Knights to clash at Ballarat Show

ATTENDEES will be transported back to Medieval times at this year’s Ballarat Times Ballarat Show with a jousting performance by competitors from Kryal Castle.

The event held daily at Broadhead Arena will see two knights riding on horseback aiming to knock the other off their horse with lances.

Kryal Castle’s resident knight Phillip Leitch said jousting is an incredible and exciting experience.

“There’s a multitude of jobs the knights are required for are the castle but the most obvious one is the jousting itself and the skills that are involved in that are all sorts of levels of horsemanship,” he said.

“It’s about making horses feel comfortable doing something that would not feel very naturally to them.”

While jousting can look daunting and dangerous, Mr Leitch said it is a feeling like no other.

“Especially when you first start jousting its very much a challenge of overcoming fears, but it looks a lot more dangerous than it actually is,” he said.

“I compare it a bit to parachuting or bungee jumping.

“The first time I was knocked from my horse I was actually like ‘that was really cool’ because how many people in their lives can say they know what it’s like to be knocked off their horse.”

Mr Leitch encouraged people to come and see the jousting at the Ballarat Show as it is a rare experience to see something unusual in modern times.

“It’s a very unique experience that you’re not going to see in most places,” he said.

“It’s also a free activity and might provide insight to people into what has traditionally been done with horses.”

The Ballarat Times 2023 Ballarat Show will be held from Sunday 10 November to Sunday 12 November.

Tickets can be purchased at ballaratshow.org.au.