I had been very impressed by the black and white horse, Merlin (top, left corner), last year and enjoyed seeing him up close this visit. During the first day's archery event I was standing at the end of the course. The pace of the horses was so quick along the short track that their riders struggled to pull them up before the (flimsy) barricade. A footman stepped up to slow one of the horses, causing it to stop quite suddenly. It's rider would have fallen but for her quick-thinking dismount over the horse's head and neck!
As well as the archery events, there were skill at arms competitions - including individual pegging (pegs to be taken from the ground at the gallop with a lance), quintain (where a shield on a pivoting arm is struck aggressively with a lance at speed) and collecting metal rings upon the lance (again, at speed).
Of course, there was some jousting also!
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