The kids in the school get a grandstand view of things today as the school overlooks the outdoor training arena. They are aware that something is going on by the sucession of Horseboxes pulling in to the stables at school run time, the lack of our horses being on the road at that time and the arena has been fitted out with the dividing fence for tournaments and also lance and weapon racks are being assembled. Faces constantly appear at windows and then dissapear to report on what's going on.
Only two people on the yard knew of what was going to happen today, myself and Silke my Yard Manager. Half the England international Squad have turned up for a pre Tournament practice and the two girls look like they are going to lay eggs. The stables Goose, Billy, is busy hissing and flapping his wings at everything and the stables cat has retreated into his basket outside the tackroom door and growls incessantly at the activity going on round the yard.
I take the two girls into the office and talk to them for a while. They were expecting to go against each other and not the International team but at the end of my talk they are more settled and go to get themselves ready.
The Headteacher from the school turns up to ask what is going on. Word spreads quickly round the school. The activity is explained and as it is the last day before the Christmas holiday they would like one or two classes to watch who have been covering the period in History. There is a hurried meeting between the guys and girls, various travelling staff and my own staff and finally while final preparations go ahead We go into the school in full armour. All the children are called to a special assembly where it is explained to them what is happening and that we would like an audience to cheer the knights and horses on as we are going to represent our country and an audience is good for the horses.
I give a safety lecture and tell them that the tournament will be explained to them and the history around the tournament as it progresses. I make it clear that they are only allowed at the sides of the arena. they are in no way allowed on to the stables itself for safety reasons and that if ANY of them is seen on the stables that they will all come back here to school.
Soon they are arrayed round three sides of the arena, all chattering excitedly away horses are being warmed up in the indoor school and the goose has been locked up!
The kids love this! Silke volunteers to run the points table and turns the yard over to Jayne. a public draw is held in front of the children to see who goes against who. We have a P.A system which heps Slke explain the history of the tournament, the human armour and the horses armour. She's good at whipping the excited crowd into a frenzy and as Maestro and I gallop into the arena they are cheering like mad. The thunder of the horses hooves, the rattle of armour and the crack of shattering lances and the cheering of the children and teachers brings more people to watch outside the fence. The quintane is explained as is the pig sticking and single lance combat. all this is mixed in with foot combat with both bladed and pole arms, shields armour and some nifty footwork. Donna and Lucy send the girls in the audience mad waving and cheering like crazy. when they break a lance all the arena errupts wildly and when they get hit here is a collective groan.
Donna and Lucy are starting to get the swing of things and as the come into the arena I remind themselves to relax and remember their training. It seems to work and they rack points up quicker than the other guys seem to realise.
Lunchtime comes and the children go back to school for their dinner. Our lunchtime is spent organising the afternoon session over sandwiches, coffee and tea. Mike and I come to an agreement for a full mounted and ground single combat, the prize for the winner is a case of beer from the looser so it will be an no hold barred combat. Also a last man standing melee is organised and volunteers are bribed for a warhorse demonstation.
I ask Jayne to ready Jouster Mozart for the single combat. He's fast, as steady as a rock and never flinches... a brave horse but not quite Warhorse standard. While I'll use Warhorse Ghengis in the Melee. fast, sturdy and just plain agressive.
THe kids arive back and the afternoon starts. I ride in on Jouster Mozart to do what looks like a quintaine pass. Silke explains that there was an argument over lunchtime between myself and another knight. She believes it to be settled though when in comes Mike at a gallop, pulls up short of me and throws a gauntlet down. (to throw down the gauntlet). I take up the challenge as one of my squires picks up the gauntlet and we're off.
Mike wins and the case of beer is his! Lucky I brought some stock back with me from Hamburg! The Melee is total Chaos and the kids love it. Horses and riders everywhere, the clash of metal on metal, riders unhorsed try and pull those others still mounted off. Finally I'm the only one still standing so that's 20 points to me and the kids are loving it.
Maestro makes his re-apperance in the arena and the volunteers add extra padding under their armour while Silke explains the function and purpose of the Warhorse I mount and the demonstration goes ahead. The children are shocked into silence at the power and agressiveness of this massive horse, but at the end of the demo they clap and cheer while we do a circuit.
The day finishes with me remining the children not to try anything that they have seen as it takes a long time to trainthe horses,, and they are specially chosen for thiis kind of work, and also not to try andy of the combat they have seen.
"Kids. What you have seen today is genuine combat. none of it has been faked like they do in movies and on a theatre stage. All you have seen comes from medieval combat training documents and it has taken years for us to learn and master it. Those of you close enough can see that my armour is scratches and even has some dents in it from today. That's why we wear it and the original knights wore it. it is protection from the weapons. DO NOT COPY WHAT WE HAVE SHOWN YOU TODAY IT IS DANGEROUS!"
The kids go home happy, Donna and Lucy have learned much more than going against themselves. the other guys are making bets on the girls' performance in the Forthcoming Tournament. Mike gets his case of beer and just to get my own back I let Billy out and he chases Mike with his wings out and hissing like mad. Mike moves as fast as his armour and case of beer will let him and swears like mad.
The headteacher wants to see me tomorrow.... wonder what I've done wrong!!!
Snap