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person in a suit of armour jousting on zebra - Leeds castle
General01 April 2023

Zebras To Take Charge At Leeds Castle’s Queen’s Joust

UPDATE: Confession time… This was an April Fools prank!

Whilst zebras won’t take charge at our Queen’s Joust this year, we will have exhilarating displays that will leave you in awe of our knights and horses

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Leeds Castle’s Queen’s Joust, on the late May bank holiday, will be the first-ever jousting event globally to use zebras in jousting displays.

The last private owner of Leeds Castle, Lady Baillie, loved everything exotic, including animals. She even kept zebras on the estate, which romped through the over 500-acre estate. To honour her legacy, the Queen’s Joust, which was one of Lady Baillie’s favourite medieval past times, will not only showcase displays of combat and action, elegant and unusual equestrian, and medieval living and feasting, but exhilarating joust demonstrations with the first of the jousting zebras.

During the event visitors will gasp at the first crash of lances, cheer as their favourite knight, including last year’s crowned knight Emma Pearn, gallops past on their striped zebra, and watch as England and France not only battle for the coveted cup, but more importantly, for the honour and attention of the queen. As in English jousting history, no matter if you win the joust, if the queen doesn’t deem you as the worthy winner, she’ll choose someone else. A knight’s armour and demeanour may just win them her hand… it’s not all based on skill and combat.

This event is included in a Leeds Castle admission ticket, if visitors book online ahead they’ll receive the best price.