Knights to remember: Lovers of medieval times converge on Cooks Creek for historical festival

The Cooks Creek Medieval Festival is back for the first time in six years, drawing aficionados of the Middle Ages from around the world to Manitoba.

The event is held in the community of Cooks Creek, Man., which is about 30 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.It's thefirst comeback since 2018 for the festival, which is normally held every two years.

The Middle Ages-themed gathering sportsattractions like live jousting, archery and heavy-armour combat, as well as a full-on feast.

It also draws enthusiasts from across Manitoba, including Dauphin and Gimli, according to lead organizerGary Senft.

"There's a whole host of different folks coming to make this a really special event, and the enthusiasm is very strong," Senft told host Marcy Markusaina Friday interview with CBC Manitoba's Information Radio.

Jousting isa medieval style ofduelwhere two armoured knights on horseback attempt to knock each other from their saddles using eight-foot-long lances, according toOliver Hunter-Holland,who travelled to Manitoba from Australia to take part in the festival for the first time.

"If you hit the shield, but nothing breaks, you get one point. If you break the tip, you get threepoints. And if you break the whole lance, that's five points," he toldInformation Radioon Friday.

Hunter-Hollandsaid his father had a hand in the modern resurgence of the sport back homenearly three decades ago.

"I didn't really have a choice in this. It was more just I was born into it," he said.

Television shows likeHouse of the Dragon haveboosted interest in jousting and medievalfestivals in recent years,he said.

"It's been a real drive from that audience to sort of go, 'Hey, this is something that's really interesting to me. I want to go see this live.'"

Alice Edwards, a jouster hailingfrom Alberta, is no stranger to to the Cooks Creek festival. Edwards said she's been coming to it before she even started jousting, and rode in one of her first-ever showsthere.

"There's a lotof history for me here," said Edwards.

Information Radio - MB11:15Jouster to compete at Cooks Creek Medieval Festival

Olivier Thomas Hunter-Holland speaks with Marcy Markusa about how he started jousting and what some of his wildest injuries have been from being knocked off of his horse

Edwards said she's been riding horses for about a decade, and learned how to ride just so she couldjoust. Some of the best parts of the sport are being on the horse and wearing armourwhile competing, Edwards said.

"I've been a history buff since I was a kid," said Edwards.

"So getting to sword-fight was one thing," she said, butthere's added excitement in"getting out there and riding a horse and doing this sport that was a thing for more than 500 years, that wentagainst the church at the timeit was outlawed for 300 years."

There's a lot of history behind it, said Edwards.

"It's not something a lot of people in the world do, and it's not something a lot of people in the world get to do."

That sentiment was echoed by JaakkoNuotio,who has been jousting for 35 years and travelledfrom Finland to be part of the Manitoba event. Aside from the competition, Nuotio said it was also nice to reconnect with old friends.

While Nuotiohad beenlooking forward to facing some of them in duels, he suffered an injury whiletraining and needed 58 stitches in his head.

Doctors wouldn't clear him to rideinto battle but he was assigned the role of marshal, orreferee.

"It's nice to be here with friends and see them," he said.

"In the whole world, there's about 50 guys and girls who do the real joustingand travel around, so it's not many."

The festival concludes Sunday.