Of Power and Roses

This weekend I discovered a few things: First, that my love for the sport of jousting keeps growing strongly, and I'm not sure it will stop any time soon. Second, that the Knights of Valour have not yet realized just how easily I blush and that no, it usually does not mean anything. Third, that I need to remember to look past the fronts people put up to protect themselves. Fourth, that I have stumbled upon a group of incredible group people and that I am very blessed and honored to know all of them.
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For some reason on Saturday I could not shake off my nerves. And they weren't just normal nerves either. It felt like I had not jousted in ages, or been in front of a crowd in ages, despite it being only last week. But no matter how I tried to calm my nerves, they did not recede.  When it came time for me to joust, even though I was on one of the best jousting horses in the world (Paladin), I was so tense my body was bouncing all over the saddle pass after pass. Perhaps needless to say, I lost the joust that morning.

One of our young horses, Pictorian (sp?), made his jousting show debut later that day and did a fantastic job! I'm very proud of him.

So Sunday comes along and I joust Charlie (the heavy armor world champion) in the first show. That day felt much better and the crowds were much less of a deal for me. I never really expected to win unless there was a horse mishap or something, but I knew that I had to give it my all. But you see, I think of all sorts of things before the joust that completely float out of my head during the joust. Frustratingly, I need more aggression. I get so focused on trying to have decent technique that I forget to put extra force behind my lance. *sigh* It was a decent match, however. Charlie and I had a tip to tip and he unhorsed me on another pass. One pass after getting back on, my right arm armor completely fell off, lol. Did not want to let that stop me from jousting one more pass though. It was fun, even if less than satisfying. One of these days at the Ren fair I will feel like I had everything together, like I did my best. That day, win or lose, will be a very good day.

*Ahem* So I was delivered a flower that afternoon. It was a sweet gesture from some of my admirers apparently, wishing me well in my jousting endeavors. But I did not know who it was from at the time of delivery and was grilled as to who it was and not believed when I denied the knowledge, haha. Apparently my blushing indicated a hidden knowledge. I was sorry to break to the said accusers of just how easily I blush. Those of you who have known me longer know that sometimes I even just turn red randomly lol. Sorry to disappoint.

I cannot speak well enough of The Knights of Valour, The Knights of Mayhem, and all of the squires working for them. It still seems a little surreal that I can even call myself a part of them. Perhaps this euphoria will subside soon and settle into a comfortable rythym of dream following. And maybe I'll start to say less corny things. Doubtful.

~Off to the lyst!~

In the beginning...

Hola! To all of the beautiful people reading this blog. First off, I would like to explain the title. "...Who knows what she muttered in the dark..." is part of a larger paragraph quote from The Two Towers, by J.R.R. Tolkien. I believe it goes something like this:
"My friend," said Gandalf, "you had horses, and deeds of arms, and the free fields, but she, born to the body of a maid, had a spirit and courage at least the match of yours...yet she was doomed to wait upon an old man, whom she loved as a father, and her part seemed to her more ignoble than that of the staff that he leaned on...but who knows what she muttered in the dark, in the bitter watches of the night, when all her life seemed shrinking, the walls of her bower closing in around her...a hutch to trammel some wild thing in?"

Anyway, this blog will be used to update you lovely and curious people about my life as a knight (I was going to type jouster, but I'm a full blown knight now. Still not used to that. It's pretty cool, though.)


Probably the most common question I get asked is, "How did you get into this (jousting)?" So, the simple answer to that is as follows:
In April of 2009 Mom and I went to the Ohio Equine Affair. On the schedule was a talk on jousting to which we were both curious (admittedly I was a wee bit more curious than Mom). There was this tall guy with red hair talking about the history and introducing guys dressed in different styles of armor. Then he introduced this girl that was a squire and was going to train to be a knight. I was like, what?? You can do that?? So I talked to him afterward, found out his name was Shane Adams, he was based in Ohio now, just happened to be the reigning world champion, and my first lesson was August 1st of that same year.
(Looking back, though I did not know them then, that is the first time I saw Amy, TJ, Charlie, Alex, and I think Phantom too.) 

A little over a year later I am a knight. A dame. Cool, huh? There was a time when I was waiting for my Prince Charming, my own "knight in shining armor", when loved just about anything that had ruffles, played with barbies, and someday gosh darn it, I was going to be a princess in a castle. So uh...what happened exactly?
Well, that story is kind of long. But suffice it to say that I really feel I am suppose to joust. That I was made for this. It combines a lot of my interests and passions (horses, history, martial arts)...not to mention there are some pretty cool people in the jousting world.

In my first lesson, when Shane told me I would not be riding with stirrups for a very long time, I knew that this whole becoming-a-knight business would take way more than I expected. I mean, don't you just gallop toward your opponent and hit him with a lance? ;)

The second weekend of August 2010 I put on a heavy suit for the first time. I might still be dreaming about jousting in heavy armor if it weren't for my bro, Marc, who is letting me borrow his suit. I am very thankful for that.
Went to Estes Park, Colorado for an international jousting competition (and my very first tournament) the second weekend of this month and now (as if I wasn't before) I am hooked.

Well, I suppose that will conclude my first post. My following posts will be about the Renaissance fairs and tournaments I attend. Just thought it would be good to give you guys a small introductory.

 Off to the lyst!~