Olivier Hunter-Holland, left, and Courtney Iredale of the Society of Tilt and Lance Cavalry take part in the Skill at Arms event at North Battleford’s first Medieval Faire and Artisan Market from Aug. 8 to 10. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW)

By Kenneth Cheung

JOUSTING

Australian jouster saddles up at North Battleford Medieval Faire

Aug 11, 2025 | 1:36 PM

The clang of metal and the thunder of hooves echoed across the Battleford Agricultural Society grounds this past weekend, as two mounted performers brought the Middle Ages to life — one of them travelling across the Pacific Ocean to do it.

For 20-year-old Olivier Hunter-Holland of Australia, jousting has been part of his identity for as long as he can remember. He recalls being just three years old, dressed in makeshift armour.

“Sitting on a metal hobby horse with a breastplate made out of a plastic bucket and a cardboard helmet with a stick lance, watching A Knight’s Tale thinking that I was part of the movie, then going out and riding my little Shetland pony and pretending to be knocked off by another jouster,” he said.

That childhood dream carried him across the world last year, when he was invited by Society of Tilt and Lance Cavalry (STALC) to compete in an international tournament in Winnipeg.

“I ended up staying for an extra three or four weeks, and doing a couple more shows with them around Calgary,” he said.

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“And I’ve been, again, fortunate enough to come back … they’re really making not only STALC my new family, but also Canada’s really starting to feel like my new home as well.”

Oliver Hunter-Holland. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW)

This summer, he returned to Saskatchewan to perform in the Skill at Arms event at North Battleford’s first-ever Medieval Faire and Artisan Market from Aug. 8 to 10. Riding Rebel — a horse owned by fellow STALC rider Courtney Iredale — he navigated a series of precision challenges with swords, lances, spears and other medieval weapons.

“You can be on a pretty wild horse that many people would consider not rideable,” Hunter-Holland said.

“But if you’ve got a connection with that animal, you can do a whole lot more than is expected of you. It’s not just with horses … it’s building a rapport and a really good connection with them.”

Oliver Hunter-Holland. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW)

Iredale said that bond is exactly why she chose Hunter-Holland to take the reins.

“Ollie (Olivier) was my first choice of someone to step up and take the reins for Rebel,” she said. “He’s worked really hard to be his friend and to learn about him and to give him what he needs, so that he can lay it all on the field at a full gallop … sometimes not even have reins, because he’s that trustworthy.”

Iredale has been with STALC for five years, balancing her work as a paramedic with performing in tournaments. For her, the sport was a natural fit.

“It combines everything that I’ve grown up doing, whether that was Pony Club Prince Philip games … or all the books that I read as a kid… knights and lances and swords and battles and skills with your horse. I’ve been an avid horse lover my entire life… probably my first word was horse, ask my mom.”

Courtney Iredale in action. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW)

For both riders, working with the horses is as challenging as wielding the weapons.

“This is not normal horse behaviour to use weapons of war, and it’s the same thing that we would have trained back in history,” Iredale said.

She explained that the horses are gradually introduced to the sights, sounds and equipment of medieval competition — from swords, lances and spears to working alongside ground crews and adapting to different venues, colours and shapes.

The goal, she said, is to teach them that “this is safe, this is your job. We will support you. We will protect you,” so they feel comfortable to give their all in the arena.

The immersion in the medieval period goes beyond riding. The organization makes its own historically accurate kits — including Hunter-Holland’s tunic and tabard, which were sewn by Iredale.

“It’s another great thing about this group … you can’t really walk into Walmart and buy these things,” he said.

Iredale said the group prides itself on authenticity.

“We do our very best to be as accurate as possible, to bring you back to that time period and feel what it really was like.”

(Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW staff)

That accuracy is guided by experts, including Dr. Carolyn Willekes, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Humanities at Mount Royal University in Calgary.

The season continues with Alberta shows and guest riders from Portugal, Finland, Norway and Quebec. But for Hunter-Holland, North Battleford was another reminder of why he’s dedicated his life to the sport.

“It’s a wonderful, fantastic experience … especially being someone who’s not from the country and a bit of an outsider,” he said. “It’s really touching to have so many wonderful people to look after you, especially for someone at a young age like myself.”

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com