Shropshire Magazine

The Knights of the Damned provide a thrilling spectacle.

A professional stuntman is heading up a team of high-adrenaline horsemen – and women – bringing the thrills and spills of the joust back to public entertainment. By Liz Roseblade

The sound of galloping hooves, a lance striking a shield, the cry of a fallen rider . . . the essence of days long gone, when knights fought to settle disputes and a lady’s favour in the form of a handkerchief was all important.

And all this can be heard today on a regular basis in Morville, near Bridgnorth, as the professional Shropshire-based jousting team The Knights of the Damned practise their superbly polished show which tours the UK and Europe.

Justin Pearson and his fellow knights.

The Knights of the Damned was founded in 2005 by professional stuntman Justin Pearson, whose film and TV credits include The Golden Compass, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Da Vinci Code and Midsomer Murders.

Justin, an accomplished rider since his teenage years, when he took part in mounted games and attained international status, joined a professional jousting company in his late teens, touring Russia and other countries.

He went on to start his own jousting company, and his team of knights errant have now established a reputation for thrilling crowds, appearing at venues such as Rockingham Castle and Hampton Court Palace.

The team consists of four knights, four squires and a storyteller whose job it is to narrate A Knight’s Tale.

Justin always plays the Black Knight, who eventually loses the golden goblet to a ‘local’ opponent after some heavy duty jousting and a spot of hand-to-hand sword combat.

“Jousting began in the 10th century as a means of practice for knights who wanted to prove their horsemanship skills and use of a lance – but it became an enormously popular spectator sport,” says Justin.

“By the 12th century the tournaments had become so well attended that Henry II had to forbid a gathering of so many knights competing in one place, as he was concerned too many of his fighting force would be injured.

“Richard I then overturned the ban and jousting tournaments continued to be held all over England until the theatre became the new entertainment during Shakespeare’s era.

Doing battle on the ramparts of Ludlow Castle.

“What we’re trying to do with the Knights of the Damned is recreate history, this amazing sport that attracted so many combatants and such large crowds.

“We involve the audience in the show, with knights asking for favours and support, and this is very much a 21st-century version of events set to rock music.”

The knights are all skilled riders and include the only professional female jouster in the country, 30-year-old mother of two Hannah Hill.

“Hannah had been a member of the team for some time, helping run the show, acting as a squire and helping with the horses, but she wanted to be a knight and she has certainly proved she deserves to be one,” says Justin.

“She plays the French Knight and does the spectacular falls, getting dragged along the lists after being unseated, which she does with the help of a special French trick saddle.

“It’s a visually stunning show and it takes an enormous amount of preparation beforehand to make it all happen, as every member of the team – including the horses – has to be trained to perfection.

“The crowds love it and this last year has been our busiest to date. It seems jousting is as popular now as it was 800 years ago!”

Which all goes to show that Henry II just didn’t have an eye to the main chance . . .

• www.theknightsofthedamned.co.uk