CHANGE MY LOCATION
Jousting: An age-old tradition is alive and well in the land of pleasant living
SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY
Related Topics: BALTIMORE
)
Made of Tuff Stuff: Brooke Dudrow, 16, of Easton, rides her horse, Tuff, as she competes in a jousting tournament in Annapolis on Saturday. - Arianne Starnes/Examiner
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Sarah Tenner of Arnold was well prepared for her first jousting competition Saturday. She outfitted her pony, Sunny, in purple ribbons and bows, to match her dress and helmet.
The young equestrienne’s style was matched by her effort on the 80-yard course at St. Margaret’s Church near her home. She hooked four rings during three runs and earned admiration from her parents, grandparents and fellow maids and knights.
The jousting circuit, which began in April but kicks into high gear this month, pays tribute to the state’s tradition of horses and reputation as the birthplace of American jousting.
Even as the thoroughbred tracks bemoan their declining revenues and need for slot money, there is solid grassroots support for the state sport of jousting. (I was reminded recently that lacrosse is the official Maryland team sport, but jousting claimed original honors with a legislative designation in 1962.)
“Maryland and horses go together,” said Jackie Rosenthal, of Cranwood in Baltimore County, a jouster for 10 years. Long a jumper and hunter, she discovered jousting through a friend and found that it demands a compelling blend of athleticism and horsemanship.
“It’s a difficult sport,” she said, watching four-time state champion Buddy Wooters complete a flawless run in the “professional,” the top tier of Saturday’s competition. No one should confuse the professional title with employment, since tournament paydays top out around $50.
Jousting is contested on a straight 80-yard track that includes three metal arcs from which metal rings are hung. Each competitor rides through the arcs, attempting to spear rings with a lance.
Sarah competed in the novice division, which has no time limit and uses rings that are 1 and a half-inch in diameter. More experienced jousters must complete the course under 9 seconds and face smaller rings. Top competitors aim for rings the size of Lifesavers (one-quarter inch diameter) while riding around 35 miles an hour.
“The horse has to do its job and I have to do my job,” said Mark Weesner of Ridgely, a competitor in the professional class, whose son, Josh, 16, and daughter, Crystal, 19, also compete. His wife, Michelle, is their sideline supporter and organizer for the family, which travels to about 25 tournaments a year.
American jousting is focused in the mid-Atlantic region, and participants travel a circuit that includes Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Some of the more historic tournaments include Old St. Joe’s Church Joust, in Cordova, Md., on Aug. 6, which has been held annually since the 1860s.
The sport is steeped in tradition: A parade of riders kicks off each event; rings are wrapped in white cord and painted; lances are homemade. Celebratory music is played for a perfect, three-ring run, and all competitors are announced by their medieval names: Sarah doubles as the Maid of Foxmoor, Weesner the Knight of Cherry Creek and Rosenthal the Maid of Cranwood.
The sport of knights dates to 10th-century France, where tournaments sometimes erupted into bloody feuds, but in the 13th century it became synonymous with chivalry and fair play, and was immortalized through tales of King Arthur.
Today’s version remains connected to the medieval ancestry and to scattered competitions in the 1700s in America. But contemporary jousting was really started near Baltimore around 1840, according to the National Jousting Association. William Gilmor returned from a visit in Scotland with the interest and means to host upscale jousts.
Today, the sport is embraced by horse lovers of varying means.
The St. Margaret’s Joust was stopped in 1958 amid fading interest. But Mack Ridout of Arnold, who jousted as a child, suggested the church renew the tradition. Ridout, 82, no longer competes, but gives lessons to a few riders, including young Sarah Tenner, at his farm near Annapolis.
“It’s an all-ages sport,” Ridout said.
Ridout said it relies on the skill, training and abilities of both rider and mount. “It’s a fun sport if you have the right horse. You can’t be a good jouster if the horse doesn’t want to do it.”
“I like doing the rings,” Sarah said after the competition. “I like dressing up my pony. I like the whole thing.”
Comments from Examiner Readers
4:21 AM MST on Mon., Jul. 21, 2008 re: "Jousting: An age-old tradition is alive and well in the land of pleasant living"
Report as inappropriate
7:41 PM MST on Sat., Jul. 19, 2008
re: "Jousting: An age-old tradition is alive and well in the land of pleasant living"
Report as inappropriate
3:21 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 4, 2008
re: "Superstars not needed for family sports fun"
Report as inappropriate
1:27 AM MST on Fri., Jul. 4, 2008
re: "Superstars not needed for family sports fun"
Report as inappropriate
4:37 AM MST on Fri., Jun. 13, 2008
re: "Stressed out? Out of shape? Go for a run"
Report as inappropriate
9:46 AM MST on Mon., Jun. 2, 2008
re: "Baltimore needs to expand its proud lacrosse tradition, advance the sport"
Report as inappropriate
10:24 AM MST on Fri., May. 30, 2008
re: "Baltimore needs to expand its proud lacrosse tradition, advance the sport"
Report as inappropriate
10:51 AM MST on Fri., May. 9, 2008
re: "History vanishes into the night"
Report as inappropriate
11:49 AM MST on Wed., Apr. 23, 2008
re: "Who’s No. 1? We’ll probably never know"
Report as inappropriate
6:42 AM MST on Wed., Mar. 26, 2008
re: "Sometimes life’s lessons are the hardest to learn"
Report as inappropriate
9:02 PM MST on Wed., Feb. 13, 2008
re: "A sad tale everyone should take to Hart"
Report as inappropriate
7:28 AM MST on Tue., Oct. 23, 2007
re: "Let kids be kids first"
Report as inappropriate
5:47 AM MST on Tue., Oct. 23, 2007
re: "Let kids be kids first"
Report as inappropriate
7:51 AM MST on Wed., Oct. 10, 2007
re: "Parents need to be positive or silent"
Report as inappropriate
Examiner Reader said:
Thank you for a wonderful article and capturing the spirit of an equine sport we love. Vicki Betts, President, Maryland Jousting Tournament Association
4 agree | 3 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Effie- What fun to read- What a great Maryland tradition that is being kept alive-Thanks this was fun to read.
3 agree | 2 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Attila the Hon said:
Please disregard the previous comment. He didn't even explain himself. Pretty gutless, I think. It's great to see a Baltimore-area newspaper columnist finally show some love for Crystal Palace Baltimore. I always look forward to the Examiner's refreshing coverage of this very highly deserving team. Puts to shame The Sun which almost always ignores Palace and deserves its declining readership. Keep up the good work. GO PALACE! UPSET NEW ENGLAND!
9 agree | 7 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Worst. Column. Ever.
8 agree | 13 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
The Undertaker said:
People in this country are too fat, lazy, and stupid.
9 agree | 9 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
"These days Maryland kids often get their first sticks before their first tricycles. College coaches flock to the state for showcase camps and recruiting tournaments. And lacrosse has deep roots in the business and political communities, where former players maintain connections far stronger than academic degrees." Laugh out loud. This is a paragraph supporting lacrosse? In truth it is an indictment of all that is wrong with the sport. Kids SHOULD get trikes before sticks. Most lacrosse families consist of semi-talented white athletes (who couldn't compete in other sports) pushed hard by parents who live vicariously through them, and hope to achieve greater social status through their "Excellent play". So sad.
9 agree | 9 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Please don't say the l word around baseball people.
11 agree | 10 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
This Annapolis woman, who has taken Rafael Alvarez spot on page six is BORING. BRING BACK ALVAREZ, he is from Baltimroe, where we who live in BALTIMORE can read about our town.
9 agree | 9 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Bravo! I totally agree! With a daughter on the John Carroll team, I know they'd welcome a game to determine the mythical "champion"! What a blast that would be.
9 agree | 10 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
A Mother of Boys said:
Thank you for your insights on the life lessons for this young man. He has carved a hard road for himself, and forced the grown ups around him (parents, coaches, authorities) to make hard choices about his future. We, like you, are praying that he gets a second chance, and makes the most of it. That's another life lesson.
10 agree | 9 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
examiner reader said:
This guy should be hillary's running mate
71 agree | 54 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Not...paying attention said:
The writer actually points out the fact that children know the score and are competative. She is correctly trying to make the point that youth sports should be about learning the fundamentals of the game and sportsmanship. For young children, the experience should be FUN. Winning is much less important to most 6-7 year olds than their parents. Most children would much rather play in the game than watch their "team" win. Children who enjoy the experience will be much more likely to develop a passion for the sport and a commitment to self development. This provides a much stronger mental foundation for the player when they hit High School and College when sports are rightly focused on winning and losing. It is a shame that children no longer experience the sand lot version of sports where parents are no where to be found. Yes, we kept score but it was forgotten as soon as we started the next game. We played because it was FUN!
101 agree | 125 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Not said:
"But those wonderful first years of athletic participation are not the time to teach kids that sports are all about winning." They do not have to be taught this. Kids keep score on everything competitive and naturally seek to win. This mamby-pamby false protectiveness of children is precisely the kind of crud that is counter intuitive for chidren.
118 agree | 125 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Don said:
I'm glad I am done with all of that sports stuff, and competition dance is even worse....been there, seen it done it. Its no small wonder why older people have grey hair.
139 agree | 138 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree