Mr Leitch, 41, said he struggled to think of anything in his life that had been as intense as the Ohio Renaissance Festival’s inaugural International Jousting Tournament on October 31.

He won against his seven competitors by a single point, taking home a share of the $US5000 prize pool. However, he believes he may have broken his hand.

Jousting in the United States is different to Australia and Europe. The Americans use strong wood instead of balsa wood or pine, making the likelihood of being struck off your horse – or injured – much higher.

“If you hit hard enough, the wood and the lance will shatter. The higher points are usually given for breaking lances. The Americans also love seeing people knocked off their horses, so you get points for that too. It’s like being hit by a sledgehammer and that’s not an exaggeration.

“It’s not something I want to do all the time – it’s a crazy style of jousting over there.”