By day, Sam and Vanessa Richardson do the usual 9-5, but on weekends, they become Sir Sam of Hever and Lady Vanessa.
Entering a world that feels like something out of A Knight’s Tale, the married couple compete in medieval tournaments in the often brutal world of jousting. Dee Lukasik reports…
He’s dislocated his shoulder, fractured fingers and suffered bruises and head cuts – but Sam Richardson considers himself one of the lucky ones given the injuries his peers have had.
Now in his 30s, he has been jousting for as long as he can remember – it’s something that is in his blood.
His father, Jeremy Richardson, turned his lifelong passion for the Middle Ages into The Knights of Royal England, a re-enactment group based in Kent, and has himself been jousting for 50 years.
They perform at historical tournaments and give skill-at-arms demonstrations, often at castles, fairs, and public events.
Members dress in full armour, ride horses, and take on roles like knights and squires, recreating medieval pageants.
“I’ve been doing this my whole life,” said Sam, who runs trade exhibitions during the week, but has been performing in the shows at weekends since 2013.
“My father started this team, and I grew up with it. It’s part of who I am.”
Vanessa, on the other hand, who manages an e-commerce team for an animal health company, married into the world of knights and swords.
“When I met him, I remember thinking, is this cool or a bit strange?” she said.
“But I’ve loved horses my whole life, so I knew I’d fit right in.”
The Richardsons, from Edenbridge, travel across the UK for around 25 to 30 shows each season at castles like Bamburgh, Hedingham and Chiltern Open Air Museum, with crowds up to 15,000 watching on.
The first half of the season is spent touring, and the second half they are the resident performers at Hever Castle, where shows take place every weekend through July and August.
“We have about 18 people in the team,” Sam said.
“Our arena is split into two teams: blues versus reds.
“There are four riders, two knights for each colour, and then the ground crew supports the overall tournament.”
The competitions include disciplines such as the Tilt, where knights charge along a barrier, plus sword fighting, and skill-at-arms competitions.
Points are awarded for each, and a leaderboard tallies up their scores over the season.
Vanessa, despite not performing on horseback, also plays a crucial role.
“I keep away from the pointy things,” she said with a laugh.
“I focus on helping the knights and making sure the horses are comfortable. That’s enough excitement for me.”
Sam admitted the sport is not for the weak-hearted.
“The action is real and fast,” he said.
“It is pretty dangerous. You have to be very controlled and composed.
“Each horse can reach 20 to 25mph, which means the impact on the tilt can feel like 50mph.
“We still fall off sometimes, so it’s unpredictable, especially in the UK’s glorious, indecisive weather.”
Despite the risks, Sam considers himself lucky.
“I’ve actually been very fortunate. Touch wood, I’ve never broken my ribs.
“I have dislocated my shoulder and fractured fingers, and of course, there are bruises and head cuts, but I’ve been lucky compared to some of the guys.”
His father, meanwhile, has broken his shoulder in five places, punctured his lungs, broken ribs, wrists, collarbone, and ankle, and fractured many fingers.
“It’s split-second thinking,” Sam explained.
“You have no clue where the lance is going to hit.
“We take significant precautions, but with animals, weather, and such a high-intensity sport, it’s always a challenge.”
Shows are usually choreographed, but competitions are not, so anything can happen.
So far this year, the team has broken 100 lances.
The horses they use are Andalusians and Lusitanos, known for their strength, agility, and calm temperament.
“The horses are stars too,” Vanessa said.
“They’re exactly the same as would have been used back in medieval times,” Sam added proudly.
“Hollywood often uses different horses, bigger ones, for the movies, but ours are the real deal. They’re very agile and quick.”
The group’s passion has rubbed off on the next generation too.
Sam’s sister Lucy, and her husband, also knights, have a one-year-old child growing up surrounded by the same medieval world.
You can see the pair in action at Hever Castle on August 25, and 30 to 31. Click here for more information.
Asked why they love doing what they do, Vanessa explained:
“You see the joy on the kids’ faces when they watch a tournament.
“It makes all the work worth it.”
