Beginning Friday, the Poway Rodeo Grounds will be transformed into a scene from "A Knight's Tale" as seven armored knights from around the world will meet for the only international competition in North America sanctioned by England's Royal Armouries Museum-Leeds and the International Jousting League.

The event, running through Sunday, is co-produced by Jeffrey Hedgecock, UCSD graduate and esteemed American jouster, and his wife, Gwen Nowrick. Hedgecock and Nowrick are San Diego residents and members of the Poway Valley Riders Association. They work at Historic Enterprises Inc., the Ramona-based web company whose motto is, "We're making history."  

Historic Enterprises Inc., has led the way in the collection and quality reproduction of historical items, specializing in 14th and 15th century materials since 1996. Its online catalog of goods features intricately crafted armor, pottery, clothing, jewelry, leather, cutlery and more. 

Hedgecock and Nowrick are the sport's premiere representatives in North America and were recently featured in The New York Times Magazine for their puritanical preservation and understanding of the sport and its era.

Attendants of Hedgecock and Norwick's Tournament of the Phoenix can expect to see competitors and squires dressed in historically accurate uniforms highlighting the heyday of jousting, which occurred in the 15th century, around 1460.   

"Everything that people will see is designed to represent history," Nowrick said. "Entertainment is not the primary goal of the tournament. We're not putting on a show; the show comes from the fact that the competition is really intrinsically unique and interesting."

Each jousting match consists of four passes in which two competitors begin at opposite ends of a "list," or jousting field, and make their approach, or pass. The scoring is similar to darts if the lance is a dart and the opponent's shield is the bulls-eye. The maximum points awarded on one pass is four. Three points are awarded for breaking the lance on an opponent's shield. One additional point is awarded for breaking at least half the lance tip. Other ways to score points include striking an opponent between neck and waist, including shield, shoulders, body, arms and hands. This is called an "attaint" for which one point is awarded. Two points are awarded for breaking the lance on an opponent between his neck and waist (including shoulders, arms and hands), but not on his shield.

An overall champion will be named after the six sessions and determined by the highest point total after two days of competition. 

"If you come out to the event in Poway, you are not going to see jugglers and acrobats and witches accosting you in the street," Nowrick said.  "The Tournament of the Phoenix is a competitive martial equestrian tournament of six scored events. It is a sport featuring the best athletes in the world. The sport is complemented by the Festival of History which is a living timeline of history camps arranged in historical order. You will see the Romans first, then the Vikings, then the 14th century scene, then the 15th century scene with all of the accoutrements of life in those periods on display in order to educate and inform."

The Tournament of the Phoenix landed in Poway after Hedgecock, who plays polo at the Poway Valley Riders Association, and Nowrick, members of the Association, decided to pitch the idea to the board. The board emphatically welcomed the opportunity and the only North American tournament of its kind was born in San Diego County.

"The idea was very well-received by the association. People who had no idea that competitive jousting was even still going on were thrilled at the chance to show it to the world in Poway," Nowrick said.

The tournament itself bears an even deeper San Diego connection as the name, the Tournament of the Phoenix, was inspired by the Witch Creek Fires of 2007 which almost foiled the inaugural competition from getting off the ground. 

"It was October of 2007, the week we were planning our very first event when the fires came and the next thing we knew, Jeffery and I were being evacuated," Nowrick said. "We lived in a evacuation camp in Lakeside for four days before some friends took us in. We had competitors flying in from England, Belgium and New Zealand and we ourselves were evacuated. I called up [my best friend and English joust competitor] Dom [Dominick Sewell] and I said, 'The world is on fire, we don't know if we're going to be able to have this event. I don't think you should come.' And he told us that he was coming whether it was to shovel up ashes of our house or compete in the tournament."

Despite the struggles, the competition managed to go on, and it was in a moving improvisational speech by Sewell at the 2007 competition's end that the Tournament of the Phoenix was born. 

"Dom, who is a very poetic Englishman, was so moved that he stood up spontaneously in his stirrups and said something like, 'We thought that the fires would consume us, but instead we have risen Phoenix-like from the ashes and we are all Californian now,' " Nowrick said. "The crowd went crazy and I was crying and Jeff was crying—you couldn't have written a better story."

At that time Nowrick and Hedgecock were going to call the Poway event the World Invitational Joust, but from that moment, as dubbed by Dominick Sewell, it became the Tournament of the Phoenix. 

Folks who come out to Poway this weekend will have the chance to see Dominick Sewell, along with his Order of the Crescent teammates, Hedgecock and Tobias Capwell, take on the four defenders Arne Koets (Holland), Andreas Wenzel (Germany), Steve Gagnon (Canada), and Jeremy "Jezz" Smith (New Zealand). 

Tickets may be purchased at the gate or online in advance at WorldJoust.com.

Five things you should know about Poway's Tournament of the Phoenix

(By tournament co-producer Gwen Nowrick, as told to Mary Buckheit)

1. This Isn't a Renaissance Fair

The event is a competitive tournament between seven riders competing over six segments to crown an overall points champion. There is peripheral entertainment and activities. Other features include foot combat with axes and mounted melee. No part of the competitions are scripted or staged. Competitors are professional athletes representing their home countries. This year, riders hail from England, Canada, Germany, Holland and the United States.

2. There's Nothing Else Like It this Side of Leeds

The Tournament of Phoenix in Poway is the only tournament in the U.S. sanctioned by the Royal Armouries museum in England and affiliated with the International Jousting League. The competitors are hand-picked and are flown in to Poway by invite only.

3. The Real Deal

Just as the jousting in the Tournament of Phoenix is real equestrian competition, competitors themselves are required to wear historically accurate 15th-century armor and accessories.

4. Chivalry Isn't Dead

All riders sanctioned by the Royal Armouries and International Jousting League do not 'prize joust.' That is, there is no money at stake. It is believed that money would corrupt the intention and courtliness of the competitors and lead to foul play, ill-will and unnecessary injury. In order to ensure clean and honorable competition, riders battle only for bragging rights and posterity. There is a different jewel presented to the winner of the Tournament of Phoenix each year, but the real coveted honor sought far and wide is the chivalry award, determined by the judges and presented to the most gallant and gracious gentleman of the three-day episode.

5. Third Annual Tournament Features Third Tournament Format

The inaugural Tournament of Phoenix held in October of 2007 was an individual competition. Last year's event was a team tournament in which England's Order of the Crescent took top honors. For this year's format, the Tournament of Phoenix will be structured as a pas d'armes or passage of arms. As is customary, the defender, known popularly as the tenans, announced a particular place (in this case, Poway Valley Riders Association) which they will stake out and invite select challengers to pass and compete against them. 

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Tournament of the Phoenix 2010 General Information:

Preview Day:  Oct. 22 (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) catering to school field trips and students in attendance 

Competition:  Oct. 23 and Oct. 24 (10 a.m.-6 p.m.)

Location: Poway Valley Riders' Association/Poway Rodeo Grounds 
14336 Tierra Bonita Rd., Poway 92064

On-site free parking. Costumes at your discretion.