Knights wearing replica medieval armour, weighing up to 40kg, have competed to take the title of Australia's best jouster.

Thousands of spectators gathered at Kryal Castle in Ballarat, Victoria, on September 13 and 14 for the 2025 Australian Jousting Championship.

The contest followed true-to-history rules, with the knights using three-metre wooden lances to deliver hits after a suspenseful run-up.

The winner was determined by who broke the most lances on their opponent's shield.

The winner was former world champion Phillip Leitch.

A Ballarat local, Renae Marisma, came in third after a fiercely competitive joust.

Marisma said that competing at this level of jousting demanded "precision, strength and years of dedicated training," and that the final joust last year against her mentor,

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