When I was a kid, I truly loved the swashbuckling pirates, gun slinging cowboys and karate chopping ninjas that I saw in movies and read about in books. When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said a “sword fighter” or a “Ninja Turtle.”

Little did I know, there was no reason for me to ever grow out of this.

Last week, I ventured to the Lysts on the Lake Lonestar Open Jousting Tournament, an event qualified under the International Jousting League, a global competition and ranking system that tracks medieval tournament results. Yes, knights in shining armor on horseback. Cue the childhood memories.

Lysts on the Lake is held at the estate of Richard Garriott, renowned game developer, cleverly named Castleton. The grounds are on the shores of the Colorado River northwest of downtown Austin.

The event not only held jousting and other medieval events, but also hosted vendors and groups that are connected with horseback riding, traditional fare and handcrafted goods.

The main attraction was of course the tournament, which consisted of three competitions over three days. The Joust a’Plaisance, or “Joust of Peace,” in which participants aim to break their wooden lance on an opponents chest or shield, was the most exciting. There was also the Melee a’ Cheval, a mounted club tournament where competitors engage in combat with batons, and the Mounted Skill at Arms, which awarded precision and timing through non-combat exercises (like catching rings on a lance or throwing spears).

Each event has its own scoring system and results were tallied to find individual and overall champions.

Behind all the competition is a sense of camaraderie and friendship, as participants got into the event because of acquaintances who shared their interests. The Society for Creative Anachronism, an all-encompassing international group that studies and recreates the arts and skills of pre-1700 Europe, was a common starting point for most people’s involvement.

The majority of participants hail from Texas, but the tournament was open to anyone who chose to enter. Some came from as far away as France.

The main coordinator of Lysts on the Lake is Steve Hemphill, who also happened to be the tournament’s oldest competing jouster. He’s from Leander, Texas and works as an executive producer for an event production company.

Jousters meet face to face at the Lysts on the Lake.

“Because of my involvement in historical enactment,” he said, “I started integrating horses riding in medieval games and that sort of thing. The SCA developed some new rules to allow jousting, and I was part of the team that helped change the rules, and get the insurance, and do the experiments. From there my interest in the sport has continued to grow.”

Several months ago, Hemphill became a member of the board of representatives of the International Jousting League, and has helped coordinate and organize promotion of competitive jousting.

“From what I have been told, from several different sources, is that this could very well be the largest jousting tournament ever held in North America,” said Hemphill.

One of the best parts of jousting competitions, in Hemphill’s eyes, is the social aspect.

“One of the things that I try to promote is the camaraderie, the honor, and the chivalry,” he said. “We all have day jobs to support our jousting habit. We don’t want to hurt one another. We enjoy each other's company and like friendly competition.”

That competition is driven by the relationship a jouster develops with their steed.

“When everything comes together, and you feel like you’re one with your horse, the rest of the world goes away,” he said. “You literally do feel like one entity with your horse.”

Hemphill’s horse Tinkerbell, a seven year-old Friesian Cross, got high accolades from her owner.

“I couldn’t have done it without her,” he said.

Hemphill’s squire, or assistant, is Michelle Caddel. Horses are her life passion.

“I have been interested in horses most of my life,” said Caddel.

“Having to work with an animal that has a mind of its own, and train it to do what you want to do, that symbiotic relationship does a lot for me,” she said. “The horses love it. They enjoy the excitement that comes with doing it.”

I asked if she ever attempted jousting.

“I don’t have the physique for it,” she said with a smile. “You have to be able to hold the lance well, and my strength is just not there. I’m also not comfortable wearing the amount of armor you have to wear.”

Sean Gulick, on the other hand, is more than comfortable wearing the gear. So comfortable, in fact, that he asked if I’d like to try it on.

Yours truly, in full knight get-up.

As he fitted me with only about half the armor worn by the jousters, I quickly realized the weight and awkwardness involved. Add in Central Texas heat, and it’s easy to understand what these people go through. Riding on horseback and wearing all that gear is a workout in itself.

Gulick, a native Austinite who works at the University of Texas, is a competitor who caught the bug early on.

“When I was in high school, a group came and did a demonstration of medieval dance,” said Gulick. “I said ‘Wow that’s kind of interesting. What else do you do?’ and they said ‘Well, we also fight.’ So I showed up at the local practice, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

He helped explain the justifiable risk involved in jousting.

“It’s not at all choreographed,” he said. “It is the true sport of jousting.”

Ryan Saathoff also understands the risk of injury, but doesn’t let that stop him from having fun at events like Lysts on the Lake.

“The funny thing is, when I was first exposed to jousting, I though ‘Whoa, that’s crazy. I don’t want to come off of a horse in armor,’” he said. “The more I was around it, and the more I realized how much training, skill and precision goes into it, the theme of falling off a horse in armor became less and less. And the cool factor just amped up more and more.”

Anytime someone gets on a horse, there’s a chance for accidents. Saathoff spoke about how the armor adds balance problems and creates even more risk. Practice and training helped more than anything else. Though falling off your horse is rare in jousting, it has been known to happen now and then.

“Most of the time, you hit your opponent so hard that you dislodge yourself from the saddle,” said Saathoff. “It’s always in the back of your mind, but you don’t dwell on it.”

Dave Wise fell off his horse in Friday's competition.

Sure enough, while watching the competition, Dave Wise, a jouster from Pearland, Texas, was knocked off his saddle and stumbled to the ground. The armor kept him injury-free.

I didn’t know what to expect when I went to Lysts on the Lake, but I now understand it's all about community.

“At the end of the day,” added Saathoff, “we would go back to the tavern and hang out and party all night....We refer to it as the Vahalla Concept. During the day we’re competing, and trying to do our best, but at night there’s no animosity. We’re all just friends and we’re there to have a good time.”

They’re having a good time, and maybe reliving a few of those swashbuckling childhood fantasies.