Stay Signed In
Do you want to access your site more quickly on this computer? Check this box, and your username and password will be remembered for two weeks. Click logout to turn this off.
Stay Safe
Do not check this box if you are using a public computer. You don't want anyone seeing your personal info or messing with your site.
Operated and maintained by Era Equestrian the tiltyard facility was established on the farm in 2003, with the mounted archery course built in 2004. The combination of the two makes it an entirely unique feature of Sandheide Farm and possibly the only such facility in Canada for training in jousting, skill at arms and mounted archery.
Some of our clients actively participate in competitive jousting tournaments or shows with joust troupes, other clients have become interested merely because of the facility’s existence at Sandheide Farm and how much fun this type of mounted sport is.
All training and practice at the tiltyard is done under careful supervision by experienced professionals.
The Tiltyard Features:
• 180 ’ Joust list with center and counter lists, including mounting blocks and lance rests generously gained when the Ontario Renaissance Faire in Milton Ont. closed its doors.
• Quintain, heavy but portable with interchangeable target shields.
• Rings course with 4 lance racks over an 80 meter track, each rack holds 3 different sizes of rings by magnetic force.
• Spear and sword targets that can be moved for use inside or out.
The Tiltyard, joust list, quintain, a spear target and the mounted archery track running alongside the joust list
In addition we have other skill at arms equipment and props used for shows and tournaments.
For the past few years the tiltyard has been host to European Jousting League affiliated Tournaments, we look forward to hosting more in the coming years.
We accept a number of students to train with us at the Tiltyard every year. Students need to be able to demonstrate control at the canter, upwards and downwards gait transitions, and basic horsemanship skills (grooming, tacking etc) to our standards before they’ll be accepted for training.
We can provide the riding lessons towards the goal of tiltyard training if you do not yet have these skills.
Dale and Druid spear throwing
Rob and Barb jousting
Maxton and King at one of the sword targets
Mounted Archery Course
Our interest in mounted archery started in 2003 when Barb Leeson attending the mounted archery training at the International Horse Archery Festival in Ft. Dodge Iowa. After returning home the first order of business was building the 90 meter Hungarian Course alongside the tiltyard. Since then the farm has been the host to clinics taught by Lukas Novotny with students traveling across North America to attend, as well as mounted archery competitions held during the annual Behourd.
Our training facility continues to expand and improve to offer diverse training and competition formats.
Wayne and Nav on the course
Training Opportunities
Ground archery lessons are taught through-out the year in the "Mongolian" or "thumb" release method of shooting, a technique developed and used by Asian archers thought history.
Mounted archery clinics are usually held in September, check our "clinic & Special Events" page for details.
If your interested in learning more about training at the tiltyard in European skill at arms, mounted or ground archery please contact Barb Leeson at
