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Jousting began in 11th century France as a military exercise and soon spread throughout Europe. Despite Church opposition for its savagery and occassional state banishments jousting continued through the Middle Ages until the death of King Henry II of France from jousting injuries in 1599.
Its revival, in a decidedly more humane form, occurred in Mount Solon, Virginia in 1821. Surely no sport in America has more romantic origins than jousting. A young Virginian maiden could not choose between the affections of two ardent suitors. Upon the advice of her uncle she decided to bestow her favor on the winner of a jousting contest.
The site chosen for the joust was the Shenandoah Valleys spectacular Natural Chimneys for their resemblance to medieval castles. The two contestants were to ride at three rings suspended from arches 30 yards apart. The young knights practiced for weeks and on the day of the event a large crowd turned out to view the spectacle.
Such a good time was had that it was decided to make the joust an annual event. From that day to this, on the third Saturday in August, the winning knight has earned the right to name and crown his Queen of Love and Beauty making the Mount Solon jousting tournament the oldest continually held sporting event in America.
Today, the colorful pageantry of jousting continues in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Jousting became the official state sport of Maryland in 1962 - the first time a state adopted an official state sport. The support of jousting as the state sport stems from the great seal of Maryland which depicts an armored rider astride a charging horse. The figure is Lord Baltimore.
Leading the charge for state adoption of jousting was Mary Lou Bartram, "the Maid of Bartram Manor." She received so much publicity in her quest that she appeared on the television quiz show To Tell The Truth to try and stump the panel with her story of her efforts to establish jousting as the Official Sport of Maryland.
Mary Lou Bartram is a member of the National Jousting Hall of Fame. The shrine to jousting is located at the Natural Chimneys in Mount Solon, in a back room of the Visitors Center at the park entrance, beyond a mustard-colored door decorated with a crest. On the walls are jousting articles and placards from past tournaments. A glass display case features photos and trophies from events. A suit of metal armor guards a corner of the exhibit area.
In the center of the room sits an oaken table with a Hall of Fame scrapbook bursting with colorful tales of the Jousting enshrinees. In modern jousting, the men and women compete under jousting titles. The rider carries a long, fine-tipped lance and attempts to spear three rings - some as small as 1/4 in diameter - dangling from crossbars while guiding their charging mounts down a ninety yard course in not more than eight seconds.
And the fate of that first winning modern day knight and his Lady Fayre? Alas, it is lost to history.
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