Page 145 - John Anderson

-RKQ$QGHUVRQ±+LV/LIHDQG7LPHVLQ2UPRQG)ORULGD

Before the hotel was built John Anderson had organized an annual
"Ring Tournament" which was a jousting contest for horsemen, held
under "the auspices of the "Knights-of-Ormond-on-the-Halifax." The
first tournaments were held on the mainland side of the river, but
after the hotel opened they were held on the beach. In this tour-
nament five poles were erected, about 100 feet apart.

Each pole had a projecting arm with a hook in the end. From the hook
a large metal ring was suspended, and horsemen tried to snatch the
ring from each pole with a lance as they rode past. As each ring was
taken, an attendant replaced it for the next rider. The "knights" who
participated were usually cowboys from Ormond, New Smyrna,
Osteen, and Enterprise, dressed up in medieval costumes, and with
humorous, assumed names such as Ahmed Al Camel; Bayard, Knight
of the Red Plume; Moonlight Knight, and so forth. The winner of the
tournament was presented with a beautifully painted and
embroidered banner made by Mrs. John C. Seiser, and he chose the
prettiest girl in Ormond as the "Queen of Love and Beauty." The

133