English Heritage is calling for jousting to be recognised as an Olympic sport, the charity announced today (21 July 2016). The new campaign aims to secure the 1,000 year old sport – one of the oldest equestrian sports in the world and England’s first national sport – a place at a future Olympic Games. English Heritage is asking the public to sign its online petition and as they won’t see jousting in action at Rio, inviting people to watch it first hand at English Heritage castles this summer.

Today’s jouster needs the same level of athleticism and agility, skill and strength as many of the would-be Olympic medal winners heading to Rio this summer. Under the weight of 20kg of steel armour, the athletes hold a 12ft lance in one hand and their horse’s reins in the other, all while thundering towards their opponents at a flat-out gallop, at speeds of up to 30mph.

Jousting shares similar attributes to sports already featured at the Olympic Games, from fencing to equestrian disciplines such as dressage and eventing. Like fencing, jousting requires dexterity and weapons expertise and like Olympic equestrian events, much hinges on the artistry and poise of both the horse and its rider.

Today’s call and appeal to the public by English Heritage is the first step on what will be a long road to the Olympics (1). But there are encouraging signs. Jousting tournaments are not only held in England but throughout the world, from Belgium to New Zealand. In the United States, a similar campaign has been launched and jousting is already recognised as a sport by a number of US states, including Maryland where it is the official state sport. English Heritage’s first female jouster, Nicky Willis, took to the field, or tilt yard, earlier this summer – to both widespread acclaim and questions as to why the sport was not represented at the Olympics. Over the next few years, the International Olympic Committee will look to make the Olympic Programme more flexible by moving from a strictly sport-based programme to a more event-based one and under new rules an upcoming host nation, beginning with Tokyo 2020, can make a proposal for the inclusion of one or more additional events for that year’s Olympic Games. Skateboarding, climbing and surfing are among the sports proposed by Tokyo’s Organising Committee.

English Heritage’s Head of Projects, Lucy Hutchings, says: “We want to see jousting take its rightful place at the Olympics table. It is one of the oldest equestrian sports in the world, with its roots in Ancient Greece, and requires similar levels of athleticism and artistry as other official Olympic sports. Jousting is a wonderful dramatic spectacle, it is fantastic to watch knights in action against the backdrop of our castles, it would be even better to see it on the Olympics stage.”

English Heritage’s jousting expert Dominic Sewell says: “Jousting is a sport that requires a huge amount of skill and involves a daily training regime. You have to be strong, not just physically but mentally, so you can sit fearlessly in your saddle, face your rival, and offer yourself as a target. And just like the Olympic British equestrian team, we ride beautiful horses to an exceptional level.”

Throughout this Olympics summer, English Heritage is hosting jousts at its castles including Framlingham Castle in Suffolk (23-24 July), Pendennis Castle in Cornwall (every Tuesday and Wednesday in August), Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight (16-18 August and 23-25 August), and Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire (28-29 August).

To sign English Heritage’s petition to make jousting an Olympics sport and to find the nearest joust to you this summer, visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/olympicjousting