In the Disney/Pixar film Brave, Princess Merida, the flame-haired protagonist, rides through the forest, deftly loosing arrows from on top of her Shire draft horse. Eketahuna’s Denise Clifton is a real-life Merida – though she does fancy herself more of a light-armoured cavalryman. By Erin Kavanagh-Hall. Photos by Sarah Watkins.

Ready for action – Denise and Sahara. Photo: Sarah Watkins. — Ready for action – Denise and Sahara.
Photo: Sarah Watkins.

“I think I was part of the Mongolian horde in another life. Those guys were dangerous; very efficient. They’d come in fast, fire their rounds, and disappear again,” she says.

Denise has spent 20 years honing her skills as a mounted archer. In her sport, riders score points by hitting targets (preferably with historically accurate weaponry) from various angles, from the saddle of a galloping horse.

Mounted archery has roots in warfare and hunting, dating back to the Iron Age. It was popularised by Persian nomads, and Central Asian and European armies during the Middle Ages. Nowadays, it is enjoying a worldwide resurgence as a sport and hobby.

Horseback archery takes years to master. For maximum accuracy, the rider needs lightning-quick reflexes, and an almost psychic bond with their horse. Denise, who has competed in tournaments all over New Zealand and in Australia, is currently training two horses: Sahara, a “Taranaki bush pony” rescued from the dog tucker truck and Cassie, a wild Kaimanawa/Clydesdale cross, affectionately dubbed “the Battle Rhino”.

Common to Medievalist circles, most of Denise’s gear is handmade. Costumes are handsewn, bridles woven with felt, arrows crafted using dowel and feathers, and her lamellar armour made by soaking leather strips in beeswax and lacing them together.

It’s a time-consuming hobby – and a welcome escape from modern life.

“I love being able to disappear into a different time period. It’s cool to be able to learn the skills that would have kept a village fed and protected. I love the history, the adventure, dressing up, the feeling of being a warrior. The only thing I’ve never wanted is the knight in shining armour. Just his horse.”

Denise has been riding since age two, and a keen medievalist since her youth. In her teens, she would hitchhike from the Kapiti Coast to attend the Mellemskov Mot festival at the Eketahuna Camping Ground.

She eventually became involved in recreating famous battles from history. From there, she became proficient at skill at arms – a sport inspired by a mounted knight’s training regimen. A typical skill at arms course will include the quintain (breaking a lance over a mannequin), throwing spears at a target, collecting rings with a sword, and slicing a piece of fruit from a cantering horse.

Fellow rider, Kylie on Cassie “the Battle Rhino”. Photo: Sarah Watkins.

Mounted archery, Denise says, feels “the most instinctive”.

“Knowing your angles, figuring out the trajectory of your arrows, is key. Then there’s timing – it’s best to shoot as the horse’s feet leave the ground. You need the core strength and balance to stay put. Riding is all in the legs – your upper body is irrelevant.”

The most important aspect is a healthy relationship between horse and rider.

“You’re asking a bit of the horse. They need to run straight for the target, without going off course, or stopping and eating. You have no reins to control them. A great horse will forgive your mistakes and carry you forward, while a less experienced to safety concerns. However, Denise and a core group of horsewomen hope to revive both sports.

“You can do so safely if you have a good ground crew to keep an eye on things.”

In the meantime, Denise is helping plan the next Mellemskov Mot in November, and looks forward to a round of “A Smashing Good Time” where riders get to pulverise watermelons with blunted weapons.

“One time, I obliterated a melon with a war hammer, and it splattered in my face.

“I felt sick when I realised that’s what our ancestors did on the battlefield – to a person. But, when fruit is involved, it’s awfully therapeutic!”