Ballarat’s champion jouster Phil Leitch will travel to Sydney to defend his title as the world’s best solid wood warrior when he returns to the St Ives Medieval Faire in September.
The faire is in its third year, and is distinguished by its use of hard wood lances, rather than balsa wood.
“This type of jousting is the closest thing you can get to the way knights jousted in medieval times. It’s a unique opportunity for Australians to see the real deal,” Mr Leitch said.
“Many tournaments around the world use lances made from balsa wood to hit your opponent but St Ives is special because of its dedication to historical accuracy. Solid wood lances are a lot harder to break so the hits are bigger and much more spectacular.”
The faire will also feature a trebuchet. Similar to a catapult, it was used for hurling missiles during siege warfare. There will be archery, and a medieval village with over 230 re-enactors, a tavern and farm.
The St Ives Medieval Faire is on the weekend of September 24-25.
