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JESTING AND JOUSTING AT THE FANTASY FEST
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Knights at arms, fair maidens, feasting and fencing. NANCY CLARKE swaps riding for a bit of sword-play and finds it to her liking.
One of the most anticipated new events on the calendar for southeast Queensland, the inaugural Fantasy Fest was held at Chambers Flat Equestrian Park a few weeks ago, and boy was it fun.
We rocked up dressed in medieval finery ready to explore the many stalls and displays laid around the grounds. There was everything from fairy wings, handmade unicorn hats to superbly crafted knives, even knitted fruit – if it was strange and a little out there you could find it.
But in amongst all ye olde banter and glasses of mead the best bit of all, of course, was when the moment we’d been anticipating erupted onto the field – the Gryphon Company, dressed in their amazing outfits and trusty steeds draped in the colours of their banners. The individual jousters were introduced by the jester and cheers rang out from the crowd.
The action did not disappoint. The horses were strong and true to the course, the amour clanged and the lances shattered time and again. We cheered the hits and booed the misses. It was heart pumping primitive excitement. The final session between Lady Amanda and Sir Luke decided the championship and Sir Luke took the Golden Lance.
As the steward picked up the pieces of shattered lances the next act rolled in - a swashbuckling sword display by the Prima Spada School of Fence, a fencing school with five Salles operating in south-east Queensland, and one Salle in Tasmania. Based on the work of European masters of the 16th and 17th centuries, Prima Spada endeavours
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A: Three of the Knights at Arms competing at the Abbey Medieval Fantasy Fest at Caboolture. B: Have at ye! Full tilt they go. C: Fair maidens dancing the day away. D: In days of yore, when knights wore helmets, who knows who lies beneath? E: Writer Nancy Clarke swaps a horse for a sword, and finds it to her liking. F: The jousting knights jostle for top spot.
to promote the art of Renaissance European swordplay as a modern sport.
Starting with the Renaissance Rapier, two-handed swords and off-hand weapons, we were educated by the master swordsman as he rolled through the varied uses of each different sword and grades of the swordsman. The clang of metal on metal rang across the field as the fencing grew to a crescendo with an all-in brawl started by an insult, an argument and a challenge to defend one’s honor.
But soon it was back to horses, and Medieval Horse Sports Australia put on a Horse Archery and Skills at Arms display with their loyal steeds, which was a high-fueled display of medieval weaponry and skills on horseback as the targets were slashed, smashed and shot at. After lunch I found myself admiring the Prima Spada School of Fence weapons and outfits only to discover that they were having a 30-minute introductory training session. I was so excited I immediately leapt into the group and grabbed my sword ready for an exciting 30 minutes of learning the basic maneuvers in fencing, facing off against high level fencing students. I must say I could easily get hooked on fencing as a sport.
My turn at the hilt ended just in time for the second appearance of the Gryphon Company and a lance smashing time was had by all. With splinters flying everywhere and the clang of amour and thunder of hooves making the heart race, another champion was declared. Fantasy Feast is a great idea, and for those of us who are already interested in horse archery, the idea of jousting goes one step further. I for one am already looking forward to next year’s event.
