The Tower of London hosts a medieval joust this weekend. Funday Times chats to Mark Griffin who’ll be strapping on the armour as the Earl of Worcester
Funday: What can visitors to the Tower expect to see this weekend?
Mark: It’s a recreation of a joust at Smithfield Market in 1467 during the Wars of the Roses. King Edward IV was married to Elizabeth Woodville whose brother Anthony was one of the best jousters ever. Edward IV also had strong links with Charles, the Duke of Burgundy, who was probably the world’s richest man at the time. Charles’ son, Antoine, was a great jouster too and the two men decided to have a contest to prove who was the most skilful.
Funday: Anthony Woodville won the original joust – does that mean he’ll win the re-enactment?
Mark: No, it is a proper competition. Over the last 10 years, jousting has been developed so it can be run as a sport with rules and regulations. There are about 45 professional jousters across Europe. We’re hoping to encourage the Olympic Committee to recognise it as a sport.
Funday: How dangerous is modern-day jousting?
Mark: There has been the odd dislocated shoulder and broken ankle. I’d say we get fewer injuries than if we were rugby players but the potential for more serious injuries is there. You’re riding horses for a start. At the start of this year, a horse moved sideways and stood on my foot, cracking my toe! And if you fall off a horse at speed you’re badly bruised. It’s like being in a washing machine… in full armour!
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Funday: Do you go out to knock your opponent off his horse?
Mark: Jousters never want to knock the other rider off. You don’t score any points for knocking riders off – that is a Hollywood myth. Knights at the tournament will be penalised if their shots hit any of the illegal areas. These include the legs, the head and the cantle on the saddle, which protects the groin.
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Funday: Are the horses specially trained?
Mark: Yes, we usually hire them from a company that supplies stunt horses for films and TV programmes. Some of the knights do own their own horses, but I’ll ride any old horse that is given to me. It can be nerve-wracking riding a horse for the first time – at any moment, the horse can head off in the opposite direction from the way you want to go!
Funday: How long does it take to get dressed for a joust?
Mark: It takes about 15 to 20 minutes. There’s a well-equipped pit team. The only modern sport that comes close in terms of money spent on it is Formula One. That’s the sort of support crew you need. The armour is authentic – it’s made from proper steel and weighs about 36kg. We don’t use plastic or fibreglass. At the tournament, the public can watch the knights putting on their armour.
Funday: Is it uncomfortable to wear?
Mark: You’re clad in steel, which doesn’t let body heat out. If it’s hot and sunny, you’re getting heat from the sun too. It doesn’t let moisture out because the armour we use is so well tailored to the body it fits like a second skin. When I take the armour off my leg, there’s a slight hissing noise of steam and the sweat just pours out the bottom! Another problem is you’re looking through a slit which is just half a centimetre wide so you have restricted vision.
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Funday: What’s the best joust you’ve been involved in?
Mark: This one, I hope! We did a smaller version for a private client and 400 guests at the Tower a while ago. It wasn’t open to the public but passers-by were able to look down from Tower Bridge Road and see us. As I was racing around the arena I looked up and the road was absolutely rammed with people watching us! Knights in armour on horseback – that’s what you want to see when you visit the Tower, isn’t it?
The Tournament at the Tower takes place on August 19 and 20