156th Annual Jousting Tournament In Port Republic Brought The Heat

PORT REPUBLIC, Md. – On Saturday, August 26th, the Christ Church of Calvert hosted the 156th annual jousting tournament on their grounds they let open at 10:00 a.m., and admission was free. They are proud to host this every year so that people can learn about the church’s history, and families can enjoy a day outside together as a community and, of course, Jousting!

Fun fact: Jousting is the official sport of Maryland.

They had many activities to offer, such as attic treasures, children’s activities, Port Tobacco Pickers, organ concerts, and a country supper. A lengthy field of green was an open space for participants and spectators of the jousting tournament that began at 11:30 a.m., with a brief intermission of a parade, a blessing, and singing of the National Anthem, which ended at 6:00 p.m.

Hot dogs, snow cones, and ice cream were some of the tasty treats for sale. Children could visit the petting zoo, ride a pony, get their faces painted and receive a balloon animal! For the older crowd, a brief history of jousting, the rules of the sport (including ring sizes) and the tournament itself was a joy to watch under the many shade trees available.

Hundreds came out to see Bradley Enfield defend his title as the Nation Jousting Champion. One of his first rides was a three-ring pull in 7.7 seconds. Quite a feat, considering the ring size begins at 1 inch for professional riders. Enfield ended up securing his title for the professional class, winning a cash prize. He also won the trophy class, receiving a trophy for the accomplishment.

The object of this sport is to gallop your horse down the track and attempt to spear small rings with the use of a lance. Tournaments have few rules other than those that govern the scoring. Riders are without restriction as to the type of horse they may use. Types range from Shetland ponies for the smallest children to Quarter Horses, Arabians, Paints, and even imported draft-size Friesians. Experienced jousters on the circuit today concur on several desired characteristics: a level-headed, mid-size to small horse with an extremely smooth canter works best. The riders can then raise their stirrups and assume a position like that of a jockey. This allows the horse’s motion to be absorbed by the rider’s knees and lower leg. The upper body becomes virtually motionless. This position, combined with a steady hand, greatly increases the rider’s likelihood of spearing the rings with his lance. [1]

Most tournaments permit each rider three “charges” at a specified size ring to determine the winner. If two or more riders have a tie score, the ring size is reduced until a winner is determined. Most states have a standardized set of riding rules with a few technical variations between the states. [1]

Today, jousting clubs have “sets” of rings. They are graduated in size; the largest is 1 ¾”, then reducing in size by one-quarter inch increments to 1 ½”, 1 ¼”, 1″, ¾”, ½” and the smallest ¼”. The measurement is the inside diameter. [2]

It was a beautiful, fun-filled day, leaving families with full bellies and many great memories. For the history lovers, Aurelio Azpiazu, a Vestry member, gave tours of the church, describing the rich history dating back to the 1600s. Everyone learned something new that day and had a deeper appreciation of the significance of what that land and jousting is to our heritage.