This Challenge course was originated by the riders who were tired of *rescuing maidens* and wanted a chance to kidnap her for a change. So we put together a villains’ challenge course. A certain former king’s champion of Horse objected to the idea, claiming that chivalry would not allow him to do that sort of thing. So it became the Heroes and Villains Challenge course, to give everyone an option.
The idea behind the course was that it would be self-setting, if you had people alternate between heroes and villains the course would not need re-setting very much. This didn’t work out perfectly, but we’ll keep trying.
This course was run at War Camp in the Shire of Glenn Linn, on July 2, AS 35. Eleven people participated. Everyone ran as a hero and as a villain. Everyone had fun. The heroes *and* the villains hammed it up with the maiden. If I’d had an independent judge I would have given out bonuses for heroics and villainy.
Course Description – Hero:
The hero starts with a saracen heads sword. Time starts at a gate. Hero cuts the drawbridge down to enter the villain’s keep. The drawbridge was a pair of plastic poles tied together at the top, with a rope and loop attached to a downward pointing hook. The hero had to hit the rope with the sword reasonably hard to get the rope off the hook.
Then the hero proceeds through the saracen head course, fighting the villains’ minions. Hero is challenged to a tourney and spears a ring AND hits the quintain with a quintain lance.
After all this, Our hero is hungry and spears a bunny for his/her dinner (alternately: slays the wicked vorpal rabbit). The bunny was made of a resiliant chair padding foam.
Then Hero proceeds to rescue the princess from the villain’s castle (which was a small booth on the side of the show arena. maiden was a very structural dummy, draped over the rail). He *gently and chivalrously* restores her to her family. Points off for carrying her by hair, or inappropriate portions of her anatomy.
Final Hero Scores:
| Rank | Name | Adj. Score |
| 1 | Michael de Calais | 00:17.78 |
| 2 | Elaine of Caer Llennedd | 00:17.88 |
| 3 | Brion Tarragon | 00:29.56 |
| 4 | Brighid Nigobhinn | 00:45.25 |
| 5 | Eleanor Fitzpatrick | 00:46.95 |
| 6 | Anna Dimitriova Belokon | 00:49.81 |
| 7 | Ekkehardt of Oakenwode | 00:53.41 |
| 8 | Steppenwolf Krieger | 01:09.64 |
| 9 | Damiana Delondres | 01:29.40 |
| 10 | Alyce d’Montmedy | 01:47.78 |
| 11 | Logan Delondres | 02:11.28 |
Course Description – Villain:
The wicked Villain foully kidnaps the princess from her family and throws her in his donjon. Points for carrying her in some evil fashion ie by hair or feet and so forth. Villains loses points if he misses the throw into the donjon. Then he gets a spear and slays the bunny for his dinner (hey, villains gotta eat too). He then fights a tournament, hitting the quintain and then spearing a ring.
Villain’s evil deeds are discovered after the tourney and he must fight his way out through the guards and escape from the castle, cutting the gate open to escape.
Final Villain Scores:
| Rank | Name | Adj. Score |
| 1 | Elaine of Caer Llennedd | 00:21.53 |
| 2 | Brion Tarragon | 00:30.00 |
| 3 | Eleanor Fitzpatrick | 00:37.27 |
| 4 | Steppenwolf Krieger | 00:56.13 |
| 5 | Alyce d’Montmedy | 01:02.07 |
| 6 | Michael de Calais | 01:11.59 |
| 7 | Brighid Nigobhinn | 01:23.91 |
| 8 | Ekkehardt of Oakenwode | 01:39.53 |
| 9 | Anna Dimitriova Belokon | 01:42.28 |
| 10 | Damiana Delondres | 02:10.34 |
| 11 | Logan Delondres | 02:19.32 |