At LRF, the jousting troupe -- The New Riders of the Golden Age -- always put on a great show. Their performance begins with three courses of lance, deliberately trying to shatter each shaft on their opponent's shield -- if not actually unseating him! -- in each course. Usually, they will break an equal number of lances each, resulting in a draw. So then they must needs draw swords and exchange blows while still mounted, which is a right considerable display of horsemanship in itself! Finally, they will dismount to finish the combat on foot. (Photo, Left: Safety First! Preparing for the joust, this knight's squire has bolted extra pieces of plate onto his armor for additional safety, before checking the knight's helm to ensure it is tight and in place. Next, she will verify all straps, buckles and cinches are secure before handing him his lance for the first course).

Ready to rumble! With lance in hand, our knight awaits the Marshal's signal to begin the first joust (Photo, Right).

...And they are off! To the sound of thundering hooves and clanking armor, these knights bear down on each other at sixty miles an hour (Photos, Left and Below)!!!

This is no sport for the timid or faint of heart! Although the New Riders of the Golden Age do script their shows, there is nothing "stagey" about their actual performances -- as one of their knights, Sir Mathew, proved on Opening Day at LRF. On the very first pass of the very first joust of the day, his mount stepped in a soft spot on the field just as the knights were about to meet, falling forward and throwing Sir Mathew right forcefully over his horse's neck. His mount slammed shoulder-first into the ground and rolled completely over with legs in the air before righting itself -- shaking and blowing -- to the left. Meanwhile, Sir Mathew did a complete somersault in full body armor, then rolled to the right before rising on one arm and shouting "Get this helm off me!" loudly enough even I could hear it clearly at the other end of the field! Now THAT was truly a hair-raising moment: the only thought which crossed my mind then was "Oh, My God!!!" You see, the last time I'd heard a knight screaming in his helm like that, he had suffered a broken collarbone when his opponent's lancetip skidded across his shield, catching him in the shoulder before glancing off. Fortunately, neither Sir Mathew nor his mount were seriously injured -- bruised and battered, aye, but nothing broken -- but Sir Mathew's only concern was for his horse and his helm prevented him from viewing his mount properly so he wanted that helm off, NOW!!! Fortunately, there was a local veterinarian in the audience. He examined Sir Mathew's steed immediately after the accident, determining that the horse was massively bruised on one shoulder but quite sound, otherwise. Which was a great relief to hear: a half-ton warhorse hitting the ground at 60mph could have suffered considerably more damage than that. And it could have been worse, but both horse and rider rolled away from each other at the moment of impact. Had his steed rolled over him, Sir Mathew would not have left the Tournament Field under his own power! Alas, I did not catch any of this mishap on film: my attention had been momentarily diverted beforehand so it was all over by the time I even brought my camera to bear on the scene. Perhaps it was an omen of things to come, but Sir Mathew did not have a good jousting season at LRF2001. After being sidelined for a week to recover from that bruising, he then suffered heat exhaustion rather publically at his next performance, then was sidelined again when he was injured in the Lists the following week! None of this was staged: it was all real, all TOO real! Obviously, jousting is one really rough sport when even skilled men and rugged horses can be injured pursuing it. On the other hand, it certainly helps to underscore just how dedicated the members of the New Riders of the Golden Age -- as well as other jousting troupes across the nation -- are to continue presenting this type of "entertainment" to faire audiences everywhere!

Standard Disclaimer: This webpage is strictly an *Unofficial* look at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival held near Hammond, LA in the Parish of Tangipahoa. The author of these pages is in no way, shape, manner or form connected with the Louisiana Renaissance Festival (OFFICE ADDRESS: PO Box 220, Robert, LA 70455-0220) and/or any of the sponsors associated with this event. All opinions expressed are strictly this author's own. LRF logo courtesy of the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. Unless noted otherwise, all photographs are copyright ©2000-2002 by George Laking.