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Traditional and historic
Jousting is a medieval contest in which two armoured riders gallop towards each other and strike the opponent's shield with a lance. Today it is revived both as a historical show and as a real sport.
| Group | Traditional and historic |
|---|---|
| Also called | joust, tilting, sport jousting, ring jousting, ring tournament |
| Olympic | no |
| Where it is popular | Tournaments and shows are popular in the UK, Germany, Denmark, Australia, Canada and the USA. In the US state of Maryland, ring jousting is the official state sport. |
Riders gallop along a barrier called the tilt, which first appeared in the 14th and 15th centuries. The lance is wooden with a metal tip and is designed to break on the shield. Winners are decided on points for good hits, with rules set by each tournament. There is also a no-contact version, ring jousting, where a rider at speed collects a hanging ring with the lance; the smaller the ring, the harder it is.
Jousting needs calm, strong and brave horses that are not bothered by clanking armour or breaking lances. Often these are medium-weight warmbloods with good stamina and agility.
The rider wears full steel armour with a helmet and carries a shield and lance. Sport jousting uses solid wooden lances with steel tips.
Well-known events include the International Jousting Tournament at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, UK (Easter weekend), the Grand Tournament of Sankt Wendel in Germany and the ring tournaments of Maryland.
First you need to ride confidently at all paces. For teens the easiest start is no-contact ring jousting at a historical re-enactment club; full-armour jousting is only for experienced adult riders.
Jousting (ring tournaments) became the official state sport of Maryland in 1962.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, 1999mdmanual.msa.maryland.gov, royalarmouries.org