The World Championship of Medieval Skill-at-Arms is held annually at England's Medieval Festival

English Mounted Medieval Skill-at-Arms Tournaments - Open To All!

Who amongst you will take up the challenge?

The Festival has an exciting element to offer visiting re-enactors and horsemen. For all the competitions, sieges and battles available for participation, not for centuries on English soil has the possibility been presented for open attendance in a medieval Skill-at-Arms Tournament. Not just theatre on horseback, imagine competing in a contest of medieval games, with actual scoring presenting the opportunity to establish who is "Le Bon Chevalier" throughout the land!

The restructuring of the mounted element of the Festival is brought about by the introduction of re-enactors who ride. The three-day event will feature three Arena Tournaments and a Siege of the Castle and concluding Battle daily. There will also be twice daily Grand Parades around the grounds to set the scene before each Siege/Battle.

Parades are open to all but the total number of Competitors in the Tournaments is limited. Applications close on 28th July.

The gauntlet is thrown down. Who amongst you will take up the challenge?

The three Tournaments are scheduled to last for approximately one hour and comprise a number of authentic games played in medieval times as part of the Knights' and Squires' training and repeated at tournaments and "behold" style contests. Armour is not required for participation. Competitors will ride in the two Grand Parades and compete in the Tournaments.

The games will be those familiar to most re-enactors and ones which can be practised prior to competing. England's Medieval Festival has developed the definitive set of rules for which all such medieval period competitions must adhere to worldwide.

The games will include, but will not be limited to:

"Running the Ring" - riding at a course of suspended rings to collect them on the point of a light seven foot lance

"Course of Heads" - riding at a course of cabbages set on posts

"Tent Pegging" - which was the art of riding through a camp of sleeping men and collapsing their tents on top of them by knocking out the tent pegs

The Tournaments will be judged openly and fairly and scored so the competitors and public can follow the progress. As with the Archery Contest, anyone can win. The scores will be displayed each day outside the Festival Office for all to see, with an award ceremony for the best contestants.

Although open to all levels, riders must demonstrate their Level of Competence prior to the Festival. Details are found at the bottom of the tournament rules.

Those wishing to take up this challenge please read the information in this section of the website for further details and complete the online Tournament Application Form .