Tag Archives: Kingdom Equestrian Championship

First ever Myrkfaelinn equestrian practice!

29 Saturday Jul 2023

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For the first time since forever, the central region of the Kingdom of Æthelmearc will host an equestrian event! And as Dominionites generally jumps in with both feet, the Dominion of Myrkfaelinn is not only hosting an equestrian event, we’re hosting the Kingdom Equestrian Championships!

But as our locals have rarely participated in sca equestrian events, or helped work one, we thought it wise to organize a local practice first.

Do you have a horse?
Are you interested in learning equestrian games?
Would you like to authorize in said games?
Perhaps even enter the Championship the month after?!

Then come join us at the first ever Myrkfaelinn Equestrian Practice from 10AM to 5PM on Sunday, August 27th, 2023!

Thus, in preparation for A Day of Tournaments which includes the Kingdom Equestrian Championship to be held the weekend of September 8 to 10th, the Dominion of Myrkfaelinn has organized an Equestrian Practice. It will be held Sunday August 27th, 2023 at Sheffield Farm near Ithaca, NY, and will give equestrian participants the opportunity to authorize in general riding and mounted games.

Mistress Ysabeau Tiercelin is the Marshal in Charge (MiC) and will bring game equipment, including heads, reeds, spear, rings, quintain and birja.
This way both the equestrian participants as well as the ground crew can familiarize themselves with the equipment before A Day of Tournaments. As there is always a need for Ground Crew, we very much welcome non-riders to be of service and come train with us in preparation for the Kingdom Championship.

No idea what these games entail? I found this PDF to be quite helpful starting at Chapter VII, page 23.

There will also be a Barding Petting Zoo for those interested in sewing ‘clothing’ for their horse to look their best come the Tournament!

The facility includes a polo-sized indoor riding arena as well as an outdoor arena. It has spacious stalls (I have to check if we can use those) and a large viewing floor with full view of the indoor arena. For those interested trail riding, the site also offers carriage-groomed trails through fields and woods.

Directions: Sheffield Farm, 451 Sheffield Road, Ithaca NY 14850
For a bird’s eye view of the property, the Landtrust did a beautiful write up.

Icelandic Greni and his rider Elska having fun in the arena.

Interested?
Riders, please give us a heads up if you are planning to attend, and might need a stall.

For the non- riders, this is a great way to get introduced to the horse side of the sca before our Day of tournaments and Kingdom Equestrian Championship. We are always looking for people to train and help out with the ground crew.

Looking forward to seeing you, and your mount of choice – whether it be a cantankerous fuzzy one, or a level headed wooden-stick one 😉

Mistress Cristina (autocrat) and Mistress Elska
(PM me if you need a place to crash – also for your pony!)

Iris Festival (June 4th) Reminders

01 Wednesday Jun 2022

Posted by in Arts & Sciences, Competitions, Equestrian, Event Announcements & Updates

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  • ‹From the event steward for Iris Festival and Kingdom Equestrian Champs, With Iron Comet Challenge, THL Hara Kikumatsu.

The Barony Marche of the Debatable Lands Iron Comet Challenge, Japanese Iris Festival, and Kingdom Equestrian Champs event is only a few days away, on June 4th. We hope for a beautiful, fun-filled day.

Last minute reminders:

1. SCA Covid protocols as of the event date will be enforced. Please be prepared to show your vaccination record or proof of a negative Covid test upon arrival at the event or at event setup Friday evening.

2. No food will be served, so bring food and drink. No glass bottles please.

3. Remember sunscreen, bug spray, a hat, a chair to sit on and, if you have one, a pop-up for shade.

4. There is handicap accessible parking, next to handicap restrooms, and an all gender changing tent. There are also separate Lords & Ladies changing tents.

5. Service animals only (other than the horses). They must be on a leash.

Iron Comet Challenge Rules:

1. For adults to be eligible for the iron comet challenge, you must enter the A&S competition, and have fought in at least 3 of the four non-equestrian martial tournaments.

2. Scoring will be done by tournament winner get 10 points, second 9 points, etc for each of the tournaments. The scores are added.

3. Youth iron comet winner will be determined by a combined archery, thrown weapons, and arts and sciences tournaments score.

4. Youth scores are tallied for only the youth, not as part of adult scores.

A Little More on the Event:

Here is the event page: http://debatablelands.org/events/2022-06-04%20Japanese%20Iris%20Festival.php. The event will have fencing, thrown weapons, heavy fighting, and archery tournaments. In addition there is kingdom equestrian champion tournament for horses and riders. There is also a arts and sciences competition with no theme. There is an equestrian arts and sciences competition. In addition to the arts and sciences competition, there is a arts and sciences display with an Asian theme.

The combined iron comet challenge is combination of the results from all the non-equestrian competitions.

The event will be held in the horse arena at Brady’s Run, 121 Brady’s Run Rd, Beaver Falls, PA 15010. Preregistration is closed, but you can pay at the door with cash or check.

Cost:
Adult Event Registration: $12
Adult Member Discount Event Registration: $7
Youth 17 and under are free.

Still Time to Pre-Reg for Iris Festival & Kingdom Equestrian Champs!

29 Sunday May 2022

Posted by in A&S Competition and Display, Competitions, Equestrian, Event Announcements & Updates, Fencing, Heavy List, Rapier, Thrown Weapons

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This Saturday, June 4th, The Debatable Lands welcomes Their Majesties and Highnesses to our Japanese Iris Festival as Their Majesties hold The Kingdom Equestrian Championship! This event has something for everyone – martial activities of all types, and A&S. And yes, even jousting! Check out the event announcement.

The site is in Southwestern PA (courtesy of the Shire of Steltonwald) at Brady’s Run Park in Beaver Falls. You can pre-register online until TOMORROW, MAY 30th through SCARS:
https://members.sca.org/apps/#MtgDetail/00001314 .

Cost for the event is super affordable and family-friendly: Adult registration (non-member) is $12. Adult member registration is $7. People age 17 and under are FREE.

This event also features the IRON COMET CHALLEGE (see below) and of course, Royal and Baronial Courts. Here’s the schedule for the day (tentative):

Site opens – 9 am
Part 1 Equestrian Champs – 10:30 am
Fencing tournament – 11 am
Thrown Weapons tournament – 12 noon
Arts and Sciences Competition – 1 pm
Part 2 Equestrian Champs – 1:30 pm
Heavy tournament – 2 pm
Archery tournament – 3 pm
Jousting (weather permitting) – 4 pm
Court – 5:30 pm
Tear-down after court

Have questions? Check out these FAQs:

Q. What’s the Iron Comet Challenge?

All are welcome to participate in the separate fighting, fencing, archery, and thrown weapons tournaments, as well as an A&S competition (no theme).

But for those elite few who want to test their skills as well-rounded medievalists, you can enter the Iron Comet Challenge – enter at least 3 out of the 4 martial competitions, and the A&S competition (required, all levels welcome), and be an Iron Comet Challenger competing for the highest composite score. Who will prove to be the best of the best?

You welcome to come and enjoy the competitions separately without competing in the Iron Comet Challenge, of course.

Q. Tell me more about the Arts and Sciences activities.

The competition has no theme, and all are welcome to enter it.

We are lucky enough to also have an A&S display – if you choose, there is a theme of Asian Arts and Sciences to celebrate the Japanese Iris Festival! Displays not adhering to the theme are also welcome.

There will also be a poetry competition for Japanese forms of poetry, including haiku, tanka, and if we feel brave, collaborative forms such as renga and renku.

Q. Will there be event-provided food?

Not this time, no, due to the pandemic. The event will not provide food. But please do bring your own and enjoy a picnic! (No glass bottles)

Q. What else should I know to prepare for the day?

The event is outside, but the weather forecast looks beautiful! There are a couple of shelters but you may want to bring chairs and maybe a pop-up for a place to relax.

There are three public changing tents – lords, ladies, and all gender. The all gender changing tent is next to accessible parking and accessible restrooms.

All COVID protocols will be enforced, so please remember your vaccination card (or picture of it) and ID (membership card is fine) or else your proof of negative COVID test.

Other than horses, only service animals allowed.

Q. Tell me a little about the Equestrian stuff.

The event is only open on Saturday, but those with horses are welcome to arrive Friday night. Contact THL Gesa for details.

For the Equestrian Champs, there are games and riding before prince activities hosted by Aethelmearc current Kingdom Equestrian Champion Gozen. There is also an A&S element. Contact Mistress Gozen for details, or check out the Aethelmearc Equestrian Facebook page. Activities are part of the kingdom equestrian championship, but it is open to all riders. There is also a jousting tournament!!
See you there!

Kingdom Equestrian Championship in the Barony-Marche of the Debatable Lands

05 Friday Jul 2019

Posted by in Awards, Competitions, Equestrian

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Fiona of Hartstone and Superman, photograph by Sidney Green

On Saturday, June 29, the event “A Kingdom for my Horse” was hosted by the Barony-Marche of the Debatable Lands. This event included various activities, including equestrian. The event hosted the Æthelmearc Kingdom Equestrian Championship as well as a challenge/obstacle course and jousting. The Equestrian Marshal in Charge was THL Gesa von Wellenstein and the Championship portion was conducted by Baron Tigernach mac Cathail.  Several riders and horses from the Kingdom competed for the Championship and were joined by several out-of Kingdom riders who participated in the day’s various activities.  The following report was submitted by the Equestrian Marshal in charge of the event (with some editing).

Thundering hooves under the burning sun, in a land were dragons fly, riders of Æthelmearc showed off their skills of arms throughout the day. The day’s first activity was a challenge/obstacle course. Lord Nohaaj was victorious in his quest to slay the dragons and rescue our dearest Baroness Hilderun. Second place was Victoria, followed by John, Fiona, Katja and Katrina.

Lord Nohaaj receives his lance during the Jousting. Photograph by Eilonora inghean an Bhaird

Their Majesties and Royal Highnesses were impressed with the riding performances in front of the court. This was the start of the Kingdom Championship and consisted of the competition known as “Riding Before the Prince.” Recreating an activity from period, this competition challenges the riders to display their skills and that of their horses to their best abilities in order to impress the court. Mistress Gozen was able to impress everyone the most and received the highest scores. She was followed closely in scores by Lady Gesa, Fiona and Catrina. Next in line were THL Aaliz and Victoria.

Mistress Gozen on Rex, Photograph by Lady Pertolongan Kucingyn

The second phase of the championship was a challenge course called Chivalry in Training. In this phase, riders completed a timed course which involved a variety of obstacles and martial targets. THL Aaliz was the master of all skills at arms. Lady Gesa was second, with Mistress Gozen third followed by Fiona and Lord Nohaaj, on his brave war horse Maple.

Lady Aaliz wowed the crowd, holding the unicorn in her teeth, aboard Thelma. Photograph by Lady Sile inghean chein

Following the Championship competition, the court and populace of Æthelmearc and friends gathered to watch the joust. Trampling horses and shattering lances of 6 competitors kept the crowed well entertained. John, Catrina and Victoria were eliminated during the first round. Lord Nohaaj, Katja and Fiona advanced to the second round of the joust. Horses charged, lances shattered, and the crowd cheered. Lord Nohaaj emerged victorious in the joust.

Katja Borsukska and the young jousting mule Frida the Fearsome. Photograph by Eilonora inghean an Bhaird

 

Scores were tabulated for the riders who completed all portions of the day’s activities, and the winner of the day, with the highest total score was Fiona.

Fiona on Superman. Photograph by Lady Sile inghean chein.

Our Kingdom was enriched this day by the comradery, chivalry and mounted skills demonstrated by the riders. As the Lady of the Lyst, I would like to thank everyone who traveled to this event and rode with us. I wanted to create a fun equestrian day that provided our populace a small view inside of what we do with our four legged partners. I could not have done it without all of you who participated and helped out on the ground, assisting the riders and marshals.

Until next time, Lady of the Lyst, THL Gesa van Wellenstein

THL Gesa on Daisy. Photograph by Lady Sile inghean chein.

Court was held following a procession of Royalty on horseback which has become customary whenever horses are present. At court several equestrians were called to appear before Their Majesties,  Royal Highnesses and the Baron and Baroness. Mistress Gozen was called forward and named the King’s Equestrian Champion. As the regalia was not present at the time, it will be delivered and presented at a later time. Lady Gesa was called forth and named the Queen’s Equestrian Champion and vested with the regalia by Baron Tigernach.  Both received scrolls to commemorate the occasion. THL Aaliz was called forward and declared the winner of the Chivalry in Training portion and was presented with a scroll and belt favor. Mistress Gozen was named the winner of the “Ride Before the Prince” portion and also presented with a scroll and belt favor. Lord Nohaaj received recognition for his wins in the Dragon contest and the Joust, receiving scrolls and favors for his accomplishment. Lady Gesa was called back into court and inducted into the Order of the Golden Lance of Æthelmearc. (And hence in the above account, her name was corrected to reflect this new title.)  The Barony recognized both THL Gesa and Nohaaj for their skills and inducted them into the Order of the Iron Comet as well.

The equestrians of Æthelmearc invite you to join them at the next event which hosts horses and join us in the pageantry and excitement of these activities.

–Mistress Shishido Tora Gozen

How to Ride Before a Prince

18 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by in Arts & Sciences, Equestrian

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THL Maeve ni Siurtain previews a new part of the Kingdom Equestrian Competition this June. Based on figures and patterns from period riding manuals, the competitors will take part in a Ride Before a Prince. This specific competition was a war point at Gulf Wars this year.

Beautiful horses caparisoned in colorful fabric at an event are definitely eye catching.

This year at Melee Madness, where the Kingdom Equestrian Championship will be held, there will be a twist to the competition. At the 50 Year celebration there was a class/competition called “Riding before a Prince” which is based on the writings of late 16th century equestrian masters.

The King’s Champion, THL Aaliz de Gant has tasked the competitors to not only practice their martial skills, but their unity with the horse they ride. Harmony between horse and rider, especially at a gallop made the rider accomplished in period.

Just as the fencing community is using the instruction of period fencing masters, so now the equestrian community has begun exploring the writings of Pluvinel, Markham, and Grisone. In what I have read of the fencing masters, there are specific stances and movements of the body. It is the same in riding; there are descriptions of how a rider should sit on a horse, hold one’s hands, and handle the reins. There are patterns to follow, which can be ridden at any gait. Some of them look very strange, with circles and spirals (called “the snail) as well as halts with the horse turning on its front or back legs.

For the Ride Before a Prince, the riders will choose the movements that will best show the horse’s abilities (and their own). These figures will be done to music, much like modern day freestyle dressage tests. This part of the competition will show off not only the rider’s skill in handling their horse, but also the horse’s talents.

So come watch and be entertained by the hard work and harmony of the Kingdom’s riders on Saturday morning at Melee Madness!