The Knights of Arkley

A fanfare sounds! At each end of the arena a Medieval knight is made ready for the joust. He straps his shield to his left arm, puts his steel helm onto his head, and takes his lance in his right hand. His horse, fully covered in a glittering costume - prances and leaps in anticipation. The moment has come, the knights raise lances to signal that they are ready, the horses sit back on their hocks, then plunge forward and surge towards each other. A mighty ‘thud’ as lance strikes shield and the crowd roars applause!

The Knights of Arkley will be at the Aberaeron Cob Festival - 8th August 2004

A scene from the latest Hollywood blockbuster? No, just all part of an afternoon’s entertainment provided by the Knights of Arkley.

The Medieval Tournament has its origins in the Twelfth Century, but the significance of the ‘knight class’, who used the tournament as a showcase for their skills, impacted hugely on our social and cultural history, and their legacy still remains today in modern equestrianism.

After the Norman conquest of 1066, much of England was governed on behalf of the King by noblemen, each of whom had his own band of fighting knights. These knights would both defend their lord, and defend the realm in service to their Sovereign.

The knight was the ultimate fighting machine, protected initially by crude chainmail, and gradually through the next four centuries, by increasingly more complex armour. He would have been young and physically fit, an expert horseman and a master of a variety of weapons. Mounted on a highly trained warhorse who could twist and turn, gallop and stop, and keep at the heart of battle.

The Tournament was the showcase for the knight, a gathering of the rich and powerful barons who pitted their best knights against each other, in an opulent display of wealth and strength.

Knights would travel from far and wide to a designated venue, often a mighty castle, and would take part in demonstrations of the skills-at-arms, a series of tests and games designed for the knights to show off their prowess and skills. Knights would joust against each other, separated by a barrier or ‘tilt’, which prevented the horses from colliding. Intricate rules were adopted for safety, as this was not war, but a military competition designed to keep the knight fit and battle-ready.

In a world in which wealth equalled power, the knights were given wonderful clothes to wear, each wearing the heraldic colours and symbols of his lord, with embroidery in costly gold and silver threads, and jewels hand sewn for decoration. The horse would be covered too, his padded battle protection dressed in richly coloured cloth, called a ‘caparison’. Everyone would arrive to watch, dressed in their finest clothes, and there would be much drinking and feasting. In the drab world of the Middle Ages, the Tournament became the great spectator sport of the day, a colourful interlude for ordinary people to enjoy and, I am sure, set in our culture a love of equestrian sport.

The demise of the Tournament came in the Sixteenth Century when, with the advent of heavy firearms, the mounted knight became obsolete. For a few hundred years, this great spectacle was consigned to history, but its memory has lived on; the ‘heavy cavalry’ regiments of today’s modern army, now tank regiments, still honour their illustrious past, as many still retain the knights' helmet as their badge, a permanent link with their past.

Modern equestrian skills also owe much to the knight, the need for a highly trained and instantly obedient warhorse coming down the centuries as the foundation of modern day dressage. Indeed, the highly sophisticated movements and ‘airs above the ground’ performed by the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, date back to an age when the training of the horse for battle was elevated to an art form.

Revivals have been tried. The ‘nouveau riche’ of the Victorian era, hankered after a past not linked to commercial and industrial wealth. They attempted to revive both the pageantry and the heroisms of the Middle Ages, culminating in a Great Tournament at Eglinton in Scotland, at which some thirty ‘knights’ jousted for a massive silver trophy. This amazing tribute to the silversmiths' skill is on display at Eglinton to this day.

Today there are many enthusiasts, societies and organisations worldwide, who carry on the tradition of the great Tournament of Knights. The Knights of Arkley is just one, but one of the longest established. Starting some thirty three years ago, it is now run commercially as an arena entertainment. Displays are given all over the United Kingdom and Europe, and these include some of the most well known events, including the Royal Tournament, The Royal Military Tattoo, Royal Windsor Horse Show and the Olympia Show Jumping Championships.

The riders who take part are, of course, not real knights, but they do have to possess many of the equestrian skills of their Medieval namesakes. Most have a background in Pony Club and Mounted Games, where many of the skills taught to youngsters are very similar to those mandatory for a knight. The ability to ride at a very high level, often with one hand and utilising a variety of objects (or weapons) are closely linked to both disciplines.

As for the horses, contrary to popular belief, knights of the Middle Ages did not ride huge shire horses. The types they would have used would have to be strong enough to carry weight, but also agile enough to perform athletically. They would have been similar to the heavier riding horse still found today in Eastern Europe, probably resembling a tall Welsh Cob! Some were used purely as pack animals, and for the Tournament, where the knight might ride for only a few minutes. They may well have been a cross between the cold-blooded horses of Northern Europe, and the warmbloods of Arabia. These crosses produced the forefathers of the modern Iberian and Lipizzaner breeds, whose combination of strength and agility is still an integral part of their breed characteristics. The heavier war horses were later bred up into modern draught breeds, but only at a time when a revolution in agriculture allowed improved farming methods to supply surplus fodder, which could feed and improve the breeds.

Today, the Knights of Arkley use a variety of types of horse for their display. They need to be agile and quick, and able to perform in a small arena. Temperament is everything, and a willingness to work is paramount. We use all sorts; polo ponies, an ex-eventer, even an ex-racehorse who had won nine races before he came to us. You might not think that this was an ideal background, but he has a lovey attitude, and that’s what counts! A very high level of management and attention to detail are essential to keep the horses happy and enjoying their work.They know the show backwards, and would happily do it on their own (but in half the time) given the chance!

So next time you see one of our displays, think back to the Middle Ages and to all that this great period of history has given to us. The horse as part of our culture, modern dressage, the foundation of many modern breeds and, above all, a great passion in many of us to honour and respect the horse.

Find out more at the Knights of Arkley web site

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