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For 2005, Graham was one of four knights chosen to joust in English Heritage's inaugural Knights' Tournament championship, a series of six, two-day tournaments held throughout the summer at EH properties. Graham was delighted to accept the challenge, and a packed season saw him gain valuable experience - and take a couple of wins against his much more experienced competitors.

Left - taking a win in the pouring rain at the Festival of History, the final event of the season.

The 2006 season started well with a joust in Holland, but a fall from his horse the following week resulted in a broken collar bone, curtailing his jousting for the rest of the year. He was extremely relieved that his ability to paint was only interupted for a few weeks, and there seems to be no long term effects from his accident.

2007 saw Graham fully recovered from his accident and he embarked on a full jousting season which saw several victories and a real highlight of his jousting career - taking part in a tournament at the Tower of London.

CLICK HERE to see more photos from the Tournament at the Tower.

The impacts at the Tower of London joust were so spectacular - and very hard - that Graham felt he had to create a new painting to convey something of his experiences - what it is like to be hit by a lance with the energy and force behind it of an armoured man on a galloping horse - the explosion of violent energy that is capable of punching through a wooden targe and stoving in the steel breastplate beneath.

His ideas took some time to develop, but the sketch on the right has now been developed into a finished oil painting.

CLICK HERE to see Graham Turner's jousting paintings.