A weekend at Tournament Stud

The weekend of the 5th/6th June saw several of us getting together at Tournament Stud, primarily to sort out and refurbish the group kit - but there was also plenty of time for riding and socialising.

The weather on Saturday was glorious, and it wasn't long before those macho torsoes were on show (rather unfairly, Andreas had been bronzing himself on his honeymoon in Egypt, which did rather highlight the pasty whiteness of the rest of us!)! The tilt rail now has new supports, it's covers have been washed, and we have totally new counter tilts. The lance racks are no longer falling apart and the rings have white tabs on them (courtesy of the Past Tents folk who were still at work) so they are more obvious - primarily so the audience can see when we've succeeded in taking a ring, but it might help us a little too (I hope so anyhow). We do still need to locate the pegs and guys for the awning, but this will be sorted at the dress rehearsal. All the kit is now sorted and stored in a stable, all ready for the Dress Rehearsal in a fortnight and the first event at the beginning of July.


When all was done we tacked up and headed off into the Northamptonshire countryside for a hack, all very calm and relaxing. I also took Magic into the new indoor school, which is complete with a tilt rail and promises to revolutionise winter training. A fantastic facility - we are very fortunate.

Having set up our tents, we lit the range and enjoyed a barbeque. Slightly different to your average barbeque in that one of the guests was Jason's horse Segunda! We were in her field, so I suppose it was only fair. As it got dark, we were treated to a lightening display as thunder rumbled around us - pretty spectacular and certainly a memorable evening.


We'll be back at Tournament Stud in two weeks time (19th/20th June) for the Dress Rehearsal, where the plan is to set up camp exactly as we would at an event and enjoy riding and socialising together as we polish up our skills. There will also be some photography and filming taking place to get some good quality shots of the group for publicity, so bring your kit and best 15th century smiles.