What it takes to be a modern-day jouster

A jouster has shared what it is like to be a competitor in the medieval combat sport.

Henry Browne is a member of the Knights of Albion, a UK jousting team who will draw their swords at Revesby Country Fair near Horncastle in Lincolnshire on Sunday.

Browne, from Chesterfield, said he got into the sport at the age of 18 when he stood in for his father, who was a jouster.

The 29-year-old said: "It's quite a skilled thing that takes a lot of practice. You've got to be really into it."

Browne said the idea of jousting was to "push your trusty steed down the tilt rail at another rider and aim to hit them on the shield".

"It was a natural progression for me because show jumping didn't really appeal," he said.

Despite this, he said it was "terrifying initially flying down the tilt rail at another horse, both trying to hit each other".

"It's something that you really get a taste for," he added.

Browne said visitors to Revesby Country Fair could expect a friendly competition between the Knights of Albion team with jousting on horseback as well as sword-fighting on the ground.

Browne also trains horses and said he had been riding "since he was a baby," as his family had an interest in horses.

He said the safety of horses was "paramount" when jousting.

"The horses always come first for us. It's all about the horses. They're the stars of the show.

"You've got to get the horse accustomed to the noise, the crowd, the lance and shield.

"You have to ease them in nice and gently and be sympathetic towards them."

He said jousters hone their skills by practising on a stationary shield known as a quintain.

He added that, when people found out he does it for a living, some asked "they still do that do they?"

"It's keeping that history alive and showcasing the skills and drills that knights used to practice," Browne said.

The annual event is held on the parkland of the Revesby Estate on Mareham Road between Horncastle and Boston.

Parking is free, and tickets will be available to purchase on the day, as well as on the fair's website in advance.

Visitors are advised to arrive as early as they can, with the busiest times of arrival between 10:30 and 14:00 BST.

The Knights of Albion will be the headline performers in the main ring.

Other events in the main ring include a military vehicle display, a rock choir, children's fancy dress on horseback, and a birds of prey display.

Equine competitions and activities including archery, sheep competitions, axe throwing, live music, clay pigeon shooting and a climbing wall will also take place.

John Roe, chairman of Revesby Country Fair, said: "It's the first time we're welcoming the Knights of Albion to Revesby Country Fair and visitors can expect a hugely entertaining performance from them, bringing jousting and energetic stunts to the main ring."

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