Productions Arion has a Busy Season of Jousting and Equestrian Display

Written by Caroline LaBrie of Productions Arion

Summer has not arrived yet, but the Productions Arion team is busy working on several projects promoting and displaying jousting and equestrian shows to numerous horse and medieval enthusiasts.

We began the 2015 season in May with a demonstration at a popular horse fair in Québec, Canada, Le Salon du Cheval, which welcomed about 15,000 horse lovers from everywhere in Québec. We offered a mounted skills at arm display performed by local favorites, Marc Hamel and Patrice Rolland, as well as a joust between Caroline LaBrie, President of Productions Arion, and Alison Mercer, a talented jouster from Alberta.

Jousters Alison Mercer(left) and Caroline LaBrie(right) at Le Salon du Cheval 2015 
(photo by Marie-Kirya Duff)

For one hour, the crowd was taken back to the XVth century and enjoyed seeing our horses performing these historic disciplines. In addition to the MSA and jousting display, our partner Equimagie offered a wonderful fire show with a bridleless rider performing with a fire dancer.

For the first weekend of June, we organised and hosted a private event called Le Pas de la Marche Argentée at our boarding facility. It included a cross country gauntlet(a type of mounted skill at arms course), a popcorn joust (beginning jousters using pool noodles), mounted archery parcours(supported by l'Escole du Grand Arc), and of course, a competitive joust performed under the supervision of judges from the Montjoie historical group. Fifteen competitors enjoyed putting their skills to the test at this beautiful location.

Many of the jousters and other participants at Pas de la Marche Argentee 2015
(photo by Pamela Lucas)

The winner of the cross country gauntlet was Jessy Dufresne. Éric Charbonneau won the mounted archery contest, and Genevieve Bond won the popcorn joust. The participants in the competitive joust included: Jessy Dufresne, Stéphane Tremblay, Michel Arsenault and Caroline LaBrie. Stéphane Tremblay won the jousting tournament.

Jousters Stephane Tremblay, winner of the jousting tournament,(left) and Jessy Dufresne, winner of the cross-country gauntlet,(right) at le Pas de la Marche Argentee 2015
(photo by Marie-Kirya Duff)

On June 27th - 28th, Productions Arion has been hired to produce the equestrian portion of the Festival Medieval de Béthanie which will include mounted archery displays and mounted skill at arms competitions (both hunt-based and combat-based), as well as a competitive jousting tournament. The tournament will include jousters Steve R Gagnon, Alison Mercer, Patrice Rolland and Caroline LaBrie. We are happy to include in this festival the comeback of a dressage display called "Le Carrousel des Dames" with ladies of the court performing figures in historical XVth century gowns.

After a quiet July month, some of our jousters will be flying over to Alberta, Canada, in August to compete in or marshal(referee) the jousting tournament at Brooks Medieval Faire. We are looking forward to getting in touch with good friends over there.

Jousters Jean Francois Drapeau of Canada and Nicola Corrarello of Italy at Brooks Medieval Faire Jousting Tournament 2014(photo by Grant Zelych)

We are keeping busy, but that is what passion is made of, isn't it!?

Jouster Caroline Labrie, President of Productions Arion
(photo by Marc-Antoine Jean Photographe)

Related articles:
Favorite Moments From 2014: Part Two

Patrice Rolland and Sean George Win the Team Championship of Tournoi International de Joute du Duché de Bicolline 2014

On The Road to Bicolline

Le Pas d'Armes du Papegault 2014

Three Teams of Jousters to Compete at the Queen's Jubilee Horn Tournament 2015

The Leeds Easter Tournament will occur this coming weekend, from Friday, April 3, through Monday, April 6. Also called the Queen's Jubilee Horn Tournament, it is the only competitive jousting tournament sanctioned by HM The Queen Elizabeth II. The winner of the tournament "holds" the Queen's Jublilee Horn Trophy and the title of Queen's Champion until the next tournament. Although the trophy resides in the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds throughout the year, the tournament winner's name and coat of arms are inscribed on a small shield which is permanently attached to the chains supporting the Queen's Jubilee Horn Trophy.

Out of the four jousters who were invited to compete last year, Mark Caple won the honour of being the Queen's Champion for 2014. You can read more about Mark and his experiences during the tournament in an interview he gave The Jousting Life. But who will win the honour of being the Queen's Champion for 2015?

2014 Queen's Champion Mark Caple on the jousting horse Aramis, Mark Atkinson holds the Queen's Jubilee Horn Trophy (photo from Royal Armouries Tournaments)

For the 2015 Queen's Jubilee Horn Tournament, six jousters were invited to compete for the honour of holding the trophy and the title for the year. The jousters will compete in three teams of two:
Team England – Nicky Willis and Andy Deane;
Team Burgundy – Ben van Koert and Steve R. Gagnon;
Team Poland – Jan Gradon and Jarek Struczynski.

Nicky Willis

Nicky Willis at the Tonsberg Medieval Festival 2013 (photo by WinPics Photography)

Nicky Willis will be riding for Team England. Nicky is a professional horse trainer and barn manager and has been involved with supplying horses for the Royal Armouries international jousting tournaments since 2003, however this will be first time she has ever competed as a jouster at any of the Royal Armouries tournaments.

She has been jousting since 2008 and has competed in a number of other tournaments across Europe and Australia. Her proudest moment came in 2013, when she earned the title of Joust Champion at the Tonsberg Medieval Festival Tournament. Nicky will be the first female jouster to compete in the Queen's Jubilee Horn Tournament.

To learn more about Nicky, check out "Meet the Jouster: Nicky Willis" on the Royal Armouries blog.

Andy Deane

Andy Deane at Arundel International Tournament 2014 (photo by Stephen Moss/PhotoSM)

Andy Deane will also be riding for Team England. Andy works as a visitor experience team coach at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. You may remember him from the recent interview he did about his participation in a particularly amusing training video.

Andy has been involved in armoured combat since 1985 and in jousting since 1993. He joined the Royal Armouries jousting team in 1995 and served as captain of the team for a number of years. He has competed in numerous tournaments in various countries over the past 22 years, and has won the Queen's Jubilee Horn Tournament twice, first in 2011 and again in 2013. In 2014, he won the individual championship at the prestigious Arundel International Tournament.

To learn more about Andy, check out "Meet the Jouster: Andy Deane(Old Iron-Arm)" on the Royal Armouries blog.

Ben van Koert

Ben van Koert at Arundel International Tournament 2014 (photo by ARW Photo)

Ben van Koert will be riding for Team Burgundy. Ben first encountered competitive jousting while working as a fire-artist for the event, Ridders van de Haar in 2004. Over the next few years, he became more involved with medieval reenactment and attended several tournaments. In 2008, he began to help out as ground crew for the jousting troupe Stichting HEI. Then, he also started taking riding lessons.

After some additional training with the jousting troupe Destrier and with renowned jouster Arne Koets, Ben competed in his first joust in 2011. In July 2014, along with his teammate Per Estein Prøis-Røhjell, Ben van Koert won the Team Championship at the prestigious Arundel International Tournament.

To learn more about Ben, check out "Meet the Jouster: Ben van Koert" on the Royal Armouries blog.

Steve R. Gagnon

Steve R. Gagnon at the Tournament of King John III at Gniew Castle 2013
(photo by Andrzej Wiktor)

Steve R. Gagnon will be also be riding for Team Burgundy. Steve works as an art and creative director in the advertising industry -- emphasis on 'creative'. When he is not jousting, he likes to draw, paint and sculpt. He also writes the occasional article for The Jousting Life. You can see an example of his skill in both the written and the visual arts in the article, "A Few Yards of Scarlet Velvet".

Steve first began jousting in the year 2000 in Canada. He began jousting internationally in 2009, and has since competed in Belgium, France, Poland, England, USA and, of course, his home country of Canada. He has also organized several international jousting tournaments. However, his proudest achievement so far was winning the jousting competition during the Tournament of King John III at Gniew Castle in 2013 against 11 of the world's most renowned jousters.

To learn more about Steve, check out "Meet the Jouster: Steve R. Gagnon" on the Royal Armouries blog.

Jan Gradon

Jan Gradon at the Tournament of King John III at Gniew Castle 2013
(photo by Andrzej Wiktor)

Jan Gradon will be riding for Team Poland. Jan Gradon is one of two main organizers (his teammate Jarek Struczynski is the other) for the largest international jousting tournament in Poland, the Tournament of King John III at Gniew Castle(Turniej Króla Jana III Sobieskiego na Zamku w Gniewie), about which he did an interview with The Jousting Life. Jan has been loosely involved with historical reenactment since 1996, but became more seriously involved when he joined the Society of St. Michael Archangel (TaŚMA) in 2004. He became involved with historical equestrian reenactment with the group Xiazeca Druzyna in 2005.

Jan has competed in tournaments in both Europe and North America. Some of his favorite tournament memories include participating in the first international joust at Gniew Castle in 2008 and winning the tournament championship at the Tournament of the Phoenix in 2011. He is also quite proud of winning the mounted skill at arms portion of the prestigious Arundel International Tournament in 2014.

To learn more about Jan, check out "Meet the Jouster: Jan Gradon" on the Royal Armouries blog.

Jarosław 'Jarek' Struczynski

Jarek Struczynski at the Tournament of King John III at Gniew Castle 2013
(photo by Andrzej Wiktor)

Jarek Struczynski will also be riding for Team Poland. Jarek is the other half of the dynamic duo that organizes the Tournament of King John III at Gniew Castle. He is, in fact the main man behind the reconstruction and regeneration of Gniew Castle(Zamek Gniew) and its development into one of the leading centers for historical reenactment in Poland. Jarek is also heavily involved in various other military/historical events throughout Poland.

Jan and Jarek make a great team and were previously paired as Team Poland at Arundel International Tournament 2014, where they were given the nickname "The Joust Brothers". Jarek has competed in a number of other tournaments around the world including competitions in Poland, England, Belgium, France, Norway, Canada and the USA. He earned the highest individual score at Le Tournoi du Lys d’Argent in 2012 and the Tournament in Trondheim, and he earned the title of Tournament Champion at the Tournament of the Phoenix 2013.

To learn more about Jarek, check out "Meet the Jouster: Jarosław 'Jarek' Struczynski" on the Royal Armouries blog.

Since jousting horses are also a rather important part of any tournament, the Royal Armouries blog has also created a separate post for each jousting horse who will be involved in the tournament.

Wouter Nicolai on the jousting horse Albert during the Queen's Jubilee Horn Tournament 2013 (photo from Royal Armouries blog)

Click on the name below to see the information, photos and videos about each horse:

Albert: 16.3 hand, Irish Draft x Thoroughbred
Alfie: 15.1 hand, Traditional Gypsy Cob
Aramis: 15 hand, Dales x Irish Draft
Dylan: 15 hand, Dales
Patrick: 17 hand, Irish Sport Horse
Rupert: 16.3 hand, Irish Draft
Ted: 15.1 hand, Irish Cob
Tino: 16.1 hand, Lusitano x Irish Draft

You can find out more information about the Queen's Jubilee Horn Tournament (aka the Leeds Easter Tournament) and other jousting events on the Royal Armouries Tournaments Facebook page.

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

Andy Deane and "How to Train a Knight"

Interview with Ben van Koert, Half of the Winning Team at Arundel International Tournament 2014

A Few Yards of Scarlet Velvet

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

Mark Caple Wins the Leeds Easter Jousting Tournament 2014

The Tournament of St George 2015 to be held at the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve in Moscow, Russia

On May 2 - 3, the Tournament of Saint George will be held on the beautiful grounds of the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve in Moscow, Russia. This fifteenth century style competitive jousting tournament will be hosted by Ratobor Show, the same group who produced the first international jousting tournament in Russia during the Times & Epochs History Festival in 2013, and by jouster/tournament organizer Dmitry Savchenko. Dmitry and Ratobor Show also worked together recently to produce the gorgeous Christmas Tournament in Khrabrovo 2015.

Russian jouster/tournament organizer Dmitry Savchenko and his wife Marina Savchenko
at the Christmas Tournament in Khrabrovo 2015 (photo by Andrew Boykov)

The Tournament of St George will include seven jousters from four different countries: From Canada, Steve R. Gagnon; from Germany, Arne Koets(who was born in the Netherlands, but lives in Germany); from Norway, Ivar Mauritz-Hansen; and from Russia, Alexei Malinin, Sergey Zhuravlev, Victor Ruchkin and Yuri Bogunov.

The tournament will involve competitions in solid lance jousting, mounted melee and ground fighting with the poleaxe.

Турнир Святого Георгия 2015 from RatoborShow on Vimeo.

You can find out more about the event on the Tournament of St George website and on the Tournament of St George page on the Ratobor Show website.

Related articles:
Christmas Tournament in Khrabrovo 2015

Jousting at Zhelezny Grad 2014

There are several articles about the Times & Epochs 2013 Jousting Tournament

A Few Yards of Scarlet Velvet

Steve R. Gagnon is an internationally competitive jouster based out of Montreal, Canada, where he lives on a small ranch and trains horses and riders for historical jousting. He first began jousting in the year 2000 in Québec, Canada, where he helped to pioneer the development of the sport in that area. He began jousting internationally in 2009, and has since competed in Belgium, France, Poland, England, USA and, of course, his home country of Canada.

He has worked as a creator and organizer of medieval festivals for nine years, and in 2010, he organized the first Lys d'Argent International Jousting Tournament, which included both a sport and a historical division.  In 2012, he won the Lys d'Argent tournament with his teammates Marc Hamel and Patrice Rolland. However, he considers his best achievement to have been winning the jousting competition during the Tournament of King John III at Gniew Castle in 2013 against 11 of the world's most renowned jousters.

Steve works as an art and creative director in the advertising industry. In rare moments of spare time, he also likes to draw, paint and sculpt. In the painting below, you can see an example of his skill in the visual arts:

Acrylic painting by Steve R. Gagnon of himself and the Percheron gelding Gibraltar
(image provided by Steve R. Gagnon)

During the 2014 jousting season, he competed in Canada, England and France, and served as Knight Marshal(head referee) at the Tournament of the Phoenix 2014 in the USA. His experience marshaling that tournament inspired him to write the following essay.

A Few Yards of Scarlet Velvet

Written by Steve R. Gagnon

At last, I take a few moments to collect my thoughts on the Tournament of the Phoenix experience. I must at first bring up how much Gwen Norwick and Jeffrey Hedgecock’s efforts and perfectionism translate into an event of such exceptional quality.

When I accepted, at a moment’s notice, the Marshal of the Field role, I had a rather preconceived idea of the job’s implications, and also, I must confess, some apprehensions. Normally, I enter the tilt yard clad in my armour and ready to charge, lance in hand. I was hoping that I wouldn’t envy my fellow jousters too much, sitting still on my horse, in all my regalia. Then again, since I was there, I wanted to do my best.

I realized soon enough the scope of the chief referee’s job. The moment I put those few yards of gold lined red velvet on, all the expectations, the responsibilities and the prestige attached to the title sunk in. The Marshal of the Field has to earn each competitor’s trust and respect and from his colleague judges as well. Along with applying the rules with rigor, he must display firmness and discernment. Easier said than done when the people you’re judging are good friends.

All these calls and decisions must also be made diligently, by imposing a certain rhythm to the tournament while remaining aware that under the Californian sun, six jousters in full kit are cooking in a mix of sweat and adrenaline. The three action packed challenges of the event often take unexpected twists, but gladly, the position comes with some precious help. In that regard, I want to salute the excellent work of Lady of Honour Justine Fisher and her Ladies Court, of the scoring judges – Micah "Admiral" Nelson, Joel Hill and Chris "The Nice" Godby.

I will from now on see the referees' jobs from a different angle, should they wear a black, striped or especially a posh scarlet velvet coat. I will never see my sport with the same eye again, and I am thankful to my friends Gwen and Jeff for giving me the chance to serve in this privileged position and to see the sport of jousting from a new viewpoint.

The Ladies and Marshals of the Tournament of the Phoenix 2014, left to right: Canon Purdy, Micah Nelson, Steve R. Gagnon, Justine Fisher, Joel Hill, Rin Hill, Chris Godby and Tori Burfield
(photo by J. Camacho Photography)

Related articles:
An Interview with Toby Capwell, Champion of Tournament of the Phoenix 2014

Jarek Struczynski Wins the Tournament of the Phoenix 2013

Esprit de Corps Dominates at the Tournament of the Phoenix 2012

Quebec Team, Order of the Dragon Wins “Le Tournoi du Lys d'Argent 2012”

On The Road to Bicolline

The first Tournoi International de Joute du Duché de Bicolline begins this weekend, August 30 - September 1, in Quebec, Canada. Several of the jousters are already in town for the tournament and have been doing some promotional appearances. Photographer Eric Dube was there to capture some fun photos of the four jousters who all happen to wear black armour – Jezz Smith, Marc Hamel, Patrice Rolland and Steve R. Gagnon. Here are a few of the pictures:

Bicolline Road? with Patrice Rolland, Jezz Smith, Marc Hamel and Steve R. Gagnon
(photo by Eric Dube)


The Four Jousters! with Steve R. Gagnon, Jezz Smith, Patrice Rolland and Marc Hamel
(photo by Eric Dube)


Bar Fight! with Patrice Rolland, Marc Hamel, Jezz Smith and Steve R. Gagnon
(photo by Eric Dube)


Et tu, Jezz? with Marc Hamel and Jezz Smith(photo by Eric Dube)


Heavy Metal! with Steve R. Gagnon, Jezz Smith, Patrice Rolland and Marc Hamel
(photo by Eric Dube)

Click on these links to see the photo album of these promotional pictures on the Tournoi International de Joute du Duché de Bicolline Facebook page.

Related articles:
Le Pas d'Armes du Papegault 2014

Les pas d'armes du Papegault Takes Place This Weekend in Quebec

Guest Writer, Jouster Marc Hamel: Acts of Valor

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

Promotional Video for Upcoming Documentary Series About Medieval Reenactors in Quebec

A new documentary series about the popularity of medieval reenactment in Canada will air this fall beginning August 25 on Historia, Quebec's equivalent of the History Channel. Jouster Steve R. Gagnon, who organized Le Tournoi du Lys d'Argent for many years, will be featured in at least one episode, thought it not yet known when the episode about jousting will air.

Moyen Âge Québec - Cet automne à Historia from Corus Média on Vimeo.

This year, Steve R. Gagnon will be making his third appearance competing at the Arundel International Jousting Tournament. He will also be competing at the new  le Tournoi International du Duché de Bicolline, which grew out of his work with Le Tournoi du Lys d'Argent.

Steve R. Gagnon at Arundel International Tournament 2013(photo by Richard Pearn)

Related articles:
The Competitors for the Arundel Castle International Jousting Tournament 2012

Arundel Castle International Jousting Tournament 2013

Quebec Team, Order of the Dragon Wins “Le Tournoi du Lys d'Argent 2012”

Random Pic: Getting the Right Shot

Arundel International Tournament 2013 Score Summary

"Arundel International Tournament 2013" was held July 23 - 28 at Arundel Castle in England. You can find out more about the tournament in a previous article written by "Arundel International Tournament". For various reasons, mainly length, the article does not include a list of the scores earned by the various teams and competitors during the tournament. So here is a simple summary of the scores for the Team Jousting Competition, Individual Jousting Competition and Hunting Skills(MSA) Competition at "Arundel International Tournament 2013".

Jan Gradon(left) and Mark Caple(right) joust in front of Arundel Castle(photo by Stephen Moss)

Team Preliminaries
1st – Holy Roman Empire, 29 placement points, 184 strike points
2nd – Kingdom of England, 16 placement points, 144 strike points
3rd – Kingdom of France, 9 placement points, 154 strike points
4th – Duchy of Burgundy, 7 placement points, 124 strike points

Team Finals
1st – Kingdom of England, 33 strike points
2nd – Holy Roman Empire, 32 strike points

Wouter Nicolai(left) and Andreas Wenzel(right) joust(photo by Richard Pearn)

Individual Joust Competition
1st – Andreas Wenzel, 15 placement points, 77 strike points
2nd – Jan Gradon, 10 placement points, 65 strike points
3rd – Mark Caple, 9 placement points, 58 strike points
4th – Marcus Hamel, 8 placement points, 63 strike points
5th – Stacy Evans, 8 placement points, 52 strike points
6th – Steve R. Gagnon, 7 placement points, 55 strike points
7th – Wouter Nicolai, 5 placement points, 46 strike points
8th – Ben van Koert, 4 placement points, 44 strike points

Hunting Skills Competition
1st – Mark Caple, 41 points
2nd – Wouter Nicolai, 34 points
3rd – Stacy Evans, 32 points
4th – Andreas Wenzel, 31 points
4th – Marcus Hamel, 31 points
6th – Jan Gradon, 29 points
7th – Steve R. Gagnon, 26 points
8th – Ben van Koert, 11 points

Right: Wouter Nicolai neatly bisects a squash (photo by Richard Pearn)





For an explanation of the difference between placement points and strike points, please see the previous article about Arundel 2013.

Arundel International Jousting Tournament 2013

NOTE: For those of you who don't already know, the international jousting tournament at Arundel Castle is one of the most prestigious, historically accurate and physically challenging jousting tournaments in the world today. The organizers of the “Arundel International Tournament” were kind enough to write the following article which explains a little about the history of Arundel Castle and the historic family who still calls it home, as well as giving a nice summary of this year's tournament.

Written by “Arundel International Tournament”:

A leading figure during the Wars of the Roses was John Howard, one of the fiercest and most loyal supporters of the House of York. He was knighted by Edward IV at the Battle of Towton in 1461, became a member of the King’s Council in 1467, and went into exile when Edward lost the throne in 1470. He was a noted jouster, and presided as Marshal over “the most splendid tournament of the age” in which the Bastard of Burgundy jousted against Lord Scales. He carried the Royal Standard at Edward IV’s funeral in 1483, and in the same year was created 1st Duke of Norfolk and Earl-Marshal of England by Richard III. He found his end at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, fighting loyally for the last Plantagenet King of England.

John Howard, first Duke of Norfolk and Earl-Marshal of England(photo from Wikipedia)

Despite their misfortunes at Bosworth, the Howard family managed to hold on to or reclaim the titles won by John Howard, so that the current (18th) Duke of Norfolk is his direct descendant: His Grace Edward Fitzalan-Howard, Duke of Norfolk, Earl of Arundel and Surrey, premier peer of England, residing at magnificent Arundel Castle in West Sussex. Built in 1067 after the Norman Conquest to fortify the mouth of the River Arun, Arundel is England’s second-largest castle, and certainly one of the country’s most beautiful historic sites.

Arundel Castle(photo from Arundel Castle Facebook page)

The castle includes the original Norman motte-and-bailey, a large part of its 14th century curtain wall and gate houses, one of the largest libraries in England, the modern reconstruction of a formal garden based on original 17th century plans by Inigo Jones, and an extensive collection of effigies and artifacts. And once a year it hosts within its walls the UK’s largest jousting tournament – which is only befitting the venue, given that the current Duke of Norfolk still holds the title of Earl-Marshal of England, bestowed upon his forefather by Richard III.

This year, four teams representing the major powers of medieval Europe competed against each other: The Holy Roman Empire took the team championship last year and was determined to defend the title.

The Holy Roman Empire: Andreas Wenzel of Germany(left) and Jan Gradon of Poland(right)
(Photo by Richard Pearn)

The Kingdom of England was still reeling from last year’s team defeat and was desperate to win back the championship.

The Kingdom of England: Mark Caple(left) and Stacy Evans(right) of the UK
(photos by Richard Pearn)

The Kingdom of France missed the final last year and was resolved on doing better this time.

The Kingdom of France: Marcus Hamel(left) and Steve R. Gagnon(right) of Quebec, Canada
(photos by Richard Pearn)

And the Duchy of Burgundy made its first appearance at Arundel, an unknown quantity keen on giving good account of itself.

The Duchy of Burgundy: Wouter Nicolai(left) and Ben van Koert(right) of the Netherlands
(photo by Richard Pearn)

The "Arundel International Tournament" is held over six days of continuous jousting in a variety of two and four man heats, making it to our knowledge the most extensive jousting competition held today. The long duration challenges the competitors considerably, in terms of physical fitness, horsemanship, and general consistency. Each jouster has to ride a variety of horses, compete in changing weather, deal with fatigue and injury over a long time period, and keep his mind calm despite building pressure. The latter can be a particular challenge. Every morning each jouster walks past the scoreboard, mercilessly reminding him, even before breakfast, of his current position in the ranking. Every evening each jouster walks past the scoreboard on his way to bed, reminding him of his defeats or victories of the day.

Arundel International Tournament Scoreboard (photo by Stephen Moss)

This mental pressure is compounded by the historically inspired scoring system used for the tournament. While each jousting round is scored as per the UK standard (1 point for arm, 2 points for chest, 3 points for shield or head, 1 additional point for breaking the lance far down, 1 additional point for horsemanship), these “strike scores” are not taken into account for the placements.

Left: Scoring Sheet(photo by Catherine Tranter)
Right: Catherine Tranter carefully scribes the scores for each match(photo by Stephen Moss)

Instead the tournament rules attempt to align themselves with 15th century sources, putting a particular emphasis on who achieved victory in each round: The highest scorer in each jousting match receives three points, the second-placed individual two, the third-placed one. The last-placed jouster receives no scores for the board. This scoring system is particularly harsh in the two-man heats, where the winning team receives three points, but the losing team none at all.

Ben Van Koert(left) jousts Jan Gradon(right) in front of Arundel Castle(photo by Richard Pearn)

The team which shone throughout the tournament right up to the final, appearing virtually untouchable, were the defending champions: the Holy Roman Empire. Except for their second match, in which they placed second, the Imperial Jousting Team won every one of their ten confrontations and ended up with an unprecedented team score of 29 out of a maximum 30. Alas, this impressive feat meant nothing more than a place in the final, for which the score board would be wiped to zero. For the Sunday final, the Empire was joined by England, whose team had comfortably stayed ahead of rival team France with a score of 16.

Andreas Wenzel(left) jousts Stacy Evans(right)(photo by Richard Pearn)

What ensued then was arguably one of the most nail-biting jousting finals many recall. The Empire surged ahead straight away with the same consistency they had displayed all week, leaving England behind after an early miss by Evans. Through the next rounds the Imperial team expanded their lead by virtue of hitting harder, thus gaining breakage points over England. This found its culmination in a miss by Caple, which put the Empire seven points in the lead with only two courses to go. Given that at this point England needed two shield hits with breakage and for the highly consistent Empire to miss both times in order to win, the English Jousting Team might be forgiven for losing heart.

However, the seemingly impossible happened. On his last course of the tournament, Wenzel's coronel slipped off Caple's targe with the lance remaining whole(scoring no points), while Caple struck the shield and broke to the socket(scoring four points).

Mark Caple(left) and Andreas Wenzel(right) joust (photo by Stephen Moss)

When Evans and Gradon then walked their horses up to position and lowered their visors for the last course of the week-long tournament, the entire arena with its 3000 onlookers fell silent, and remained so throughout the course – only to burst into deafening cheers when the scoring marshals indicated their verdict: Strike to the shield to Evans, and… a barricade to Gradon.

Jan Gradon(left) and Stacy Evans(right) joust (photo by Richard Pearn)

After the Knight-Marshal had awarded Evans the all-important breakage point, and the ladies had confirmed that they abstained from awarding horsemanship points to any of the jousters, the results were clear. In a confrontation one might liken to the combat of David and Goliath, England had managed a most remarkable reversal of fortune and snatched the team title from the Empire with a score of 33 to 32. Against all odds, England won the Team Championship of “Arundel International Tournament 2013”.

Team Champions: Stacy Evans(left) and Mark Caple(right) of the Kingdom of England
(photo by Stephen Moss)


The rings given to the team champions were created by Nicky Wade of Gemmeus
(photo from Arundel International Tournament Facebook page)

Having remained undefeated throughout the tournament with a score of 15 out of a possible 15, Andreas Wenzel (Holy Roman Empire) won the Individual Championship of “Arundel International Tournament 2013”, receiving the gilt chain of the Order of Arundel and joining last year’s champion Dominic Sewell as the second Knight of the Order.

Individual Champion Andreas Wenzel(photo from Arundel Castle Facebook page)


Chain with images representing the four teams competing in 2013 created by Nicky Wade of Gemmaus (photo from Arundel International Tournament Facebook page)

Traditionally, the Individual Champion is offered the honour of acting as Knight-Marshal at next year’s tournament. Andreas accepted and was therefore presented with the marshal’s baton by Dominic Sewell who most ably wielded it as this year’s Knight-Marshal. Hence Andreas Wenzel will be the Knight-Marshal of the "Arundel International Tournament 2014".

Marshal's baton, hand-carved by Marcus Hamel(photo by Richard Pearn)

During the week the jousters also competed in a Hunting Skills(Mounted Skill at Arms) competition, which involved a variety of mounted disciplines using lances, swords, javelins and archery.

Mark Atkinson(top right), Kyle van Dolah(center) and Mark Caple(bottom left) during the Hunting Skills(Mounted Skill at Arms) competition(photos by Richard Pearn)

The Hunting Skills Trophy, a horn with gilt fittings, was awarded to Mark Caple (England), who achieved a clear lead over all other competitors displaying exquisite skill and horsemanship.

Hunting Horn and Garter of Chivalry created by Bayley Heritage Castings


Stacy Evans congratulates Mark Caple on winning the Hunting Horn(photo by Stephen Moss)

A large part of the tournament proceedings, including the award of horsemanship points, was presided over by a group of ladies, namely Kyle van Dolah (Leading Lady), Kate Vigurs (Event Presenter) and Catherine Tranter (Scoring Scribe). These ladies ran a systematic (but secret) score on each competitor’s performance against a range of chivalric virtues, with the objective to award a Chivalry Prize at the end of the tournament.

Kyle van Dolah(left) and Catherine Tranter(right) discuss the jousters (photo by Stephen Moss)

During the week a whole range of chivalric deeds were performed – for example Stacy Evans losing a jewel from his crest to Andreas Wenzel’s lance, and presenting Andreas with that same jewel afterwards as a gift. Wouter Nicolai, Max Knegjens and Andreas Wenzel entertaining the camp with their lute-play, and Jan Gradon giving a stunning performance when singing an ancient heroic song from his home country in Ben van Koert's honour.

Andreas Wenzel plays the lute (photo by Stephen Moss)

Or Ben van Koert bringing a chest of gold(chocolate) coins with him and advising his valets to throw a handful into the crowd every time one of his opponents broke a lance upon him. Ben then announced to the assembled jousters that he would present a jewel to the first man breaking a lance against him after all gold coins had been spent – a prize subsequently won by Marc Hamel on Saturday. And it was in fact Ben van Koert who the ladies deemed most worthy of the Arundel Castle Chivalry Prize, gaining the honour of wearing the award – a garter with gilt fittings and letters – around his greave.

Ben Van Koert receives the Garter of Chivalry from Catherine Tranter(photos by Stephen Moss)

The “Arundel International Tournament” is the largest tournament in the UK. It arguably is also the most challenging (on account of its duration) and the most flamboyant. Very similar to the tournaments of old, Arundel is characterized by competitors trying to outdo each other, through having the most extravagant crests, making the most impressive entry to the lists, wearing the most beautiful armour and clothing and displaying the most chivalric spirit.

Andreas Wenzel and Jan Gradon enter the lists preceded by the Imperial Fire Breather
(photo by Richard Pearn)

However, probably the most memorable moment of the “Arundel International Tournament 2013” occurred after the tension of the final had subsided, and after awards had been received by deserving competitors. Once all was said and done, Stacy Evans dismounted, grabbed a microphone, and began addressing the public. After introducing himself as the Tournament Director, he began speaking of his love for his partner, Leading Lady Kyle van Dolah. When he then produced a little black box and descended onto one knee, the baffled public erupted into cheers.

Stacy Evans proposes to Kyle van Dolah(photos by Stephen Moss)

Stacy's broken-voiced marriage proposal and the subsequent tearful “Yes” by his now-fiancee Kyle provided an amazingly beautiful end to a unique tournament.

Kyle van Dolah accepts Stacy Evans' proposal(photos by Stephen Moss)