Joust

Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two horsemen wielding lances with blunted tips, often as part of a tournament.
The primary aim was to replicate a clash of heavy cavalry, with each participant trying hard to strike the opponent while riding towards him at high speed, breaking the lance on the opponent's shield or jousting armour if possible, or unhorsing him.
The joust became an iconic characteristic of the knight in Romantic medievalism. The participants experience close to three and a quarter times their body weight in G-forces when the lances collide with their armour.
Jousting was discontinued in favour of other equestrian sports in the 17th century, although non-contact forms of "equestrian skill-at-arms" disciplines survived. There has been a limited revival of theatrical jousting re-enactment since the 1970s.

English Heritage promoted a "free field" Joust session in the castle of Dover during the summer of 2019, and we had to be there to see it. After all, it is not every day you have the chance to see a historical sport as such.

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