This Sunday marks the finale of the first season of “Full Metal Jousting” on the History Channel. (Yes, you may snicker at the name. I certainly did.)
In the continuing drone of “reality” and “competition” shows, consider this the manly man version of “America’s Next Top Model.” The drama is there and played up to the fullest extent. Fine. I understand the need to get decent ratings.
But History Channel has missed the mark.
Who cares about the humans? Show more about the horses, History! In the History Channel website, I searched for more about the horses used on the show. Several horses are used over and over again and the horses play as pivotal a role in each joust as the riders.
But nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.
There is an “interactive” diagram about the armor for the horses:
The show has taken great precaution when it comes to the safety of man and beast. As it is with rodeo, racing, jumping, polo and everything in between, the horses are athletes and strive to fill their role as equally as their riders.
The show dealt with one instance of a jouster who slapped his horse when the horse stepped on his foot. The man was immediately dismissed from the competition. Their zero-tolerance policy is admirable and you can see how most of the competitors treasure their horses. They all know how important the 2,000-pound animal is to the sport.
I’ve enjoyed the show immensely. It’s rough, gritty and painful. But they just need to show less of the humans and more of those horses. 🙂
Have you watched Full Metal Jousting? Do you think jousting as a sport could make a comeback? Should it?Â
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