HAMMOND, LA — It is one of the biggest attractions at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival, the jousting. Just watch and you’ll see the knights battle with swords and lances, on the ground and on horseback. And it’s not entirely an act!
“Where else are you going to see a joust?” (Sir) Marcus Desmond, one of the knights, told WGNO.
On this day, he was one of two knights knocked from their horses. The impact with the lances and the ground is real, and the men feel it. “We are actually trying to break lances on each other,” Desmond added.
Many of the knights travel around the country to joust at similar festivals. So it’s a job, and they train to perform their best. Some of them have even attended training schools, like (Sir) William Dudley who also told us that he uses other training to up his knightly game.
“I also spent quite a lot of years training in jujitsu, judo, pro wrestling,” he said.
The suits of armor can weigh anywhere from 80 to 140 pounds. The knights make the repairs themselves, which often include pounding out the dents caused by combat.
But more than anything, the knights want make sure the audience enjoys the show.
“I want to entertain the crowd and do a good job,” said Desmond.
“I want them to go home and say wow I’m glad I got to see that,” Dudley added.
If you’d like to see the knights’ suits of armor and watch them do battle, click on the video button above. If you’d like to see it in person, click here for more information on the Louisiana Renaissance Festival.
