Epic Cheesy Horse! Plus: What Ground Combat REALLY Looks Like

We made it to the Snohomish Pumpkin Hurl and Medieval Faire! Alas, we didn’t have a chance to see Trebuchet, but we saw him launch his trebuchets, so that was something. Starspider and I were waiting for her funnel cake and missed the black powder cannon, but others in our party made it. We got kettle corn and the beef jerky I’ve been waiting for all year. Starspider let me nibble on her venison jerky, which was my first deer ever, and delicious, even though it’s like chowing down on Bambi’s mom. We saw the jousting, and I got to hang out with Paladin, who is one of my favorite horses, so that was most excellent. I will have pumpkin hurling awesomeness and some jousting excitement, despite my camera suddenly becoming old and crotchety and having trouble focusing, and being at a not-so-great angle. I managed to shoot lots of video and some really good still photos. Some of it has Mount Baker as the backdrop, which looks really amazeballs. You will love it.

But first, people, I have to post this epic photo of Eowyn and Sir Cedric. I think we have achieved peak cheesy-horse.

Image shows Sir Cedric sitting on Eowyn from the waist up. He is in his silver-and-black armor with his green headscarf, grinning at someone off-camera to the left. Eowyn, a bay horse, is looking forward, nostrils flared and lip pulled back from her upper teeth in what looks like a ridiculously goofy grin. The blue sky is their backdrop.
Eowyn, you are such a ham!

Look at that big grin! Usually, she’s all srs bidness, all graceful and elegant and powerful, but this is her lighter side.

The whole image:

Image shows the whole of the previous cropped image. Eown is stopped, but has her body poised for takeoff with a forehoof lifting from the ground and her haunches slightly dropped. She's in profile with her upper body turned toward us. Behind her, Lady GaLeah's head is just visible over her rump.
Eowyn, Sir Cedric, and Dame GaLeah having a blast.

Isn’t she lovely? Even when she’s being a big ol’ cheese. You’ll get to see her in action when I get the video done, and you will love watching her go – she’s a truly spectacular Warlander. You can find out more about her here.

I think I’m going to have to finagle a trip out to that farm…

Anyway. Poor Sir Cedric: Saturday just wasn’t the day for me to make him look all dignified and record his mighty victories. The Seattle Knights did some ground combat as well as their usual jousting and horseback stuffage. Sir Cedric got called out by Sir Anthony,* and… well, it didn’t actually go at all well for him.

Image shows Sir Anthony, a dark-haired knight wearing chainmail with plate armor sleeves and a square of plate armor strapped to his back. He is wearing a black tabard with yellow trim. He is in the middle of body-slamming Sir Cedric, who is pretty much horizontal mid-air and about to fall face-down. He's got his hand starting out to catch himself. The field marshal looks on from behind them, looking very grim and stately in his black cloak and hat, and his grizzled beard.
Yes, that is Sir Cedric in the middle of falling flat on his poor face after being slammed by Sir Anthony.

Avail yourself of the larger image there, it’s worth it.

I had the camera on burst mode, so I caught much of the action. Alas, it was on slow burst, so it would make a terrible gif. But it’s an awesome series of photos.

Sir Cedric has rolled to his back, and his legs are spread apart, knees bent. His left heel is touching the ground. His right foot kicks to the right. His head his flat on the ground. Sir Anthony is walking over to finish him off: a very action-figure pose. The Marshal looks on.
Sir Cedric goes windmilling along the ground. It’s not quite ass-over-teakettle, but it’s close.

You know, in the movies, they make all of this look very graceful and martial-arty. In real life, when these poor blokes go down, they’re in a ton of awkward heavy armor and they tend to land any-old-how. It ain’t always oozing dignity and suave.

And yes, that is Mount Baker they’re blocking in the background. Patience, young Jedi, we’re getting to a shot where you can see it.

Sir Cedric is on the ground with his rump in the air and his face in the grass. He almost looks like a castaway kissing a beach. Sir Anthony has checked his stride, and it looking at him with an almost fed-up expression, like he's been yelling at a small child for not listening for the umpteen-thousandth time.
“Oooo, and you stay down, Mister!”

See, there it is! Sir Anthony is no longer blocking Baker! I love these clear days when the mountains are out in force. It was a bit hazy, but the haze subsided as the day went on, and it was great for geology-viewing. And while the position I’d chosen due to the fact it wasn’t utterly packed with people made for somewhat difficult camera angles, having Baker in the background helped make up for it.

Sir Cedric has rolled onto his back and is trying to rise. Sir Anthony has whipped his sword out from his side and is preparing to sink it deep into Sir Cedric's soft bits.
“I meant it! I will stab you, dude!”

That one tickles me in all sorts of ways, especially how serious Sir Anthony looks, and how regal the mountain behind him is, remote from all this human drama but seeming to judge it. Here’s a close-up of that scene:

Crop of the above shows Baker in better detail, looming on the horizon beyond a ridge of trees and some low, distant mountains.
“I have no idea what you small biological things are doing. I’m just going to sit here and be majestic and snow-capped and stuff.”

So that was pretty damned awesome, even though I felt bad catching Sir Cedric at his not-so-great moments. He really is a great knight!

One of my all-time faves, Paladin, spent a lot of time with his mistress Dame GaLeah. She let us have a photo op, even!

Image shows me wearing my tan adventuing hat and sunglasses, leaning against Paladin's neck. He's a jet-black horse, and has his head over my shoulder, chillaxing and kind of meditating on the crowd. A green and black braid of ribbon dangles from his bridle: my favor!
Moi et Paladin. Look! He’s wearing my favor!

They were selling braided ribbons as favors, and I bought one, cuz it was only a dollar and the proceeds go towards the horses’ care. Dame GaLeah was kind enough to allow me to attach it to his bridle. This was the end of jousting Saturday, but hopefully he’ll wear it Sunday!

Then, and I’m not even kidding, Paladin went over and kissed a baby. I didn’t get a chance to ask the dad for permission to plaster his baby’s face all over my blog, so you’ll have to take my word for it that the squee factor is 60 gajillion. D’aw!

For those who love to know about breeds, Paladin is a Fresian-Arabian cross. I have many photos of him I’ll be posting as soon as they’re ready. And Dame GaLeah is simply one of my all-time favorite knights in the world. I’m glad I finally got a chance to actually say hello them both!

Next year, we’ll be going on a Sunday, which is much more relaxed. And I’ll try to set up a time to chat up the Seattle Knights for you. Do you have anything you want me to ask them? I’ll note it down!

I’ll have some trebuchets up soon for those who adore them, never fear. I just had to go with the funniest stuff first, and, well, the trebuchets didn’t do anything hilarious. Although there was a tiny air cannon that shot a banana, but I didn’t get a picture of that. Better luck next year!

 

*I think. I’m absolutely terrible at remembering names when people are introduced in quick succession.

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Epic Cheesy Horse! Plus: What Ground Combat REALLY Looks Like
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3 thoughts on “Epic Cheesy Horse! Plus: What Ground Combat REALLY Looks Like

  1. 1

    As I said via e-mail, horses indeed! You really need to get your priorities re-prioritized. It was a very nice day. My lunch came from the pie man. Really good, and not the usual hot dog or pulled pork.

    Sunday is, as Dana said, more casual. Come on out if you’re in the vicinity. Mixed Nuts is slightly broken so I probably won’t fling it much. That’ll give me time to mess about with dinky ones and go see the horsies.

  2. rq
    2

    I’m just going to sit around here and wait for more horsie photos, cheesy and serious. I notice your last year’s post on this event shows up at the bottom as similar in topic (duh) and the illustrative photo is actually a great shot of a horse making a turn and Baker majestically in the background, so it looks like good mountain-viewing weather seems to coincide with the jousting!
    Anyway, more horsies. Mt Baker is cool, but… it’s no horsie. :)

  3. 3

    You females and your horsies! But I guess I’d better be nice because Dana has all but promised to be at Burlington on the 26th!

    I actually had not just one but TWO folks come up and ask if I knew Dana! Both kind of tentative, but they got it right.

    Sunday was fun. I spent it mostly setting up my mini-treb so little kids in hard hats could pull the trigger. I LOVE doing that!

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