Ansteorran Roses Tournament

History

Written by Avery Shaw
MoD, Pel, WS, Lion

The first Ansteorran Rose Tourney was hosted by the Roses in 2000; Kayleigh was Queen. From my understanding, each kingdom would host various Tourneys during the War, and the Roses had decided to host one for Rapier at GW. The rules were the same basically as they are now, you had to have a Rose sponsor you in order to enter. As now, the Rose could be there in person, or you could have a letter of introduction. IIRC, there were 25 or 30 fighters in that first list. Was double elimination, single fight. The prize was a hat made by Eleanor (of TrulyHats). I remember being very disappointed when I was taken out in the semi-finals....both because of wanting to show well for my Rose ([Katrionna Heather MacLochlainn|Kat]]) and because Truly makes AMAZING hats.

It happened again the next year...and that one was where they decided to add the brunch for the Roses. An entire crew showed up a couple hours before the list started (which was officially 9 am) and suddenly there was food. LOTS OF FOOD. And champagne for the various Roses. And they were nice and opened the food up to everyone after the initial serving was done for the gathered Roses. And the food has continued and has been amazing every year.

And folks started hearing about this tourney...and started wanting to be in the tourney or have a fighter they sponsored in it. Don Robert MacPharland started playing matchmaker...fighter with no sponsor, meet Rose with no fighter. We had WS who would purposefully show up with no sponsor simply so they could be "loaned out" and fight for a Rose they had never met before....and some wonderful friendships were made because of this. I know the year Robert won the tourney, he was fighting for Duchess Isabella of the East...they had never really met before that day, but they remain good friends now, over 15 years later. The Queens of Ansteorra also started a tradition that helped folks get into the list. Every Rose was allowed to sponsor 2 fighters....but HRM Ansteorra, as she was the presiding Royal for the Tourney, would start to "sponsor" anyone who did not have a sponsor. So HRM Ansteorra sometimes had 5 or 6 fighters in the list. Which was great, because the more fighters, the more chance to show our honor.

And then something we did not expect started to happen. This Tourney started to MATTER. Not just to Ansteorrans. But to fighters and Roses across the Knowne World. I know of several occasions of both Fighters and Roses who have flown in the GW simply because of this Tourney. So they could enter or support the person carrying their favor. I would be willing to put this tourney forward as the toughest single Rapier tourney in the SCA, based on the number and quality of the fighters who show up. Their may be others that are close, but this one is the one almost all Rapier fighters want to be able to do well in.

And it kept growing. Quickly we passed 60...80...100 fighters in the list. And more. The last several times we have been able to hold the tourney, we have broken 140 and I know at least once we have gone over 160 in the list.

Because this tourney matters to people, it has become one of THE showcase tourneys in the SCA. People want to enter...and want to make a good showing. We carry the favor of Roses who matter to us...we want to make the proud that they trusted us with that honor. I have made it to the semi-finals a few times, have never won this tourney....and it is a hole for me. Something I want to accomplish at least once.

I have been the Marshal in Charge of this tourney several times (6-7? I don't remember). And one of the privileges of being MiC, is that I get to give the speech at the start to say why we are having this tourney.

We fight this day to honor the Roses. Because without them, Rapier probably does not exist in the SCA...certainly not in the form that it became. Back when Rapier was something that could be banned at any moment, it was the Queens who stood up for us. There are stories of Kings who did not like Rapier threatening to ban it....only to be informed by their Queen that they better "keep their damned hands off of MY Rapier fighters!" And this applies to Roses across the Knowne World, not just Ansteorra.

We fight for the Roses, we protect them....because they fought and protected us. It is our pleasure to do so. And our Honor.