Schedule

9:00 am - Procession

9:30 am - Ballet du cheval (morning entertainment)

10:00 am - Bryn Gwlad Baronial Equestrian Championship

12 noon - Break for lunch

1:00-3:00 pm - King's Lancer Equestrian Competition

3:30-5:00 pm - Jousting

5:30 pm - Ballet du cheval (dinner entertainment)

Bryn Gwlad Baronial Equestrian Champion Competition

His Lordship Eule von Haginbald, Bryn Gwlad's current equestrian champion,

Baron Thomas invites all equestrians to compete for the honor of being Bryn Gwlad's next equestrian champion, by right of arms in a mounted crest snowball melee tournament.

Equestrians participating in the Bryn Gwlad Equestrian Championship must be either Intermediate or Advanced riders and must be authorized for mounted crest combat. Riders must also provide an appropriate crest suitable for mounted crest combat and armor (i.e. a rapier-legal fencing mask or better). According to society regulations, crests should be no less than 4" tall (there is no maximum height requirement) and should be made of materials that cannot hurt the horse should it accidently hit someone or be stepped on (i.e. no nail-studded balls). Crests should also be re-usable (i.e. no styrofoam crests) since we will be fighting multiple bouts. Please, no stuffed animals or anything blatantly mundane. For more information on mounted crest competition, please refer to the Society Equestrian Handbook.

Rules for melee style mounted crest combat will be identical to the rules for regular mounted crest competitions, with the following additions:

• Fighters must verbally recognize that they are engaging each other in battle. EYE CONTACT WILL NOT SUFFICE.
• Engagements may only be one-on-one.
• For the purposes of this competition, all horses will be assumed to kick. Therefore, all riders not engaged must give sufficient space to those engaged, and engaged pairs must allow sufficient space between pairs so as not to interfere or endanger others.
• All engagements will be strictly monitored, and any unsafe or unchivalrous behavior will result in a competitor being asked to leave the field.

The tournament to determine the next Bryn Gwlad equestrian champion will be held immediately after the morning parade and ballets du cheval, at approximately 10 in the morning.

Be sure to send in your letters of intent to compete and to bring your honor shields!

King's Lancer Competition

Sir Gideon MacLeod, Ansteorra's reigning King's Lancer, challenges all equestrians to test their martial skills against past Lancers to determine who is most deserving of the title of King's Lancer. The challenge shall be on three fields, each one held by a previous Lancer:

• The tiltyard, where challengers must demonstrate their skill and accuracy at the rings and the reeds
• The battlefield, where challengers must prove their mettle against a mock knight and an army of saracens (i.e. heads)
• The hunt, where challengers must demonstrate their horse's fearlessness against Creatures Which May Be Found In The Forest, and their own skill at dispatching them

Each challenge will be run head-to-head, although only the battlefield will be timed. Challengers and Lancers will both ride at the level of the Challenger (for example, if a beginner-authorized rider challenges a past Lancer who is authorized advanced, both shall ride at the walk).Ansteorra's next Lancer shall be chosen from those who best past Lancers, and at His Majesty's pleasure.

To avoid past Lancers having to be on their horses for an extended period of time, all challenges must be completed within a two hour time slot, between 1 and 3 in the afternoon.

Minors competition

Our current King's Lancer is hosting a minor's competition within the Lancer's challenge. All authorized minors are invited to challenge past Lancers on their respective fields. Rules will be the same as for the adult competition.

Please note that a parent or legal guardian MUST be present for each minor who is participating in the equestrian activities. This rule will be strictly enforced.

Jousting

After the King's Lancer competition has been completed, the field will be set up for jousting. All those who wish to challenge shall be allowed to do so, following the current experimental rules.

Jousters are reminded that they must be either Intermediate or Advanced riders, and approved by the KEO to joust. They must provide their own armor, or have made other arrangements for access to jousting legal armor. Jousting shields, lances, and tips will be available, however jousters are asked to please contribute for the tips they use (cost of tips is $.75 each).

All ladies present for the jousting will be encouraged to proclaim the most chivalrous jouster at the end of the challenges, and afford that individual much word fame.

Ballets du cheval

There will be two performances of ballets du cheval, or ballets on horseback, at Bryn Gwlad's 25th year celebration. These performances will be two ballets by the Bryn Gwlad equestrians, done immediately after the procession and opening words at approximately 9:30 in the morning.

Stabling and Accommodations

Space for picketing horses is quite limited at this site, so stalls are provided instead. The majority of them are 10x10, although we do have a few 12x10 stalls available. The permanent stalls are made of cedar posts, and the others are made of 10 foot round pen panels. There are approximately 15 stalls, and reservations are strongly encouraged for every horse. Please email Bridget at equestrian@bg25.swordworks.org for reservations and requirements. If you have a horse that needs an end stall or should be stabled next to another horse (or conversely, should NOT be stabled next to a particular horse), please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate everyone.Alternatively, if you plan to provide your own portable stall, please let us know so we can put you in an appropriate spot.

There is ample camping within the equestrian area immediately next to the horses. Trailer parking will be just across the "street", or if you can do without your trailer for the weekend, we ask that you park your trailer at the top of the hill.To improve the ambiance of the event, we will be parking trailers behind "stone walls" made of painted sheets, so while your trailer may not be immediately visible, it will be close at hand.

Initially the road onto the site and down the hill was of some concern because of its steepness and narrowness, however it has been recently paved and is much improved, so getting loaded trailers to the bottom should not be a problem. However if you have a very large trailer, please be extremely careful coming down the hill. I have seen semis make it down the hill, so I know it can be done, but it may take some careful maneuvering!

General Rules and Guidelines

In order to provide a safe and friendly atmosphere for everyone, we ask that you abide by the following rules:

1. Be prepared to show your Coggins for all horses AT THE GATE. We will not allow horses to be unloaded until we see a Coggins certificate for each horse.
2. If you plan to compete, you will be asked to show a current equestrian authorization card when you sign up with the List Clerks. If you plan to ride but not compete, you must still have a current authorization card and will be asked to show it before you mount up.
3. All equestrians will be required to sign the new waiver form, regardless of whether or not they have an authorization card. Please be prepared.
4. All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian when participating in equestrian activities.
5. We all plan to party at this event, but please do your drinking AFTER you are done riding for the day since alcohol and horses do not mix. Society rules regarding alcohol on the equestrian field will be strictly enforced.

This page designed by Lady Bridget Rede of Dunvegan Copyright ©2004. You may email Bridget at equestrian@bg25.swordworks.org.