Shining armour, galloping horses and the crack of lances will return to Pendennis Castle this summer (4-6 Aug) as the Legendary Joust rides into town.

Ahead of the tournament, we caught up with professional jouster Pete Diamond-Magnoni to find out what it takes to charge down the tilt and bring this medieval spectacle to life.

How did you become a jousting knight?

I was born into it. My father, Max Diamond, was one of the co-originators of bringing jousting back as a modern sport in the late 1960s, so it's been in my blood from the cradle. I was active in tournaments from about eight years old and first competed on horseback in my early teens.

What goes through your mind as you charge towards your opponent?

Most people think it's terrifying, but it's actually surprisingly calm. You are just focused on the job at hand. The moments before you are concentrating on keeping your horse settled, and watching your opponent.

Jousting is all about technique and timing. If you ride a fast horse, you want to make sure you start your run slightly later than your opponent, so you both meet in the centre of the tilt line (the fence or barrier that separates the horses). From there, you're concentrating on engaging your lance correctly and bringing it onto target moments before your opponent passes.

Jousting should in no way be scary, and you shouldn't go into it waiting for the crash. You accept that as much as you're trying to strike your opponent, he's trying to do the same to you. You have no defence and no way to avoid being hit, but if your armour is made correctly, most of the dangers are limited.

I know that sounds like a lot to think about, but it's all subconscious. You should be skilled and practised enough that the corrections, calculations and horse commands become automatic. For myself, it actually opens the mind to a tranquil moment of peace and awareness.

How dangerous is jousting today?

In a word, very. If you are not practised and properly trained, you're in trouble. The immediate danger is splinters from the lances at the moment of impact. This could potentially pierce through any exposed areas of the body. Particularly the helm's eye openings. So good armour in association with other protective padding and maille layers is vital.

Tell us about your jousting horse.

At Pendennis I'll be riding Xinella, a rare breed of horse from Menorca. She is fast, well- schooled, extremely keen and very beautiful. She is owned by Film and TV Horses, who are providing the horses for the Legendary Joust.

At my yard I have three of my own jousting horses. Trojan is now retired, while Charlemagne is in semi-retirement. My partner and I have recently acquired a young Andalusian called Enchanter, who has only just begun his training, so he's at least three years away from being ready.

How much does your armour weigh, and what's it like wearing it all day?

Due to wanting to keep the weight down for Xinella, the harness I'll be using for the Legendary Joust weighs around 17½ kilograms (about 38 pounds), roughly the same as a large suitcase. One of my heavier harnesses, however, weighs around 29 kilograms.

If your armour is made to fit properly, and you're fit with a strong core, you can cope relatively well wearing it for long periods, especially if you're active. I find it's actually the standing around that's the killer. After a while, the weight starts to press on your shoulders and can compress the spine a little.

The biggest challenge, though, is the heat. On a warm summer's day, when everyone else at Pendennis is enjoying the sunshine in shorts and T-shirts, I'm wrapped from head to toe in steel!

How closely does modern jousting mirror the tournaments of the Middle Ages?

Modern jousting is actually much closer to medieval jousting than many people realise. When my father first started jousting in the 1960s, there wasn't anywhere near the same level of knowledge and understanding about how armour was made, nor were there many armourers with the skills needed to produce it. This was largely due to limited access to surviving artefacts and historical sources. Unlike today, when the internet has made it much easier to share research and knowledge, much of the early revival of jousting involved a degree of trial and error.

If anything, we went through a period in the mid-1990s when we over-engineered armour, which added unnecessary weight to the harness. But as time has moved on, lessons have been learned and armour-making techniques have improved. Today, the best armour available is as close as we can get to what was used historically.

That's one of the things I enjoy about performing at historic sites such as Pendennis Castle. Events like the Legendary Joust allow visitors to experience a spectacle that is far closer to the real medieval tournament than many people realise, all within the grounds of a genuine castle.

What is the biggest myth people have about knights?

There are quite a few myths about knights. One of the biggest is that they rode enormous Shire horses. In reality, medieval war horses stood around 15.2 hands high, or about 5ft at the shoulder. That's much smaller than many people imagine when they picture a knight charging into battle. In fact, the Shire is a relatively modern breed and didn't exist in the medieval period.

What do you hope visitors take away after watching the joust at Pendennis Castle?

I hope they mainly take away enjoyment. Jousting is an exciting, vibrant and action-filled spectacle that embodies so much of our rich heritage. There is so much to enjoy and take in: the fantastic horses and the horsemanship they require, the sheer skill and discipline needed to joust, the colour, the pageantry and, of course, the jaw-droppingly beautiful backdrop of Pendennis Castle and its glorious views.

I have had the pleasure of jousting at some amazing locations all over the world, but I personally believe Pendennis Castle is one of the most spectacular places to compete. I hope visitors take some of that pleasure away with them.

Inspired to see the action for yourself? The Legendary Joust rides into Pendennis Castle from 4 to 6 August, bringing breathtaking displays of skill to one of Cornwall's most spectacular historic settings.

 Find out more and book tickets: The Legendary Joust at Pendennis Castle