Emprise of the Black Lion II

Hosted by

The Shire of Midhaven (Skagit, San Juan & North Island Counties, WA)

Event Summary

Event Main Contact (Event Steward): Kerij-e
Date: September 27 , 2002 until September, 29 2002
Site opens at: 12:00 AM on September 27th 2002
Site closes at: 12:00 AM on September 29th 2002

Event site:
Langs Horse and Pony Farm
21463 Little Mountain Road Mount Vernon, WA 98273

Emprise of the Black Lion II **Updated 9/24/02**
Shire of Midhaven (Mt. Vernon, WA)

Sept 28-29, 2002

Come and watch equestrians from across the knowne world compete in a grand tournament, behord, and challenge course in the style of a 15th century Pas d�Armes. Prizes on both days, including best livery and horse barding/caparison. Rental horses available for competition and trail rides. Contact kerij-e for competition information and fees. A covered gallery is available for the audience. This is an incredible site to behold!

Site opens Friday at 7 p.m. for haul-ins only. Site opens 8 a.m. on Saturday and closes 6 p.m. on Sunday. Site $5 members, $8 non-members Period lunches: $6/day. Site Fee Checks made out to “Shire of Midhaven, SCA Inc.”. Please pay cash for lunch, all other fees paid to “Lang’s Horse and Pony Farm.”

Autocrats: Mistress Kerij-e (Crystal Smithwick) 11112 NE 111th Place, Kirkland, WA 98033 425-827-7629 crystal_smithwick@hotmail.com

Lady Taradan (Marcia Royal) (360)724-3591 horsefly@valleyint.com

EMIC: Sir Rapheal (Robert Odekirk) sir_rapheal@hotmail.com

To subscribe to an e-mail announcement list about this event, send a message to:

Black_Lion_Emprise-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Black_Lion_Emprise/

Lodging
Limited number of primitive campsites. $10 per night per tent. Motels in the Mt. Vernon/Burlington area are within 10-15 minutes of the site. We usually stay at the Comfort Inn in Mt. Vernon.

Horse rental fees
Full day rental $60
Half day rental $35

Horse haul in and stable fees per day
Haul in only $8
Stable (inc. haulin fee, hay, bedding, and water) $25
Your paddock (inc. haulin fee, hay and water) $15

1 hour, 1 1/2 hour, and 2 hour Trail rides also available.

Contact Kerij-e at 425-827-7629 or crystal_smithwick@hotmail.com for feast reservations and stable, trailriding, and rental fees by Sept. 20th.
==========================
Schedule

Saturday
8 a.m site opens
10 a.m. Regional Equestrian meeting (picnic area)
noon – lunch
1 p.m. – meeting for all competitors (picnic area)
1 p.m. – Groundscrew meeting (arena)
1:30 p.m. – Rentors gather at corral
2:30 p.m. – Processional
Awards ceremony to follow immediately after competition.

Sunday Schedule
8 a.m. site opens
10 a.m. Rentors gather at corral
10:30 a.m. Processional and Challenge Course
Award ceremony to follow
12:30 ish – lunch served
Behord, etc. to follow.
6 p.m. site closes

=================Rules of the List==============

EMPRISE OF THE BLACK LION II
(Revised August 10, 2002)

Hail all who would carry lance upon the tiltyard!

The Emprise of the Black Lion was the first equestrian tournament in
the style of a French Pas d’Armes to be held in the Kingdom of An
Tir. This year there will be two days of competition in the Shire of
Midhaven on the grounds of Lang’s Horse and Pony Farm in Mt. Vernon
Washington. On the Saturday September 28, 2002, individuals will
compete in four events: ring tilt, javelin, quintain, and reeds. On
Sunday, September 29, Riders will compete in a challenge course. A
behord (Mounted Crest Combat) will occur in the afternoon for those
with their own horses. These are three separate competitions. You do
not need to participate in all three. Separate rules describe each
competition.

I REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE EMPRISE

A: A horse – Each rider must make provisions for their own mount(s),
either by bringing their own or by renting one locally. For
information on rentals and stabling contact Kerij-e at 425-827-7629
or crystal_smithwick@hotmail.com

B. Letter of intent – Each rider must contact the list minister,
Mistress Kerij-e by Sept 20 to declare their intent to compete.
Letters of intent should include your SCA name, titles, lineage,
blazon, your consort (if desired), and accomplishments. These will be
announced as you are presented to the judges.

C: Tourney Billet – Each rider is required to have a wooden tourney
billet, 5 inches wide by 8 inches in length, with a cord or thong
attached at the top so the billet can hang. On it should be the
rider’s device and crest. Review books on heraldry to see what that
arrangement should look like.

D: Personal Livery – In accordance to SCA guidelines, each rider must
wear an attempt at medieval clothing. Riders may use a modern riding
helmet provided it is suitably disguised.

E: Caparison/Barding/Tack – Each rider is encouraged to provide some
form of medieval decoration for their mount. This can include, but is
not limited to full trapper, barding, riding caparison (crupper and
peytral), saddle pad covers, strap barding or similar outfitting.
The intent is to provide a lively and festive atmosphere. Additional
points toward the individual scoring will be given for this category.

F: Livery – Each rider is encouraged to provide livery for
him/herself and any valets or men-at-arms to accompany them, of a
heraldic fashion. Banners are highly encouraged.

G: Herald – Each rider is encouraged to employ/provide a herald for
the crying of their merit and the proclamation of their lineage,
blazon and honors. The herald is to be equipped with a tabard.

H: Valets & Men-at-Arms – Riders may employ a valet or man-at-arms,
to number as follows, according to their rank: Prince or Duke = 4,
Count/Viscount = 3, Knight = 2, all others = 1. The herald is not
considered a valet, and is in addition to this number. Neither
Heralds nor valets/men-at-arms are required to ride, nor is a rider
obligated to have any at all (except the herald). The duties of
valets/men-at-arms include handling equipment, banners, etc.

II RULES OF PARTICIPATION

A: All riders must conform to the requirements of participation.

B: Each rider must state whether they intend to participate as an
individual on Saturday and/or as a part of a Lance on Sunday.

C: In addition to Society and AnTir rules
1) All weapons changes must be made at a full standstill. Charging a
grounds crewman or handing a weapon to a rider who is not fully at a
stop will be grounds for dismissal from the list for either or both
the competitor and the grounds crewman. Grounds crew may not
approach a moving horse and are charged with avoiding a competitor
until they have brought their mount to a complete halt. Competitors
must fully halt their mounts to make a weapons change and must not
follow a grounds person who is avoiding them, waiting for them to
halt their mount. Safety of the grounds crew is the genesis of this
rule.
2) All weapons swings at equipment (either heads or reeds) must be
made as full back swings on either side of the body away from both
horse and rider. Forward swings, holding the weapon out in one place
and allowing the forward motion of the horse to carry the weapon to
strike the target, and minimal motion swings (wrist flicks) are all
examples of actions that will violate this rule. This is not to be
seen as a complete list and other actions that are observed and
judged by the EMIC to violate this rule will carry the same penalty.
One rerun of the affected course will be run. During the rerun of
the course the competitor’s opponent may choose to also rerun the
course opposite with the higher score counting for them. The genesis
of this rule is safety for the horse and competitor as well as
ensuring the martial aspect of the games is kept. Striking to wound
or kill an opponent on the ground is judged to require a full stroke
of the weapon.
3) The Emprise of the Black Lion is a ground for Gentile and
Chivalrous competition. All competitors, whatever their culture or
time, will be held to the highest standards. Taunting or criticism
of other competitors on the field or off, the taking of any
unchivalrous advantage over an opponent will not be tolerated and
will be addressed by the Nobel Ladies gallery and EMIC Sir Rapheal
the Rogue. False reports of the same will be equally addressed. The
genesis of this rule is from the observations and writings of Don
Duarte and other period descriptions of such events.
4) Once a competitor enters the arena they will be given 60 seconds
to retrieve their equipment and make ready to make their run. If
they cannot make ready in that time they must exit the arena. If
there is time after all other competitors have run they will be given
another chance to run their course but this cannot be guaranteed. A
competitor’s mount does not need to be standing still for the
competitor to signify that they are ready, but, if the competitor
wishes to quiet their mount before signaling they are ready they must
do so within the allotted 60 seconds. Modern horse show practice
addressing the need to ensure that all competitors are given time to
compete to their fullest ability is the genesis for this rule.

III ORDER OF TOURNEY

Convention of Heralds, Marshals and Ground Crew
The heralds will gather together in order to determine the order of
the tourney, and to coordinate dialogue. It is important that
Heralds, Marshals and Ground crew meet Saturday morning in order to
make sure they understand their roles. The heralds will go over the
script together during the convention, and an Order of March for
participants will be drawn up.

Display of Billets and Crests:
The morning before the competition, each rider’s helmet and crest
and/or billet is placed on display in a special gallery; the
assembled lords and ladies at the tourney will review these, making
comments upon them and the character or the bearer of each, which
will be recorded on their tourney cheque. Participants who have
caused consternation to the ladies in attendance may find themselves
at the end of some elaborate jests…
Billets should be no larger then 8 inches x 5 inches and include a
thong for hanging. Billets may be of whatever shape pleases the
contestant.

At this time, anyone wishing to bestow special favor upon a champion
may do so now.

Entry of Judges:
After some time, and just prior to the start of the tourney, there
will be a ceremonial entry of the Judges and Marshal’s. At this time,
all riders will be liveried and tacked up, their mounts and entourage
prepared. In the fore of each will be their Herald, followed by the
rider(s) and any attendants. Each will stand at ready just outside of
the tiltyard.

Debut of the Riders:
The riders will process once around the arena in full regalia to be
judged on their livery and presentation. As each rider/Lance is
called forward, their entourage will advance towards the Judges box
(berfrois) as their herald proclaims their lineage, blazon and
precedence and deliver their billet to the list minister. Riders
advance, bow, answer “yes” when the judges make inquiry as to their
intention to tourney, and salute their beloved and/or make some other
presentation if they wish. They then return to the recet (area of
preparation).

Tourney: (This is subject to change. At this time this is the current
list of events.)
The tiltyard will be set up as three lanes. The outside lanes will be
for the competitors, the inside lane (known as the green) will be for
the grounds crew. Two competitors will compete from opposite
directions at the same time.

This will consist of four games, as follows:
Tilting at Rings: two passes at a row of brackets containing an
assortment of rings of differing sizes. Points are allotted varying
with the size of ring.
Spear Throw: Two passes. Points assigned to where you strike target.
Quitain: Two passes, scored by number of rotations, with deductions
for strikes upon body or head by counterweight.
Reeds: Two passes. Striking “heads” off a pedestal. Unlike the usual
beheading the enemy. This will be done running in a straight line
using a mace or sword and striking away from the rider.

Procession to the Place of Just Reward:
When the tourney is finished, the riders will be called to gather
before the judges at the berfrois, whereupon the prizes for the
tourney will be given out. At this time the ladies will come forward
as well, to thank their champion for his/her efforts.

In addition to the martial contests, there will also be competition
for “Best Caparison” for horse barding and “Best Heraldic Display”
for best overall display by rider and attendants. This contest will
count towards the total points for overall champion.

A letter of intent to compete should be sent to the List Minister by
Sept 20, 2002, Mistress Kerij-e at 11112 NE 111th Place, Kirkland, WA
98033 or e-mailed to crystal_smithwick@hotmail.com. and include
heraldry and lineage.