Marshals are volunteers who are authorized to run equestrian activities in the East Kingdom. They oversee equestrian activities, judge an equestrian's authorization, and inspect weapons and equipment. In order to be designated as an Equestrian Marshal in the East Kingdom, an individual must undergo a Marshal's Authorization and be warranted by the Kingdom Equestrian Officer. An event with Equestrian activities must have an Equestrian Marshal-in-Charge. If you would like to contact a marshal to ask for their help to marshal your equestrian event, or for any other reason, you may find your regional and local marshals on the Marshals Page.
Riders in our games have gone through an authorization process as set out in the rules, and attend Equestrian events, bringing their riding garb and horse barding, often camping all weekend alongside their horses. Our participating riders come from many different groups across the Kingdom. You can contact your regional or local marshal on the Marshals Page to see if there are any riders near you, or to ask about the authorization process. Authorizations can usually be performed at any event before the competition starts. The general purpose of authorization is to ensure that the rider can safely control their horse and the various weapon types at a basic level.
These games would simply not happen without the help and support of the ground crew. Ground crew is usually comprised of any marshals not actively running the competition, any riders currently not in the saddle, and generous volunteers who come to participate in the games and want the front-row seat and contact with the horses that crewing can afford them. We in the East Kingdom try to take good care of our beloved crew members, for without them, we would not have the equestrian games that we enjoy.
In order to serve as ground crew, you must wear closed toe shoes, demonstrate safe handling of equipment and weapons (including the correct way to hand equipment to a mounted rider), and demonstrate an ability to maneuver safely around horses. The Equestrian Marshal-in-Charge must approve all persons who serve as Ground Crew during an equestrian event or practice, but no authorization is required.
Each year, a competition is held, open to all equestrians with martial authorizations, to choose the King's and Queen's Champion of Horse. The previous year's Champions decide the general format of the competition. The King's Champion is chosen as the winner by score of the tournament, and the reigning Queen chooses her Champion from among the competitors. Here is the lineage of the Equestrian Champions of the East.