The last week in August there is a huge medieval festival in Horsens in Denmark, during this festival a norwegian jousting group arranged the European Jousting Championship. There were competitors from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Belgium, France and England.I was there as a squire for one of the Norwegian competitors, but when I got there they told me that the other girl who was being a squire for one of the other norwegian was sick so I helped them both during the competition.
I have too many photos from this weekend and I have spend enough time uploading them to different sites so I'm just going to post the links to my two blogs in norwegian so that those of you who want to can see the pictures :)
European Championship, part one
European Championship, part two
There was 3 different prizes in the competition. 1 place in skill at arms, 1 place in jousting, best score in total and the prize for most chivalrous knight.
First place in Skill at arms; Ole Bach from Denmark. His skills in skill at arms (no pun intended :p) was amazing, he was in a totally different class then all the rest of the knights.
First place in Joust; Petter Ellingsen from Norway. New horse made the skills course a bit difficult for Petter, but he was best during the joust!
Best total score, and the winner of the European Championship 2010: Klas Lundgren from Sweden. Good scores in both jousting and skill at arms, a just winner!
Most chivalrous knight; again Klas Lundgren from Sweden, he was surprised by this, but I think he was the only one! Always nice and helpful.
Below is a list over the different exercises the knights has to perform during the skill at arms competition, just to get a picture of the riding skills they need to show.
The different positions and transitions:
*Staying in halt until signal is given
*Transitions from halt to canter
*Transitions from canter to halt
*Transitions from canter to trot
*Transitions from trot to caner
Technical riding skills
Some of the exercises will be done in a conjugated lane (serpentine or circle) shoulder-in (in circle) in trot or canter to the right and to the left.
Leg yield in canter both ways (on the left lead, leg yield to the right and opposite).
Flying changes of simple changes (the last one is transition to trot before new canter) /alternatively staying in a wel. performed counter canter.
Haunches-in both ways in canter leading to: Half a pirouette to the left or the right (in canter).
Exercises with light lance (approx 2,3 meters long)
Quintain: The center of the small shield is 2m above the ground. in the opposite end there is a chain with a spiked head in latex attached to it (like a flail) You will get a better score by hitting a specific point of the shield (painted in white), to show you have control of your lance. If you miss this and hit the shield, the spiked head is comming to get you.
Catching the big rat (la rata grande) Running after a bit "rat" which is drawn in a rope. You shall touch it by placing the point of the light lances on it so it stops for half a second - enough for the "runner" to feel the resistance. Once the rat has managed to take cover under the guillotine, it's a lost case, so speed up... You shall continue with the lance in your hand.
Collecting high rings (also done with spear): the ring-poles are 2m and 50 cm high and the rings will have an inner diameter of 3, 5 and 7 cm. You will get a better scoring for collecting the smallest rings.
Dropping rings and placing the light lance in a barrel while you are cantering in circle: While you continue in canter, lead the horse into a circle and point the lance sideways and forward - approaching the barrel. Drop rings and place lance in barrel before you let go - if you have total control, place the lance in the barrel and canter around before you let go.
Exercise with more heavy lance and 30 cm balsa (approx 3,3 meters long)
Shock quintain: Heavy wooden "mounted knight" that you will splinter your lance on, if you and your horse have the power. A hanging timer-log with helmet and shield. We will measure the hit and give scoring regarding to this. (Last year the hardest impact was measured to transfer the power of 400 kg)
Exercises with spear (approx 2,3 meters long)
Picking up the spear out of a fallen soldier (known as 'Ian the impaled') while you pass in canter. (the 'soldier' is made in hessian/burlap stuffed with straw wearing partly a black tunic)
'Divide and conquer': separating and surrounding two soldiers in black tunics and helmets by riding a shoulder-in in trot or canter. You shall ride pointing the spear over the horse's neck in the left lea and on the right side of the horse on the right lead (you will achieve a better score the nearer you are the target -and to make it easy for your score: touch the helmet so the judges can hear you)
Plant the spear in standing soldier (known as 'Tim the target') while you pass in canter (the 'soldier' is made in hessian/burlap stuffed with straw). You will get points regarding where you hit. You achieve the best score if you hit the heart - which in this case is approximately 10 cm in diameter.
Collecting high rings: the ring-poles are 2m and 50 cm high and the rings will have a inner diameter of 3, 5 and 7 cm. You will get a better scoring for collecting the smallest rings.
Exercises with sword (preferably your own, but you may also use ours):
Saracens head; 3 heads (cabbages) to be cleaved on the right hand side, and 2 heads on your offside (left hand side) in course 1 while you pass. The massacre will be performed in a conjugated lane (circle) and in an alley. The run down Saracens alley allows you to take a rerun down again if you missed someone (higher score if you take all in the first run; collect your canter!)
Saracens 'brain': 1 apple to be cut.
Pommel strike; use the swords pommel agains a soldiers crest. Point is received for removing the crest.
Guillotine; A device on a pole is holding the rope attached to a guillotine. When striking and hitting a metal arm, this will release the rope and the cruel guillotine making evil heads roll.
Trebuchet: A device on a pole is holding the rope attached to a trebuchet. When striking and hitting a metal arm, this will release the rope and fire off the trebuchet. Beware of falling debris... choose your riding lane carefully.
Exercises without weapon
Soldiers jump - the fallen soldiers jump will be about 40 cm high and 3 meters from side to side and the soldiers themselves are three lying 'soldiers' made in hessian/burlap stuffed with straw, wearing dark, neutral 'wigs' and dressed in black tunics.
Farmers fury: a jump over two long cases filled with fruit (primarily apples/cabbage). Approximately 30 cm high. There will be a cart standing to one side of the cases.
More pictures in the links to my other blogs :)
European Championship, part one
European Championship, part two
There was 3 different prizes in the competition. 1 place in skill at arms, 1 place in jousting, best score in total and the prize for most chivalrous knight.
First place in Skill at arms; Ole Bach from Denmark. His skills in skill at arms (no pun intended :p) was amazing, he was in a totally different class then all the rest of the knights.First place in Joust; Petter Ellingsen from Norway. New horse made the skills course a bit difficult for Petter, but he was best during the joust!
Best total score, and the winner of the European Championship 2010: Klas Lundgren from Sweden. Good scores in both jousting and skill at arms, a just winner!
Most chivalrous knight; again Klas Lundgren from Sweden, he was surprised by this, but I think he was the only one! Always nice and helpful.
Below is a list over the different exercises the knights has to perform during the skill at arms competition, just to get a picture of the riding skills they need to show.
The different positions and transitions:
*Staying in halt until signal is given
*Transitions from halt to canter
*Transitions from canter to halt
*Transitions from canter to trot
*Transitions from trot to caner
Technical riding skills
Some of the exercises will be done in a conjugated lane (serpentine or circle) shoulder-in (in circle) in trot or canter to the right and to the left.
Leg yield in canter both ways (on the left lead, leg yield to the right and opposite).
Flying changes of simple changes (the last one is transition to trot before new canter) /alternatively staying in a wel. performed counter canter.
Haunches-in both ways in canter leading to: Half a pirouette to the left or the right (in canter).
Exercises with light lance (approx 2,3 meters long)
Quintain: The center of the small shield is 2m above the ground. in the opposite end there is a chain with a spiked head in latex attached to it (like a flail) You will get a better score by hitting a specific point of the shield (painted in white), to show you have control of your lance. If you miss this and hit the shield, the spiked head is comming to get you.
Catching the big rat (la rata grande) Running after a bit "rat" which is drawn in a rope. You shall touch it by placing the point of the light lances on it so it stops for half a second - enough for the "runner" to feel the resistance. Once the rat has managed to take cover under the guillotine, it's a lost case, so speed up... You shall continue with the lance in your hand.
Collecting high rings (also done with spear): the ring-poles are 2m and 50 cm high and the rings will have an inner diameter of 3, 5 and 7 cm. You will get a better scoring for collecting the smallest rings.
Dropping rings and placing the light lance in a barrel while you are cantering in circle: While you continue in canter, lead the horse into a circle and point the lance sideways and forward - approaching the barrel. Drop rings and place lance in barrel before you let go - if you have total control, place the lance in the barrel and canter around before you let go.
Exercise with more heavy lance and 30 cm balsa (approx 3,3 meters long)
Shock quintain: Heavy wooden "mounted knight" that you will splinter your lance on, if you and your horse have the power. A hanging timer-log with helmet and shield. We will measure the hit and give scoring regarding to this. (Last year the hardest impact was measured to transfer the power of 400 kg)
Exercises with spear (approx 2,3 meters long)
Picking up the spear out of a fallen soldier (known as 'Ian the impaled') while you pass in canter. (the 'soldier' is made in hessian/burlap stuffed with straw wearing partly a black tunic)
'Divide and conquer': separating and surrounding two soldiers in black tunics and helmets by riding a shoulder-in in trot or canter. You shall ride pointing the spear over the horse's neck in the left lea and on the right side of the horse on the right lead (you will achieve a better score the nearer you are the target -and to make it easy for your score: touch the helmet so the judges can hear you)
Plant the spear in standing soldier (known as 'Tim the target') while you pass in canter (the 'soldier' is made in hessian/burlap stuffed with straw). You will get points regarding where you hit. You achieve the best score if you hit the heart - which in this case is approximately 10 cm in diameter.
Collecting high rings: the ring-poles are 2m and 50 cm high and the rings will have a inner diameter of 3, 5 and 7 cm. You will get a better scoring for collecting the smallest rings.
Exercises with sword (preferably your own, but you may also use ours):
Saracens head; 3 heads (cabbages) to be cleaved on the right hand side, and 2 heads on your offside (left hand side) in course 1 while you pass. The massacre will be performed in a conjugated lane (circle) and in an alley. The run down Saracens alley allows you to take a rerun down again if you missed someone (higher score if you take all in the first run; collect your canter!)
Pommel strike; use the swords pommel agains a soldiers crest. Point is received for removing the crest.
Guillotine; A device on a pole is holding the rope attached to a guillotine. When striking and hitting a metal arm, this will release the rope and the cruel guillotine making evil heads roll.
Trebuchet: A device on a pole is holding the rope attached to a trebuchet. When striking and hitting a metal arm, this will release the rope and fire off the trebuchet. Beware of falling debris... choose your riding lane carefully.
Exercises without weapon
Soldiers jump - the fallen soldiers jump will be about 40 cm high and 3 meters from side to side and the soldiers themselves are three lying 'soldiers' made in hessian/burlap stuffed with straw, wearing dark, neutral 'wigs' and dressed in black tunics.
Farmers fury: a jump over two long cases filled with fruit (primarily apples/cabbage). Approximately 30 cm high. There will be a cart standing to one side of the cases.
More pictures in the links to my other blogs :)
