Picture yourself, a medieval knight with long flowing hair on your fearless stallion holding a 10-foot lance riding towards another worthy knight also vying for the young maiden’s hand.
Pretty neat picture right? Well, we here at The Oracle are presenting you with the opportunity to recreate that picture nearly exactly in the modern age.
The little known sport of jousting has actually been the official state sport of Maryland since 1962 and progressively grown in popularity since the Civil War.
“I feel like riding a horse with a big javelin really appeals to me,” said senior Michael Montoya.
Unfortunately, the current iteration of the sport is lacking a second competitor with jousting lance, although studies have shown that this “updated” version seems to have the edge in the safety department from its 12th-Century counterpart.
The way 21st-Century jousting works is one “knight” or “maid” rides a horse with a long, fine-tipped lance attempting to “spear” strategically placed rings which vary in diameter from one fourth to two inches, depending on skill level. Contestants are judged on overall score, as well as showmanship, when riding.
“I wish I had the resources to become a professional jouster,” said senior Emma Schloegel.
Jousting is a family friendly sport in which all ages can participate. As long as they own a horse they can join in the fun. The skills involved in jousting are said to be passed down from generation to generation, so who knows you could be the descendant of Sir Lancelot himself!
Often overshadowed by its renaissance fair counterpart comprised of actors and foam tipped lances, the sport of jousting is one that requires skill, calm under pressure, and the overall ability to perform in a way which mimics the knights of Camelot themselves.
“I’ve always felt a sort of resemblance to a medieval knight, this should be a sport more people are aware of,” said Montoya.
Truly the only true way to determine if your horse riding and lance holding skills are up to par, is to go out and try it.
The jousting season begins in early May and finishes in October. Annual Maryland State Championships are held every year on October 1 (it was a real nailbiter this year), and wraps up around winter time. This means that you may have missed your shot this year to be America’s next great jouster, but there is always next year!