Wellington, FL – January 20, 2012 – Sixteen of the toughest warriors in the country will face off in a bone-crushing competition in Full Metal Jousting, a new one-hour series premiering Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 10 p.m. HISTORY. James H. Fairclough II, of Cavalier Show Jumping, joined the cast for their inaugural season.
Renowned jouster Shane Adams will be the host for Full Metal Jousting. The 10-part series features full-contact jousts with competitors going head-to-head on horseback in brutal tests of strength, endurance and courage. High-speed cameras capture every punishing blow as jousters charge and collide at 30 miles per hour. The last man standing takes home a $100,000 cash prize.
Although some may have seen jousting at exhibitions such as the Renaissance Fair, the combat in Full Meal Jousting is not choreographed at all — it is 100% authentic. There is a twist, however: the traditional armor is replaced with modern suits of steel weighing 80 pounds, and 11-foot-long, solid fir lances are used as weapons.
“I wanted to show everyone that show jumpers are just as tough as any other division,” Fairclough explained. “After a rigorous week of boot camp, we went right into full-on combat. It was an amazing experience, and something I definitely look forward to pursuing in the future.”
Living and training together, the 16 Full Metal Jousting contestants prepared for battle. Their backgrounds vary from an ex-Marine stunt man and a professional polo player to a bull rider. Fairclough’s show jumping experience is what made him a prime candidate, but each rider had to prove themselves worthy during an extensive week of training. All have a full contact background with nerves of steel to bring back history’s oldest sport in its rookie season.
Fairclough has an extensive background of impressive wins on his riding resume. In 2008, he was the Cacchione Cup Champion at the IHSA National Championships. He has also been the co-rider of Zealous, owned by Mary Chapot. The duo was 2010 WEF Circuit Champion and 2010 horse of the year for the Six Year Olds. In 2011, James rode Starquest, owned by Mary Chapot, to the 2011 Six Year Olds Circuit Championship. He also was the co-rider of Zealous, who was awarded the 2011 WEF Circuit Champion for the Seven and Eight Year Olds, as well as Horse of the Year for the Seven and Eight Year Olds in 2011.
Recently, Fairclough combined his inherent passion for horses and riding with his equestrian legacy. Recently, he opened Cavalier Show Jumping, based out of Seahorse Stables in Water Mill, NY, and looks forward to training Kira Kerkorian and Brooke Banks at the prestigious Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. For more information about Cavalier Show Jumping, please contact Fairclough by calling 862-686-0203 or e-mail cavalierjumping@gmail.com.
For further information on History’s Full Metal Jousting, please contact Director of Public Relations Susan Ievoli at (212) 907-9447 or e-mail her at susan.ievoli@aenetworks.com. To view a trailer of the show, please visit http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/01/04/full-metal-jousting/. For biographies of the cast, please check out http://www.history.com/shows/full-metal-jousting/articles/about-full-metal-jousting.
Media Contact: Mason Phelps
Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
phone 561.753.3389 fax 561.753.3386
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com