Tj Duquette will never forget his first joust.
He hadn't even finished full armour training when he was called to the ring to replace a senior knight who had been injured. A week of light-armour training behind him, Duquette didn't even have his own armour. But when his coach, Shane Adams, asked if he'd like to step up, he jumped at the opportunity.
Duquette, who calls Sudbury “home,” squeezed into armour that was too big in some places, too small in others, in front of a crowd in Chatham, Ont. His opponent was Adams — a world champion at the time, who is still highly regarded and competitive on the jousting tournament circuit.
“I don't think I've ever seen Shane miss,” Duquette said.
Intimidated to be riding against his coach, in armour that didn't really fit, Duquette did the best he could.
“The first pass, my timing was off,” he said. “He hit me, I missed him. Ride and learn.”
On the next pass, the ill-fitted helmet on Duquette's face slipped — the tiny gaps in the metal he was looking out of were nowhere near his eyes.
“I went from seeing nothing to seeing blue sky,” he said, as he hung on the side of his horse. Already half off, he committed to the fall. Landing hard on the playing field, Duquette called it a day.
“I broke it, but it didn't break me,” he said.
That first real joust happened in 2006. Since then, Duquette has gone on to improve his ride, ranking among the top of the world's finest jousters. Now, he's “hitting with the best of them.”
Currently recovering from multiple shoulder surgeries, Duquette isn't riding during the Celtic Fest. Instead, he'll be hosting, judging and entertaining the crowd.
“Yea, I've been hurt,” he said. “But it's worth it.”
Duquette has loved medieval culture for as long as he can remember. As a kid who lived in various parts of Sudbury from the time he was two months old to seven years, he was endlessly fascinated by the era.
He helped out at Renaissance fairs whenever he could and took part in medieval reenactments. Eventually, he found his way to Toronto's Medieval Times. He worked there for about eight years, before Adams recruited him to be a “real” knight.
“You weren't a knight in shining armour,” Duquette said. “You're a knight in tinsel and polyester.”
His years at the dinner theatre company provided a solid base, though — he learned to ride with the help of internationally renowned dressage coach Cherri Reiber, who developed riders' seats through lunging and vaulting drills.
“I fell off the horse eight times on the first day,” he said. “It was me, bouncing myself off the horse.”
Being paid to ride full-time changed that quickly, though. Before long, Duquette learned to ride.
When he connected with Adams and the Knights of Valour, he learned to joust.
The athlete said the riding style for jousters is like any other equestrian discipline. Jousters keep their legs long and wrap them around the horse for a strong connection. That way, they can utilize the power, force and momentum of the horse when galloping toward their opponent.
Since becoming part of the Knights of Valour team, Duquette has had many opportunities to help grow his lifestyle. The success of the 2012 TV show Full Metal Jousting raised the profile of the sport.
Check out the Celtic Festival this weekend to see Duquette and the knights in action.
The common questions
When hosting educational workshops and riding in tournaments, Duquette and the Knights of Valour get asked tons of questions by curious crowds. Some of the most common ones include:
How do I get into jousting?
Go online. Visit www.knightsofvalour.ca for more information about how to get involved.
Is it hot in the armour?
“Yes,” Duquette said with a laugh. “I could fry an egg on this.”
Is the armour heavy?
"Yes.” Duquette's suit weighs about 165 pounds.
