Maryland Horse Industry Board Presents Three Touch of Class Awards to National Champion Jousters from Maryland

ANNAPOLIS (July 14, 2012) – Two Maryland teenagers who are newcomers to national competition, and one veteran national title holder were honored by the Maryland Horse Industry Board with Touch of Class Awards today for earning national titles in Jousting, the official state sport of Maryland. The awards were presented at St. Margaret’s Church Joust in Annapolis. Of the four national jousting titles, three are held by Marylanders.

Corey Minnick, 30, of Hagerstown (Washington County) won his third national title in the “Professional” division; Mikayla Miller, 13, of St. Leonard (Calvert County) won the national title in the “Amateur” division; and Anthony Reinhold, 17, of Denton (Caroline County) won his title in the “Novice” division.

“As of 2012, Jousting has been Maryland’s official state sport for 50 years, and I am very pleased to see a Marylander retain the national title. It is wonderful to see these talented young people continuing one of our state’s great traditions,” said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance, who is a former jouster himself. “I congratulate each of them for their hard work and their success on the national stage.”

Jousting originated in ancient times with knights participating in combative rivalries. In modern jousting, riders have nine seconds to run through an 80-yard course and spear rings hanging from a series of three arches. The rider who spears the most rings wins. The size of the ring depends on the level of competition and gets down to only one-quarter of an inch at the Professional level. The highest level of competition is Professional, followed by Semi-Professional, Amateur, Novice and for beginners, Leadline.

Minnick, 30, a veteran title holder, won his third national title in the “professional” division at the sport’s national competition in Aldie, Va., on his horse “Tana,” a tri-color Tennessee Walker gelding. It is not uncommon for up to 10 members of Minnick’s family to compete at one of the 20 or so jousting competitions held throughout the state each year. Minnick’s two young children, Noah and Rachel, also compete.

Miller, 13, started jousting at a local riding stable four years ago and won the national title in the “Amateur” division. She is an upcoming freshman at Calvert High School. Her mount, “Tike”, is an Appendix Quarter Horse owned by Tynewydd Riding Stable in St. Leonard.

Reinhold, 17, won his title in the national “Novice” division in only his second year of jousting. A high school athlete, who excels at baseball, Reinhold won his title on a horse borrowed from friends. He will enter Chesapeake College as a freshman this fall and is a graduate of North Caroline High School. His grandfather, Buddy Wooters, won five national championships.

The Maryland Horse Industry Board inaugurated the Touch of Class Awards in September 2011, to honor the horses and riders who have achieved national and international prominence. The award is named in honor of the Maryland-bred mare, Touch of Class, who won two Olympic gold medals at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles. For a complete list of winners, see: www.mda.maryland.gov/pdf/TOC_Winners_To_Date.pdf.

For more information about jousting, visit www.marylandjousting.com or contact Jim Drews, president of the Maryland Jousting Tournament Association, jim.drews@maryland.gov or 410-739-2790.  For more information about the Horse Board or Touch of Class Award, contact Ross Peddicord, executive director, Maryland Horse Industry Board at ross.peddicord@maryland.gov or 410-841-5798.