Jun 17, 2016

The Amateur Jousting Club of Maryland held its 2016 Founder’s Day Joust at the historic Jerusalem Mill Village.

: Phillip Kreutzer, of Delta, Pa., almost smiles as he spears a ring during Amateur Jousting Club of Maryland’s 2016 Founder’s Day Joust at the historic Jerusalem Mill Village. Traditional ring joust is a test of skill and horsemanship where riders pass through a series of arches, attempting to spear three dangling rings. Ring diameters range from one and three quarter inches for novices to one inch for professional jousters. Ring sizes go down to as small as a quarter inch to break ties in order to declare a winner. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: Sara Alexander, 5, of Whiteford, is successful in spearing two rings during lead line jousting in which her horse is led by a walker through the course. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: Luke Solomon, 4, of Nottingham, who is jousting for the first time, just missed a ring as he and his horse are led by his grandmother Joyce Barnett through the course. Amateur Jousting Club of Maryland held its 2016 Founder’s Day Joust at the historic Jerusalem Mill Village. Traditional ring joust is a test of skill and horsemanship where riders pass through a series of arches, attempting to spear three dangling rings. Ring diameters range from one and three quarter inches for novices to one inch for professional jousters. Ring sizes go down to as small as a quarter inch to break ties in order to declare a winner. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: A ring is placed on the the iron which is hung from the arches. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: These are different sized rings used for different classes of ring jousting. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: A replica vinyl knight’s helmet is pictured at Amateur Jousting Club of Maryland’s 2016 Founder’s Day Joust at the historic Jerusalem Mill Village. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: Jouster Danielle Keys, of Whiteford, tries to control her horse while keeping an eye on a ring during Amateur Jousting Club of Maryland’s 2016 Founder’s Day Joust at the historic Jerusalem Mill Village. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: Nicole Barnett, of Nottingham, dressed in replica medieval dress parade with her son Luke Solomon, 4, before Amateur Jousting Club of Maryland’s 2016 Founder’s Day Joust at the historic Jerusalem Mill Village. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: John Angevine, of Chevy Chase, wears a knight’s helmet for the parade during Amateur Jousting Club of Maryland’s 2016 Founder’s Day Joust. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: Riders dress up their horses by braiding their manes in intricate weave patterns. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: Colorful feathers adorns the mane of a horse. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: The audience are treated to a Medieval costumed parade by the jousters before the tournament begins at Amateur Jousting Club of Maryland’s 2016 Founder’s Day Joust at the historic Jerusalem Mill Village. Traditional ring joust is a test of skill and horsemanship where riders pass through a series of arches, attempting to spear three dangling rings. Ring diameters range from one and three quarter inches for novices to one inch for professional jousters. Ring sizes go down to as small as a quarter inch to break ties in order to declare a winner. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: Former ring jouster Amy Kreutzer, left, of Delta, Pa., shows different lances used for ring jousting to Frank and Stephanie Duchacek, of Kingsville, during Amateur Jousting Club of Maryland’s 2016 Founder’s Day Joust at the historic Jerusalem Mill Village. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: Novice/Amateur ring jouster Danielle Keys, of Whiteford, measures the required distance of six foot nine inches between the ring and the ground for a jousting tournament. Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: Stacks of different sized white cord wrapped rings used for ring jousting. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: A stack of inch and three-quarter rings wrapped in white cords. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: Kiernah Allan, 2, of Westminster, looks as if he is wearing a knight’s helmet as he stands behind the replica helmet at Amateur Jousting Club of Maryland’s 2016 Founder’s Day Joust at the historic Jerusalem Mill Village. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: Robin Thomas, left, of Delta, Pa., helps 5-year-old Sara Alexander, of Whiteford, dress up her mount with polo wraps before parading in Amateur Jousting Club of Maryland’s 2016 Founder’s Day Joust at the historic Jerusalem Mill Village. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: Randall McGill, president of Amateur Jousting Club of Maryland (AJC) speared all three rings with his lance during this demonstration aboard Taz at AJC’s 2016 Founder’s Day Joust at the historic Jerusalem Mill Village. (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: Dandall McGill, president of Amateur Jousting Club of Maryland (AJC), gets ready to lance the third ring during AJC’s 2016 Founders’ Day Joust at the historic Jerusalem Mill Village. Traditional ring joust is a test of skill and horsemanship where riders pass through a series of arches, attempting to spear three dangling rings. Ring diameters range from one and three quarter inches for novices to one inch for professional jousters. Ring sizes go down to as small as a quarter inch to break ties in order to declare a winner.(Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

: Randall McGill, president of Amateur Jousting Club of Maryland (AJC) readies to spear second of three rings aboard Taz (Kenneth K. Lam, Baltimore Sun)

2016 Founder's Day Joust at the historic Jerusalem Mill Village. from Baltimore Sun's The Darkroom on Vimeo.

Photos and text by Kenneth K. Lam

Jousting is the original extreme sport. Dating back to the Middle Ages, jousting tournaments provided knights hands on training in horsemanship and combat simulations.

In Maryland, jousting tournaments have been held since the colony’s establishment in 1634, by Cecil Calvert, 2nd Lord Baltimore. It became even more popular after the Civil War. In 1962, the state adopted jousting as its official state sport.

Today, ring tournaments, which retain some of the pageantry and customs of medieval tournaments, allow men, women and children to compete equally with skill and horsemanship determining the class. Beginning jousters, mostly youngsters, and their mounts are led by walkers through the 80-yard, three arch course. More experienced riders can canter or gallop their horses up to 30 mph trying to spear three rings suspended six foot nine inches off the ground. The rings have hole ranges from one and three quarter inches to quarter of an inch, about the size of the hole in a Lifesaver candy.¬

The sport is a passion for Vicki Betts, president of Maryland Jousting Tournament Association (MJTA). She says it teaches children responsibilities and sportsmanship. “They learn that they are not always going to win. And it’s so wonderful to watch them continue to cheer on their friends when they have missed enough rings that they are not going to win.”

Jousting, Maryland’s original extreme sport

Leave a Reply Cancel