, and I could await the other jouster, helping the quality of the whole thing. This was not always possible for me...

Ivar Mauritz-Hanzen(left) and Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell(right) joust at St. Olav's Tournament 2014(photo by Ragnhild Krogvig Karlsen)

There were apparently some problems getting your armour to the St. Olav's Tournament. Please tell us what happened, and how it affected you.

Yes, the airport at Copenhagen – Kastrup – is apparently known for making a mess of everything luggagey... I arrived in Trondheim without any luggage at all, but luckily everything was delivered in the evening. However, this meant that I had to compress more work into less time, but both me and the horse were up to it, so no complaints there either. Actually I pulled something in my groin in the finals of the joust – so I guess the body started to feel the strain...

Please tell us about your armour.

My armour is mostly made by Luke Binks. It isn´t all ready yet, so there are a few missing links, that have been replaced by in stock stuff. I am certain Luke could fill us in on who used to wear the original and all that stuff, I confess to not remembering. This does, however, bring out a couple of points that are of importance to me. Like I said earlier about Ben, I am very impressed by his meticulous nature – the orderly way he carries on about his business. I am nothing like that myself, like we can see from me not knowing simple facts about my armour.

Pelle with his wife Hanne at St. Olav's 2014(photo by Stine Gulli)

Nonetheless, my armour – how it is made, how it looks, and how it works – is very important to me, and this is how I decided on it: "Oy, Luke! I want an armour that can express elegant power! I want a Salet, and I want a little bit of fluting." (Shortened a bit for the viewers pleasure.) And he went to work, trying to find something that would fit the description. I believe he managed beautifully! I cannot be bothered about details, but I want the whole picture to express something, and I believe it does, despite the few things that are not yet done. I enjoy how it all flows, and above all, I enjoy the way it looks organic! My favourite part? Cannot answer that, because it is not made up out of parts as far as I am concerned, no more than is a human body.

Please tell us about the horse that you rode during St. Olav's Tournament.

Pelle jousting on Promyk during St. Olav's 2014(photo by Stine Gulli)

My current jousting horse is named Promyk. He´s a Polish warmblood, and his name means "Sunray". I've been training him for the best part of a year, and almost exclusively done strength/flexibility training and a bit of conditioning. I do not practice a lot, meaning I do not run a billion passes at the tilt, but rather rely on the capacity and obedience of the horse to bring us through. He still needs a fair bit of training before he comes onto the plateau of his bred capacity.

Pelle practicing on Promyk(photo by Charlotte Sørensen)

He is very intelligent, but I don't know if I like that trait. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's difficult. He does want to please, though.

We got this horse for free, he is something of a known quantity around here, having scared vets and farriers alike. He used to be quite dangerous, he is definitely the most dangerous horse I have ever worked with. One of my fellow jousters, a good friend named Tore K. Gransaeter, rode this horse for a while, and he says that he used to pull his cap down into his eyes, so he couldn't see Promyk's eyes when collecting him in the fields, because Promyk has the evilest eye!!! That way, he didn't get scared, and the horse stayed calm.

When you are at the site getting ready for the tournament, is there anything special that you do?

I have no particular rituals, but I work hard to get into the "right mindset". For me this is a martial art, and I feel we need to express power and control, all the while showing toughness of heart and soul. Being strong without being hard.

Please describe in as much detail as possible, the exact process that you go through when running a jousting pass.

When running a pass, I would liken the process to "The Flame and the Void" (see Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time). That is, I try to empty my mind, feeding all emotions into the flame, leaving the void as a clear screen, upon which anything "uncommon" can be clearly projected.

Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell at St. Olav's Tournament 2014(photo by Ragnhild Krogvig Karlsen)

This, I believe, is where one falls to the level of his training. I have faults I need to fix still – like I need to bring the lance up sooner after the impact. I do not think a lot while doing the pass. I feel more, always trying to stay calm, not falling for the will to go "all out".

What would you like to say about/to the others involved in St Olav's Tournament?

Trondheim has also got a great crew! There are some positions that still need to be filled, but we are building this tournament from the ground up, so time is just going to help us make it even better!

Rozemarijn Keuning hands Pelle a lance during St. Olav's Tournament 2014
(photo by Ragnhild Krogvig Karlsen)

What are your plans/hopes for the future?

Oh, I simply cannot relay that here! I plan to compete in Dressage as well as jousting, partly to try and further our recognition as a sport. This is rather exciting, as well as a fair bit daunting. I know that many people within our community are not very fond of competitive dressage, and I can hardly argue against them. My goal remains, however, to always unite instead of divide.

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions and best of luck in the future.

The ring for winning the Team Championship at Arundel 2014 and the engraved bricks for winning the jousting competition and the overall tournament at St. Olav's 2014
(photo by Per Estein Prøis- Røhjell)

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

POV Video of the Last Six Jousting Passes at St Olav's Tournament 2014

St Olav's Tournament 2014 took place July 28 - 30 as part of Olavsfestdagene in Trondheim, Norway. In this video, Ivar Mauritz-Hansen(who is wearing the POV camera) faces first Thomas Andersen, who earned second place in jousting at St Olav's Tournament, and then Per Estein Prøis- Røhjell, who earned first place in jousting and was named Tournament Champion. Ivar, himself, earned third place in jousting.

POV video of the last six jousting passes at St Olav's Tournament 2014
(video by Ivar Mauritz-Hansen)

When I complimented Ivar Mauritz-Hansen on this very nice POV(Point of View) footage, he responded:

"POV? If I had this good a view from inside that helm, then jousting would be easy. :P "

Ivar Mauritz-Hansen(photo by Stian Green)

Monday, August 4, 2014

Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell Wins St Olav's Tournament 2014

For the second time in a week, Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell(aka Pelle) has won a jousting tournament. On Sunday, July 27, Pelle, along with his teammate Ben van Koert, won the Team Championship at the prestigious seven day long Arundel International Tournament outside of London, England. On the evening of July 30, he was announced Winner of the Joust and Tournament Champion for St Olav's Tournament 2014, part of Olavsfestdagene in Trondheim, Norway.

Bentre Andresen(left) jousts Per Estein Prøis- Røhjell(right), Tournament Champion
(photo by Trude Langvad)

Martin Hagen Johnsen was at St Olav's Tournament and provided the following text and photos:

On Monday the 28th of July at 2pm, the herald announced the rock stars of the renaissance to a packed stadium outside Nidarosdomen, the 1000 year old cathedral in Trondheim. The stage was set for three days of combat between several jousters of Norway. To the sound of Queens "We Will Rock You" the seven jousters rode out to meet the crowd and start the St Olav's Tournament 2014.

For two of the participants this was a very special moment. It was the first tournament for the Norwegian trotter horse Mari Charisma, and for Even, a Norwegian fjord horse, it would be the last. At the age of 21, Even is retiring as a joust horse. This was emotional for both rider and ground crew, who have known Even for many years. But the show must go on.

Norwegian Fjord horse Even and his rider and ground crew
(photo by Martin Hagen Johnsen)

Pelle made it to Trondheim on time after winning the Arundel International Tournament. However his armour did not. The airline lost his luggage. Pelle managed to compete in the mounted melee in borrowed helmet and gauntlets (no chest, arm or leg armour), but was unable to compete in any of the jousting on the first day of the tournament. After some phone calls, the armour was retrieved, and Pelle was ready for the jousting on day two.

Erik Dahl Ryen had to withdraw from the tournament after a lance struck his right hand on the second pass vs. Ivar Mauritz-Hansen. The injury was severe enough to prevent him from continuing. A quick trip to the ER and some stitches showed no lasting injury to his hand. Erik will be back next year!

The competition was even, and after three days and six events the winners were announced.

Jousting:
1st place: Per Estein Prøis- Røhjell with 16 points

Per Estein Prøis- Røhjell on his horse Promyk, 1st place jousting
(photo by Martin Hagen Johnsen)

2nd place: Thomas Andersen with 14 points

Thomas Andersen, 2nd place jousting(photo by Martin Hagen Johnsen)

3rd place: Ivar Mauritz-Hansen with 13 points

Ivar Mauritz-Hansen(left), 3rd place jousting(photo by Martin Hagen Johnsen)

Mounted Skill at Arms(MSA): Bente Andresen with 43 points

Bente Andresen, winner MSA(photo by Martin Hagen Johnsen)

Mounted Melee: Bjørn Steinar Gundersen with 12 points

Bjørn Steinar Gundersen, winner Mounted Melee(photo by Martin Hagen Johnsen)

Tournament Champion: Per Estein Prøis- Røhjell

Per Estein Prøis- Røhjell, Tournament Champion(photo by Martin Hagen Johnsen)

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Joram van Essen Wins St Hallvard's 2014

St Hallvard's Tournament, an international jousting competition, took place May 23 - 25, at the historic Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway. Ten jousters from three different countries participated in the competition, which included two sessions of jousting and two mounted melees each day. Joram van Essen, who was born in New Zealand, but who currently resides in the Netherlands, won both the jousting competition and the mounted melee competition, and therefore, he earned the title of tournament champion. Joram also won the Grand Tournament of Sankt Wendel in 2012. In both tournaments he was riding his trusty steed Zogo, a beautiful Murgese stallion.

Joram van Essen on his Murgese stallion Zogo(photo by Renate Skeie)

Luke Binks of Australia earned second place overall. He was riding a Norwegian warmblood gelding named Misty, who was born, bred and trained at Trollspeilet, the riding and training center run by jouster Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell and his wife Hanne.

Luke Binks on the Norwegian Warmblood Misty(photo by Renate Skeie)

And Wouter Nicolai of the Netherlands, riding his Andalusian stallion Flamenco, was chosen by the Ladies as Most Chivalrous. Wouter was also chosen to win the Chivalry Award at the 2013 Tournament of the Phoenix.

Wouter Nicolai humbly bows his head as he accepts the Award for Chivalry at
St. Hallvard's Jousting Tournament 2014 (photo by Renate Skeie)

More details about the tournament will be coming soon.

Related Articles:
An Interview with Joram van Essen: Grand Champion of "The Grand Tournament in Sankt Wendel"

Teaser for the Upcoming Video of the St Hallvard's Tournament

The Jousters of St Hallvard's Tournament

Promotional Video for St. Hallvard's Jousting Tournament

Random Pic: Practicing for St Hallvard's

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Teaser for the Upcoming Video of the St Hallvard's Tournament

A little taste of the video that is to come from Ben van Koert/Kaos Historical Media of the St Hallvard's Jousting Tournament which took place May 23 - 25, as part of the Oslo Middelalderfestival. The tournament was held on the grounds of the historic Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway.:

Teaset St Hallvard's Tournament(video by Ben van Koert/Kaos Historical Media)

"After three days of vigorous jousting and melee combat, St. Hallvards tournament is over. We documented the entire event, stay tuned for some awesome images!" -- Ben van Koert
(photo by Ben van Koert/Kaos Historical Media

Joram van Essen and Luke Binks break both their lances during a jousting pass(photo by Ben van Koert/Kaos Historical Media

Friday, May 23, 2014

Random Pic: Practicing for St Hallvard's

Ivar Mauritz-Hansen will be one of the competitors in the St. Hallvard's Tournament which starts today in Oslo, Norway. Here is a picture of him practicing in his brand new armour on a borrowed horse just days before the tournament.

Ivar Mauritz-Hansen on the Andalusian gelding Sigismund(photo by Renate Skeie)

The horse's name is Sigismund, he's an Andalusian gelding that originally belonged to jouster Arne Koets and currently belongs to jouster Petter Ellingsen(the organizer of St. Hallvard's). He was ridden by Andreas Wenzel in the Grand Tournament of Sankt Wendel. According to Ivar, when it comes to jousting, "He knows more about it than I do."

The upright post that he is breaking his lance against is a form of shock quintain. Shock quintains come in a variety of forms, but no matter what they look like they serve much the same function. Unlike the regular quintain whose target spins quite easily, the shock quintain's target is very difficult to move, making it good training not only for hitting a rather small target, but also for withstanding the shock of hitting a heavy object with your lance.

When asked about St Hallvard's Tournament, Ivar had this to say:

"I'm very excited for this tournament as it will be the biggest in Norway in a long time, and I am deeply honored to be a part of it. It will be my first solid lance tournament, and it has been a tough time to get the equipment and horse ready in time, but thanks to a number of great friends that have helped me with my troubles, I'm now confident that St. Hallvard's Tournament is for me going to be totally awesome!" -- Ivar Mauritz-Hansen

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

The Jousters of St Hallvard's Tournament

St Hallvard's Tournament will be taking place this weekend, May 23 - 25, on the grounds of the historic Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway. It was organized by Petter Ellingsen of the jousting troupe Ridderhest and will be a featured part of the Oslo Middelalder Festival. The participants will compete in both the mounted melee and the joust. The jousting will be done with tapered solid lances with steel coronels, like those used in the Grand Tournament of Sankt Wendel. This means that the skill and armour requirements for the jousters are higher than at many other tournaments.

There will be ten jousters from three different countries competing for the championship of the tournament.

Alix van Zijl of the Netherlands

Alix van Zijl on Torero(photo by Katla Menada)

Alix van Zijl is a veterinarian who runs a practice employing four other vets. She's been riding horses since childhood and has competed in dressage. In 2003, she began training in historical riding with Joram van Essen and Arne Koets. In 2009, she ordered a custom made museum quality Milanese Armour, and in 2010, she competed in her first public joust. She is currently a board member of the historical riding group Stichting HEI. She fought in the mounted melee at the Grand Tournament of Sankt Wendel in 2012, and became the first woman in Europe to compete in a joust using tapered solid lances with steel coronels during the White Bear Tournament in Nyborg, Denmark in 2013. Alix rides her own Andalusian stallion, Torero. She bought him in Spain when he was four years old and has trained him herself according to the baroque principles taught at the Hofreitschule in Buckeburg, Germany.

Andrew McKinnon of Australia

Andrew McKinnon(photo from Arundel International Tournament)

Andrew McKinnon had never ridden a horse before turning 40. Yet when he discovered that real jousting still exists, he began training with Rod Walker and less than three years later competed in his first joust. Since then Andrew has competed successfully in jousts in Australia, New Zealand and France. He first competed with tapered solid lances at the Blacktown Medieval Faire in Sydney, Australia. Andrew is currently organizing the Tournament of St Ives which will take place in northern Sydney in 2014, and will feature jousting with tapered solid lances. Andrew's armour is an Italian spring steel harness circa 1460-1470 made by fellow Australian jouster Luke Binks. When not jousting, Andrew works on developing his dressage skills and playing the blues. He also owns a communications company with his wife Andrea, and has three strapping sons.

Arne Koets of the Netherlands

Arne Koets on Maximillian(photo by IsisSturtewagen/Stichting HEI)

Though of Norwegian descent, Arne Koets currently lives in Germany. He has been interested in military history for as long as he can remember and is one of the founding members of Stichting HEI. He began riding in 2001 and participated in his first joust in 2002. He has since participated in over 750 jousts in fifteen countries on three separate continents. In 2010, he won the Ironfest Joust, the first international jousting tournament to use solid tapered lances with steel coronels in modern times. In 2012, he organized and competed in the Grand Tournament of Sankt Wendel. When not jousting, he studies and teaches the historical dressage necessary for mounted combat.

Bertus Brokamp of the Netherlands

Bertus Brokamp(photo by Isis Sturtewagen/Stichting HEI)

Bertus first became involved in medieval martial arts in 2001. He later joined forces with Stichting HEI and began learning how to ride in 2004. He started out working as ground crew for the mounted members of the group, then in 2007, he participated in his first joust and also became a member of the board. That same year he received his Master of Science degree by writing a thesis on landweren, the late medieval defense lines in the Netherlands and Holy Roman Empire. In 2011, Bertus became the proud owner of the Andalusian stallion, Talento. After some intensive training, Talento was ridden by Wouter Nicolai in the Grand Tournament of Sankt Wendel in 2012. Since then, Talento has continued to carry jousters into the tilt and has been trained in classical dressage. Bertus broke his first tapered solid lance in 2013, during the White Bear Tournament in Nyborg, Denmark.

Ivar Mauritz-Hansen of Norway

Ivar Mauritz-Hansen(photo by Renate Skeie)

Ivar has participated in many demonstrations and competitions in Norway and northern Europe, both on foot and on horseback. He started out training in Olympic style fencing when he was nine years old. Through the years since, he has learned to fight with the epee, longsword and pole axe on the ground, and now competes with a lance on horseback. He began riding in 2006 and broke his first lance in 2008.

Joram van Essen of the Netherlands

Joram van Essen at the Times & Epochs joust in Russia(photo by Andrew Boykov)

Joram van Essen was born in New Zealand, but moved to the Netherlands in 1999 to pursue his passion for historical european martial and equestrian arts. He was a founding member of Stichting HEI which was started in 2000 to promote historical education and authentic historical re-creation in the Netherlands. He has competed in numerous jousts around the world, including the prestigious international jousts at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, England, at the Times & Epochs international joust in Moscow, Russia and at Nyborg Slott in Denmark. In 2012, he was tournament champion of the Grand Tournament of Sankt Wendel, considered one of the most historically accurate jousts of modern times. Joram’s philosophy is that jousting is an Art, which requires training, dedication and team work between horse and rider.

Luke Binks of Australia

Luke Binks at Blacktown Medieval Faire(photo by Garry Davenport)

Luke Binks has had a lifelong passion for knights and the chivalric culture of the middle ages. Not satisfied with what he could learn from books, in 2002, Luke began making armour, learning to fight and to ride horses. The following year, Luke competed in his first international joust. Since that time, Luke has competed in jousts in aproximately a dozen countries around the world, including tournaments in Australia, Europe and North America. He has also spent time living and working on all three of the above mentioned continents, in search of like minded people, the ultimate pass with a lance and the skilled clash of a sword.

Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell of Norway

Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell at Tonsberg Medieval Festival 2013(photo by Espen WinPics)

Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell, aka Pelle, owns and runs Trollspeilet with his wife Hanne. Trollspeilet is a company which offers riding instruction all over Norway and further abroad. Hanne also writes a blog about their work. Pelle and Hanne have two children. Pelle has participated in jousting tournaments in Denmark, Sweden, Germany and France as well as in his home country of Norway. In 2012, he was tournament champion at the Tournament of St Olav in Trondheim, Norway. Pelle recently retired his best tournament horse, Hugo, and many people are curiously waiting to see how well he will do with a new and inexperienced horse in 2014.

Petter Ellingsen of Norway

Petter Ellingsen at the Times & Epochs joust in Russia(photo by Andrew Boykov)

Petter Ellingsen began riding in 1998 with the sole purpose of learning to joust. He has striven to accurately recreate the way medieval knights rode. Eleven years ago, Petter began jousting internationally and has since jousted in thirteen different countries around the world. He has participated in more than 400 shows, tournaments and events. In 2012, he competed in the acclaimed Grand Tournament of Sankt Wendel in Germany. in 2013, he jousted in front of over 200,000 people at the Times & Epochs jousting tournament in Moscow, Russia. Petter runs his own company, Ridderhest, which trains and supplies horses for video productions and live events. Recently, his horses were featured in a reality tv series called "The Last Viking". He also happens to be the organizer of this tournament.

Wouter Nicolai of the Netherlands

Wouter Nicolai at Arundel 2013(photo by Richard Pearn)

As a member of Stichting HEI, the premier Dutch display team for medieval mounted soldiery, Wouter is one of the Netherlands’ top historical jousters and is a highly active international competitor. In 2013, he competed in the White Bear tournament at Nyborg Slott in Denmark, in the Arundel International Tournament in England, and the Tournament of the Phoenix in the USA(at which he was named Most Chivalrous). His occupation as a professional jouster at the well-known Archeon Museum Park enables him to constantly hone his skills with horse, lance and sword. Wouter is also active in researching and reconstructing historical horse equipment, such as medieval and roman saddles.

Related articles:
Promotional Video for St. Hallvard's Jousting Tournament

There are numerous articles about The Grand Tournament of Sankt Wendel, several of which feature interviews with jousters who will be competing in St Hallvard's Tournament

Mounted Skill at Arms & the First Round of Jousting at "Times & Epochs 2013"

The Mounted Melees at the "Times & Epochs 2013" Jousting Tournament

Historical Jousting Tournament in Nyborg Slot in Denmark

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Promotional Video for St. Hallvard's Jousting Tournament

St Hallvard's Jousting Tournament will take place May 23 - 25, as part of the Oslo Middelalderfestival. The event will be held on the grounds of the historic Akershus Fortress in Oslo, Norway.

Promo video for St Hallvard's Tournament(video by Ben van Koert/Kaos Historical Media)

The jousting tournament has been organized by Petter Ellingsen of the jousting troupe Ridderhest, and will involve an international group of highly skilled jousters from Norway, the Netherlands and Australia. When asked what inspired him to organize the St Hallvard's Tournament, he replied:

"Organizing a big tournament in my hometown of Olso has been a lifelong dream. When I got the opportunity to use the grounds at Akershus Fortress which has buildings dating back to the 13th century, St. Hallvard's Tournament was born. The tournament is named after the patron saint of Oslo, Hallvard. My goal was to bring some of the best jousters in the world together for a great tournament, and so I have." -- Petter Ellingsen

Petter Ellingsen at the Times & Epochs joust in Moscow, Russia(photo by Anastasia Lazareva)

You can find out more about the tournament and the festival on their websites and Facebook pages:

St Hallvard's Tournament website
St. Hallvard's Facebook page
Oslo Middelalderfestival website
Oslo Middelalderfestival Facebook page

Related articles:
Joram van Essen Wins "The Grand Tournament in Sankt Wendel"

An Interview with Joram van Essen: Grand Champion of "The Grand Tournament in Sankt Wendel"

Pavel "Paul" Kalinkov Wins the First "Times & Epochs" Jousting Tournament

Monday, March 24, 2014

Joust For Fun: Life in Armour

Thomas Andersen of Norway who is a member of the jousting troupe Ordo Ignis, created this fun video.

The Knight's Christmas(video by Thomas Andersen)

In 2010, Thomas Andersen decided to make an unusual advent calendar, one different than those normally seen on Norwegian television. It was the off-season for jousting, and Thomas was feeling a bit creative, thus ”The Knights Christmas” was born. The plot: The crazy knight from the north, Thomas Andersen, tries a variety of every day modern activities while wearing armour. The above promo video is a compilation of scenes from the entire series of advent videos.

You can see more of Thomas' videos, including his advent videos, on his YouTube channel, "Thomas The Knight".

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

About a Horse: Hugo

This wonderful tribute to the jousting horse, Hugo, was written by his longtime owner and rider Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell(aka Pelle).

Hugo and Pelle practice in the snow(photo by Renate Skeie)

The Hugo

I know that I am not alone, when I share the feeling of dread that accompanies some of our greatest achievements. Those times when you know you will stretch to your very limit, and you know in your heart that it might still not be enough.

The joust is an obvious example of this mix of feelings. A good friend of mine, Arne Koets, has a saying when we are getting armoured,"Why are we doing this again?" I think it expresses very well how it feels sometimes.

Pelle has some help armouring up for the joust(photo by Rozemarijn Keurning)

Now this feeling is of course not limited to those who joust. Any tough situation, be it meeting your boss for the first time, hiring employees, taking on a great adventure of one sort or another -- buying a house, say -- or a thousand other little things, please insert your own experience...

In all these situations, you know there is only one thing that can carry you through:
True Courage.

Many people mistakenly think that those who do scary, difficult stuff all the time, and do it well; these people are never afraid. I beg to differ. Some of the toughest people I know are also some of the tenderest hearts I know.

But this post is not about people. It is about a horse. My first horse, to be precise.

Hugo is prepared for the joust by One Enerud(photo by Oliver Dunsch)

Hugo has never been unafraid -- I think. He is not bred for courage, he is bred for speed, if anything, the Bastard he is.

But The Mighty Hugo has carried me through France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, participating in at least one of the hardest tournaments in the world. Always afraid, always performing. Rearing, running away, stopping before the strike fell, and even turning away from the tilt. But always, when jousting, Hugo delivers a fearsome hit. Even if I don´t.

Hugo carries Pelle down the tilt at "The Grand Tournament of Sankt Wendel"
(photo by Rozemarijn Keurning)

I have seen him stay away from fights in the herd, just to calmly step into leadership the very next moment. Still always afraid, always wary.

What I want to have said here, is that fight or flight, it is the same! I believe that the courage to take out all your power in a difficult situation, is always preferable to curling up like a fetus, and just waiting until someone else saves you.

The Hugo has always dared showing his true self. I thank him from the bottom of my heart for teaching me this. Now I retire him. I give him to someone who tries to learn these same abilities. I have never met a more stubborn teacher than Hugo. It is with great pleasure I pass him on. May his fields be green, may his rider learn, and may his mighty muscles carry his new rider to ever greater understanding.

--Pelle