0:00:02 > 0:00:03MUSIC: Flight Of The Valkyries
0:00:08 > 0:00:12In this programme, I'm going to learn how to ride.
0:00:12 > 0:00:13In fact, better than that,
0:00:13 > 0:00:17we are going to learn how to dance together.
0:00:17 > 0:00:18Aren't we?
0:00:21 > 0:00:24'Now, before you think I've gone completely mad,
0:00:24 > 0:00:28'let me tell you that dancing on horseback - horse ballet or
0:00:28 > 0:00:34'manege, as it was called - was once the noblest of pursuits.'
0:00:34 > 0:00:37In the 17th century, it was practised by noblemen,
0:00:37 > 0:00:41courtiers and kings to show off their status and majesty.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44So, I'm going to be taught this forgotten art
0:00:44 > 0:00:47by its modern masters...
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Travel abroad to watch spectacular shows...
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Explore its military origins...
0:00:53 > 0:00:56And discover its surprising legacy.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Because I believe that an equestrian extravaganza like this one
0:01:01 > 0:01:05can help explain why, throughout history, kings and queens
0:01:05 > 0:01:07and horses have gone together.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11"My kingdom for a horse," as Richard III said.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15Even today Her Majesty the Queen is in the saddle in her 80s.
0:01:15 > 0:01:20And princes play polo and princesses perform the art of dressage
0:01:20 > 0:01:22at Olympic levels.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27It seems that the kingdom and the horse will never be parted.
0:01:27 > 0:01:28LIVELY ORCHESTRAL MUSIC
0:01:44 > 0:01:48Now, before I jump into the saddle, I'm taking a trip to
0:01:48 > 0:01:51Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire, where I had my very first
0:01:51 > 0:01:55job as a young curator, because this was the place where
0:01:55 > 0:01:59I originally became fascinated by the royal art
0:01:59 > 0:02:01of making horses dance.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05I got so interested in the subject, I spent four years
0:02:05 > 0:02:06writing a PhD thesis about it.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Bolsover, this picturesque little fairytale castle,
0:02:15 > 0:02:19was built in the first half of the 17th century, every bit of it
0:02:19 > 0:02:23reflecting the ambitions and passions of its owner,
0:02:23 > 0:02:25William Cavendish.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Cavendish had a pretty successful career as a social climber.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35He started out as a simple sir, and then he went right up through
0:02:35 > 0:02:38the ranks of the aristocracy and he ended up as a duke.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41But in many ways, he was a regrettable person,
0:02:41 > 0:02:44he was a womaniser, he was a spendthrift,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47and he was something of a snob.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50But I've always had a certain weakness for him,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53and that's because of his charm and his creativity.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57He was interested in poetry and music and architecture.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01In fact, I'd go so far as to say I'm rather fond of him.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Bolsover was William Cavendish's pride and joy.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13Even his chosen title as Duke of Newcastle
0:03:13 > 0:03:17was a play on his delight in this, his new castle.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22And it was here that he courted and won favour with the King, Charles I,
0:03:22 > 0:03:27creating this spectacular range of buildings for a single royal visit.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30And he spent a lot of time here practising a rather unusual
0:03:30 > 0:03:32horsey hobby.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Of all the buildings at Bolsover Castle, I think that this
0:03:35 > 0:03:37is the most intriguing.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41This is the Riding House, which Cavendish built for his very
0:03:41 > 0:03:45weird hobby - teaching horses how to dance.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52This building isn't just a stable, it's a theatre.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56This is where William Cavendish's horses were taught to perform
0:03:56 > 0:04:02these amazing leaps and jumps, almost like doing ballet for horses.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06And that's why the floor is soft, for the horse's feet, the windows
0:04:06 > 0:04:11are elevated, so the horse can't look outside and get distracted.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15And this is a spectator sport, the gallery up there was
0:04:15 > 0:04:18for Cavendish's aristocratic chums to come
0:04:18 > 0:04:20and see the horses performing.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23He took this so seriously that he wrote a whole book
0:04:23 > 0:04:25about how to do it.
0:04:25 > 0:04:31Here he is in a picture at Bolsover Castle performing the capriole.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33That's pretty impressive, isn't it?
0:04:33 > 0:04:37And had we been here of a morning, we would have seen Cavendish
0:04:37 > 0:04:42training all of his horses for hours and hours against the walls,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45around these tall poles, showing off their moves.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52While this impressive building is no longer filled
0:04:52 > 0:04:57with horses performing their balletic moves on a daily basis,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00English Heritage do still put on equestrian spectacles,
0:05:00 > 0:05:04like those which displayed Cavendish's horsemanship skills.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08And over the next couple of months, it's my aim to saddle up,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11learn to ride and take part in a performance.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12Boots on.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Here we go!
0:05:16 > 0:05:18GRUNTING
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Look at this.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Isn't this lovely? Velvet.
0:05:24 > 0:05:28I think it goes a bit forwards, like that.
0:05:28 > 0:05:29Steady as you go.
0:05:34 > 0:05:35First day at school.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Ooh!
0:05:50 > 0:05:51SHE LAUGHS
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Was that supposed to happen? I think that it was - you're smiling!
0:05:56 > 0:05:58SHE LAUGHS
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Oh! That was incredible!
0:06:00 > 0:06:04- You must be Ben.- Hi.- You've been slightly upstaged by your horse.
0:06:04 > 0:06:05THEY LAUGH
0:06:05 > 0:06:07- Well, that's the idea. - That was fantastic.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09What's that called, when he falls over like that?
0:06:09 > 0:06:12This is... Well, exactly, it's a falling horse.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14- Is this what you're going to teach me, to fall off?- Sadly not.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16This is rehearsing horses for film and TV,
0:06:16 > 0:06:19but what we're going to teach you is a bit more classical.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21Oh, OK. Well, I'd be very glad not to fall over.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23- But just as fun. He's happy enough. - Is he happy down there?
0:06:23 > 0:06:25That's a happy noise he's making.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28- Yeah, what he wants to do is have a good roll.- Oh!
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Good boy. As you see.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31SHE LAUGHS
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Is that what a happy horse does?
0:06:34 > 0:06:36- This is what a happy horse looks like.- OK.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37Ooh!
0:06:37 > 0:06:38HORSE SNORTS
0:06:38 > 0:06:40- So, this is Mallick.- Mallick.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44He's a four-year-old Andalusian stallion, and he is actually the son
0:06:44 > 0:06:47- of the horse you're going to ride. - What colour's my horse going to be?
0:06:47 > 0:06:50- Is he going to be black, too? - He's a beautiful white stallion.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53You can see the Spanish horses are all born dark colours.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57Mallick's a baby, and so he is black, but you can see he's going white.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- Oh, is he going to go white? - Around his eyes.- Like his dad.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02And slowly he'll go as white as his dad.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04'In case you hadn't already guessed,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07'I have rather limited experience on a horse.'
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- Is this him?- Yeah. This is Almonso.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13- Hello, Almonso.- This is your horse.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17'In fact, I've only ever been in the saddle once before,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19'so it's going to be a bit of a challenge,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23'because the classical horse ballet that Ben's going to teach me -
0:07:23 > 0:07:27'or menage as it was known in the 17th century - was incredibly
0:07:27 > 0:07:30'skilled, relying on horses performing a series
0:07:30 > 0:07:33'of precisely controlled and disciplined moves
0:07:33 > 0:07:37'in complete harmony with their riders, like Cavendish,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40'who trained every morning for a lifetime to perfect the art.'
0:07:41 > 0:07:46OK. So, now you're putting your right hand to the back of the saddle.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50- Yeah.- And that's it there. Bend this leg.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53- Up, like here, and put your knee in my hand.- Can I?
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Put your knee in my hand. See, I'm going to hold you here,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58hold you there, and we're going to go one, two,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01- three, and I'm going to lift you as you jump...- No way!
0:08:01 > 0:08:04One, two, three..
0:08:04 > 0:08:05SHE SQUEALS
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- Oh, OK. It worked! - Perfect.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- Wonderful. - Look how high I am!
0:08:11 > 0:08:14So, what we're going to do now is, you need your pedal.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18- Ooh, ooh. Rough.- How is it up there? Is the air colder?
0:08:18 > 0:08:20It's rather thrilling.
0:08:20 > 0:08:21SHE CHUCKLES
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Brilliant. So, let's push your balls of your toes in to there
0:08:23 > 0:08:26- and you're pushing the heel down.- Am I supposed to be gripping
0:08:26 > 0:08:29- with my knees?- No.- No.- Relax. So, that's a command, you see.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32- Is that why he's doing that?- Yeah.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34- I didn't mean it, Almonso, sorry. Stop, stop.- Good boy.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38- So, next were sorting your reins out.- In there.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39- Elbows in.- Elbows in.
0:08:39 > 0:08:40BEN LAUGHS
0:08:40 > 0:08:43- There we go.- I like the way you're treating me like a horse.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46You just gave a little spank to my elbow, didn't you?
0:08:46 > 0:08:49- You saw it sticking out.- Well, you keep popping your elbows out.
0:08:49 > 0:08:50LUCY LAUGHS
0:08:50 > 0:08:53They have to stay in. Right, are you ready?
0:08:53 > 0:08:55- What, to walk?- Yeah.- Yeah!
0:08:55 > 0:08:58You say to him, "walk on" and push and flex with the heel.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01- Walk on, please.- That's it. So, squeeze me, squeeze.
0:09:02 > 0:09:03Let's take a left.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08- Now, left hand down. - Left, please, Almonso.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13- Turning with your right - right hand. - Right. Whoa, that was a good turn.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16OK, so push him on. Left hand down, start to turn him.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19- Right, please. - Remember to turn with your shoulders.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21Push forward. So, push, push, push.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24Little squeeze on the heel, give him a kick. Turn your right hand down.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27- You're not on a motorbike, you're not dropping down in.- Wow, we are as one.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30- As one, yeah. So, when you're ready. - Off you go.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34Forward. Look with your shoulders. That's it.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36- Right hand down.- Oh, sorry.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Don't do anything that I don't tell you to.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40I'm sorry, I got carried away.
0:09:40 > 0:09:41'So bossy!
0:09:41 > 0:09:44'I can see it's going to take some time just to learn how to
0:09:44 > 0:09:48'stay on a horse, let alone get it to dance which, of course,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52'is why menage was once considered such an aristocratic pursuit.'
0:09:52 > 0:09:57It not only needed leisure time to practise, it also required money.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01Cavendish had to construct a wonderful riding house
0:10:01 > 0:10:05and purchase the specialised athletic horses with the strength to
0:10:05 > 0:10:08perform these amazing moves.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12His favourite grey steed, Le Superb, was so called
0:10:12 > 0:10:15because of his superbly enormous price, and because he was
0:10:15 > 0:10:20a Spanish stallion he also had to be shipped from the Continent.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22And just like elite sports today,
0:10:22 > 0:10:26menage came with its own expensive kit, some of which survives
0:10:26 > 0:10:28at the Harley Gallery in Nottinghamshire.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34So, Ben, this is said to be the actual menage saddle
0:10:34 > 0:10:36of William Cavendish. That's amazing, isn't it?
0:10:36 > 0:10:39- His bottom sat just here. - Exactly.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41You can see where the suede that covers the saddle,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43when worn away or when ridden in,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46it happens in modern saddles as well, you see, it turns to leather.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48- Turns a bit shiny. - Turns shiny.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50And what we can see from this is how, you see,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53there's much more around the back of the saddle.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55- Is that because he was rearing up and doing manege?- Exactly.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58All these manege moves are pushing you further back,
0:10:58 > 0:11:01and, as well, because we have this very forward leg sticking out
0:11:01 > 0:11:03in front of the rider position.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06So, this saddle is small, so you can sit back in it,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10- but you'll still be well forward on the horse.- Exactly.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Oh, OK. It's almost like the seat in a racing car, then, that's forcing
0:11:13 > 0:11:15the driver to sit down and back and low and to be
0:11:15 > 0:11:17- in a sort of fast position. - Absolutely.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20That's exactly how this saddle is created.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22It looks to me like that's freakishly small,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25like you'd never get your leg through there. Is that right?
0:11:25 > 0:11:29Yeah, I think that Cavendish designed this saddle for that very purpose.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33So, it's so that that thin space is clamping the leg,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36it's holding the thigh to keep you positioned sitting up and sitting
0:11:36 > 0:11:40back with the leg forward, which was very much the style of the day.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42What Cavendish has done here, he's created the saddle that
0:11:42 > 0:11:46- doesn't allow you to ride in a bad position.- It's a prison saddle.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47HE LAUGHS
0:11:47 > 0:11:50It's a corrective. It's a saddle that will help you teach yourself
0:11:50 > 0:11:52and also give the horse the best possible ride.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55I think I need one of these.
0:11:55 > 0:11:56I'm not saying anything.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00Owning a stable full of dancing horses,
0:12:00 > 0:12:02with their customised saddles and gear,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06reveals how passionate Cavendish was about this art.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08But his obsession wasn't just a personal whim,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12menage was an activity that was absolutely expected
0:12:12 > 0:12:16of a 17th century nobleman, and this began at the very top.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Charles I was equally dedicated to the art.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22He even placed his son, the future Charles II,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26in Cavendish's tutelage so that he could learn from an expert.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31'To find out why they all invested so much in this
0:12:31 > 0:12:36'peculiar activity, I'm meeting Cavendish expert Elspeth Graham.'
0:12:39 > 0:12:43Elspeth, this whole business of menage is bonkers, isn't it?
0:12:43 > 0:12:45I mean, I don't believe he had a horse with wings, OK,
0:12:45 > 0:12:49he's making that up, but this is a real movement, he could do this.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53Not only are these real movements from the menage,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57which are very precisely shown, he's in the position giving
0:12:57 > 0:13:02what are called "the aids" to make the horse do that which is a real
0:13:02 > 0:13:06menage movement called the capriole, cos it looks like a goat jumping.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09- And they could really do this as well?- And they could really do that.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Though, normally, you would have a rider or someone on the ground.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15- Controlling them.- Controlling them. Yes.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Oh, wow, so it does have some roots in reality, this image?
0:13:18 > 0:13:20The thing about these is, they're absolutely real
0:13:20 > 0:13:22and they're very precise.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26The position that he's sitting in - or almost standing, actually -
0:13:26 > 0:13:31is exactly the position he would have used to create that movement.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Why did Cavendish practise this art?
0:13:35 > 0:13:37He was passionate about horses,
0:13:37 > 0:13:43but it's also a very important skill for anybody at his level in society.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47- It's the thing that really made you a leader.- A leader?
0:13:47 > 0:13:52- It's as important as that in society?- Absolutely.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56In fact, our modern word, "management", comes from the skills.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58- Of the menage?- From the menage.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02- Oh, my goodness! So it is.- It's from the Italian, manegiare.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06How can it be that prancing about on a horse wearing a silly hat
0:14:06 > 0:14:09represents management skills? What's the connection?
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Well, first of all, it is very skilled.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I mean, to do something like this takes years
0:14:15 > 0:14:19and years of training and studying and practice.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22You also have to be in total harmony with the horse,
0:14:22 > 0:14:27just as a leader has to be completely focused on what they're doing
0:14:27 > 0:14:31and in harmony with the people he's leading.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35'I think I can see why the ability to perform menage moves with skill
0:14:35 > 0:14:39'and ease was an excellent way for a 17th century courtier to display
0:14:39 > 0:14:43'his self-control and confidence - two qualities that I hope Ben
0:14:43 > 0:14:46'will be able to teach me as my own lessons
0:14:46 > 0:14:49'progress towards my performance.'
0:14:49 > 0:14:51Whee!
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Up like a pro. Almost.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56What are we going to do today, Ben?
0:14:56 > 0:14:58So, today, we're moving on to the sort of the first real meaty
0:14:58 > 0:15:03bits of classical, more Cavendish's menage, more extravagant movements.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07- Well, if you think I can do it. - I think you definitely can.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10I think I'll be all right, but it's a bit daunting.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12So, the first of them is the Spanish walk.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14What you're going to do is, you're going to rock gently
0:15:14 > 0:15:18from side to side, and contrary to popular belief, most people,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22when you watch, they think it's as the foot hits, the horse strikes out.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Actually, for example, as the right leg comes in
0:15:25 > 0:15:28and the left leg comes out, the horse's left leg will come out,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32cos what you're doing is pushing the pressure to push him up and out.
0:15:34 > 0:15:35Do you understand?
0:15:35 > 0:15:40So, as this leg pushes in and this leg lifts out, this leg...
0:15:40 > 0:15:41HE CLICKS HIS TONGUE
0:15:41 > 0:15:43- Will jump up.- Aye.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45HE KISSES HIS TEETH
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Will come out.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50And it's also the first in the building blocks of our other,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53more extravagant, more balletic moves as well.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56So, we're going to see a bit of ballet from you, Almonso, today.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00Yeah, absolutely. He's a dancing, dancing pony. Walk on.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02- Just kick him.- Walk on.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04That's it. I'm going to Spanish walk back with you this way,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- so, left hand down. - Left hand, please.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Easy with your hands. Keep them in. Walk on.
0:16:14 > 0:16:15LUCY GASPS
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Look at me, I'm Spanish walking!
0:16:19 > 0:16:22- Good. Now, right hand down.- Oh!
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Push him forward. Concentrate on your riding,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27don't get distracted by what you're doing.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29- That's it.- Showing off there. - Now push him on.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- Now, I want you to ride back to the top and we'll start again.- Right.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34So, kick him on.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Remember, you're going to rock gently.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Your rocking is going to ask him to elevate and collect out. So..
0:16:48 > 0:16:50- Good. And turn right.- Oh, fantastic!
0:16:50 > 0:16:55See, I felt then like he was mirroring me with my big legs.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Hoo! Giddy up! Giddy up. Come on.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05- Good, turn him round.- Go, go.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09'Even if you're deeply impressed with my new riding skills,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12'you might still be asking yourself whether all this was worth
0:17:12 > 0:17:16'the effort to show off your power and status.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18'After all, building the odd castle or two
0:17:18 > 0:17:20'ought to have done the trick.
0:17:20 > 0:17:25'But the answer lies way back earlier than Cavendish's time.'
0:17:25 > 0:17:28I've returned to Britain's most famous Norman castle,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32the Tower of London, where I work as chief curator.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36It's no coincidence that the Tower's mastermind - William I -
0:17:36 > 0:17:40conquered the country with 1,000 cavalrymen.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43His opponent, Harold, had fought on foot.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46And as for Richard III, we all know what happened
0:17:46 > 0:17:48to his kingdom when he lost his horse.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53In fact, throughout the medieval period, good horsemanship
0:17:53 > 0:17:58was so crucial to success on the battlefield that it became equally
0:17:58 > 0:18:03important in the pomp and ceremony of majesty in times of peace.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09Now, 100 years earlier,
0:18:09 > 0:18:13Henry VIII was also using horses and horsemanship
0:18:13 > 0:18:16as a really important part of his kingship.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20This really fabulous suit of armour wasn't made for the battlefield,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23it was made for sport, for jousting.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26You can tell it comes from early on in Henry's reign
0:18:26 > 0:18:28because he's still married to wife number one,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Katherine of Aragon, hence the Hs and Ks that decorate it.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35I think the really special thing about it is the way that the
0:18:35 > 0:18:39man's armour and the horse's armour, they're sort of fused together,
0:18:39 > 0:18:43that's what gives this Robocop armoured car type impression.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47And I also really like the detail of that decoration.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Had there been a dull moment in the tournament,
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Henry could have read his armour like a comic book.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58At the front here I can see St George killing his dragon
0:18:58 > 0:19:03very decisively, he's completely skewered it with his spear.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05But that's all in the detail.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10The overall impression then as now has to be,
0:19:10 > 0:19:11"Here comes the King."
0:19:14 > 0:19:17Jousting was an elite sport
0:19:17 > 0:19:21born out of battlefield tactics in the age when medieval knights
0:19:21 > 0:19:24in shining armour charged in to war.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28But tournaments weren't just for displaying testosterone,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31they were central to the medieval idea of chivalry,
0:19:31 > 0:19:37the word itself coming from the French for horse - cheval.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39This is a jousting lance,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42as would have been used by Henry VIII and his courtiers.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46This particular one probably belonged to Henry's brother-in-law,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48the very good jouster Charles Brandon.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51You're wondering how on earth did he pick that up,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53it looks enormously heavy?
0:19:53 > 0:19:57The answer is it's actually hollow, this one was probably ceremonial.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Your ability at jousting really determined your place
0:20:00 > 0:20:03in the pecking order at Henry VIII's court.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07It's very interesting to look at the scorecards from jousts.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Charles Brandon, for example,
0:20:09 > 0:20:12beat absolutely everybody except for the King.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15Very diplomatic of him.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20You can also see the role of jousting in international diplomacy
0:20:20 > 0:20:23in this painting of the Field of the Cloth of Gold.
0:20:23 > 0:20:29This was a huge party held in a field outside Calais in 1520.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31It was called Cloth of Gold because
0:20:31 > 0:20:35that was the material used for these very luxurious tents.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38The main people there were Henry VIII of England
0:20:38 > 0:20:40and Francis I of France.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44And what was the highlight of the whole thing? It was the jousting.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49Look here, they've constructed a whole temporary jousting arena
0:20:49 > 0:20:53with places for the spectators, and they took so much trouble building
0:20:53 > 0:20:56this from scratch because of the importance of jousting to both men.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59It showed off their skills as horsemen
0:20:59 > 0:21:02and it implied their strength as leaders.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08So, to find out what was involved in wearing Henry VIII's armour,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11I'm heading to the Royal Armoury's tilt yard
0:21:11 > 0:21:14or jousting arena in Leeds.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17OK. Let's assemble my right leg.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Slide your toe in.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Bring the greave round.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28- Please go on. You can do it. - Done. We'll leave that for now
0:21:28 > 0:21:32and we'll come round and start doing some of these straps.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35- My inner thigh strap. - Your inner thigh strap, yeah.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38We're getting to know each other quite well here, aren't we?
0:21:38 > 0:21:41I'm afraid it all does get very personal. And I shall behave.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Point it off, tie it nice and tight.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47And the next thing, though, it would be more appropriate for you,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49is a skirt that's going to go on next.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51- A skirt?- Yeah. But this time...
0:21:51 > 0:21:53- Oh, I guess you're wearing a sort of mini skirt.- Yeah.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57Right, so if you can daintily put one leg in. You can hold me as support.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01And then adjust your weight, try and get the other leg in.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Now, here's the magic bit. Go on, you can do it. Go on.
0:22:04 > 0:22:10One, two, three, done. OK. And then together. There we are. Slide it up.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13And if you don't mind me I shall come and adjust you round the back.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Shove me in.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18The most important thing about it is that,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21yes, it might be comfortable, but it's got to protect you.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23And obviously having a metal skirt means slashing
0:22:23 > 0:22:25and cutting is not going to slice through that metal.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27So, reasonably good protection.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29- It's nice and flexible.- Good. - Yeah. OK.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31So, we've now got a skirt on,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34so you've got your manoeuvrability. You look...
0:22:34 > 0:22:36I love the way my feet are jointed
0:22:36 > 0:22:38and they bend in an almost creepy manner.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40- Well, they're supposed to be... - I look like a robot.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42They're supposed to be something good.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44If you just count the number of separate plates on there.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48There's over 20 separate plates all riveting and sliding over each other
0:22:48 > 0:22:51to enable you to do everything that you need to do while in the armour.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56- So, let's have my Tudor torso, please...- Perfect.- ..squire.- Behave.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Right, so we'll go with the breast and back.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Are you tying it on again with string?
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Yeah, well, a combination of buckles and straps.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06- Ooh, I like this.- Do you? Excellent.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08It's going to make it slightly easier to put it on you, then.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Is it nonstick?
0:23:10 > 0:23:13I mean, one of the things about the armour, obviously,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16is that it's very bright. It's shiny.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20White armour sometimes it's known, and the reason for that is
0:23:20 > 0:23:22the whiter you make it, the smoother you make it,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24obviously, as weapons come along,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27they deflect or have a greater tendency to reflect
0:23:27 > 0:23:29rather than sort of bite.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31So, the next thing, you start putting the arms on.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33So, you're going to tie it on up there, are you?
0:23:33 > 0:23:35I am. Through there, through there, through there.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37And, again, obviously,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39these wax points come in handy, keeps it in place.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41The last thing you want, certainly with armour,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45is it to start moving on its own. If this was to slip an inch...
0:23:45 > 0:23:48It could do you a nasty injury, couldn't it?
0:23:48 > 0:23:51It would do you a nasty injury, but also the armour locks up,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55and if it locks up and you're posing at 55mph in a joust
0:23:55 > 0:23:57and you can't get your lance down in time,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01you get the full force of His Majesty's lance in your face.
0:24:01 > 0:24:06So, now you're four-fifths there and kind of ready to go.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08- My hat.- Hat?- Sorry.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Ladies wear hats, men wear caps, berets or helmets.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14- We'll put it on. Are we ready?- Yeah.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Slowly lower it down just above your brow. Strap it in.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21- And then the visor would come down. - Oh, yes.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24I would lock it in to place. And you'd be ready.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Oh, yes, I am Robocop.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27Now a medieval knight's armour
0:24:27 > 0:24:30obviously fitted rather better than mine.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33But even so, I find it pretty impressive that anyone could
0:24:33 > 0:24:37function at all clad in 90lbs of metal, let alone get on a horse.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43And with only a couple of lessons under my belt
0:24:43 > 0:24:47I'm rather relieved to leave the tournament unscathed.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51You can see why Henry VIII and his chums enjoyed this extreme sport
0:24:51 > 0:24:53to show off their manliness.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55But a century later,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59jousting had almost completely died out and the courtiers
0:24:59 > 0:25:01and the soldiers of the 17th century
0:25:01 > 0:25:04had lost their taste for heavy metal.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08I'm visiting the Royal Armoury's store room to find out why.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13Here we've got the last gasp of the medieval knight.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15This is the heavy cavalryman.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17But it's not as heavy as what I was wearing
0:25:17 > 0:25:18out in the tournament yard, is it?
0:25:18 > 0:25:21I mean, there's less of it, he hasn't got the bottom part.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24No, you're right. They're all beginning to shed it.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28They're no longer wearing leg armour, they're just wearing boots.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Yes, yes.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34They may well have gauntlets, but they've still got full protection,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36but not as complete as what you were wearing.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39And is that because people now have guns
0:25:39 > 0:25:41and this won't save you from a gun?
0:25:41 > 0:25:42They were proofed against guns.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44Oh, wow! So, this is actually bulletproof?
0:25:44 > 0:25:46- It's bulletproof. - Oh, blimey, goodness.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48And why were they getting rid of armour then?
0:25:48 > 0:25:52The infantry is no longer drawn up in lines, they're in blocks,
0:25:52 > 0:25:56and they're moving, so the cavalry is weaving its way round it.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00So, we need this weaving agile movement on a horse,
0:26:00 > 0:26:03and you need to have that expertise and skill.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08So, an ability to control and move a horse and turn it fast
0:26:08 > 0:26:12is something completely new in battlefield tactics.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17They wouldn't have that at all in the Middle Ages, you just went forwards.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20So, it's like somebody's turned up the speedometer
0:26:20 > 0:26:22and battle is now a lot quicker.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27- Now, instead of strength and weight, you just want to be nippy?- Yes.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29So, what would your up-to-date, flexible,
0:26:29 > 0:26:33nippy light cavalryman be wearing?
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Ah, he's wearing something really special.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41- Oh, not armour at all.- Leather.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44That's not going to stop a bullet either though, is it? No.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47It will absorb some of the shock, but, no, that's why...
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Ah, you wear a little breastplate on the front.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52- Little breastplate.- Oh, OK.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54So, he's still lightweight and mobile.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57The leather will protect against a sword cut.
0:26:57 > 0:27:03This is the bulletproof part of it and, of course, the helmet.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05He's wearing a little helmet on the top.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09So, our up-to-date 17th century cavalryman
0:27:09 > 0:27:12is wearing less gear than a medieval knight
0:27:12 > 0:27:16and he has to dash around the battlefield a lot more.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18So, it's probably quite a good idea for him
0:27:18 > 0:27:21to train his horse with the art of menage, is it?
0:27:21 > 0:27:23Yes, absolutely.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Although jousting might appear more manly,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29the art of menage was better preparation
0:27:29 > 0:27:33for the style of fighting on the 17th century battlefield.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36The ability to impress people with your horse dancing
0:27:36 > 0:27:39not only made you a far cooler king,
0:27:39 > 0:27:44but suggested you could also be a killer king -
0:27:44 > 0:27:46as Ben's now going to show me.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58Was that the piaffe that you were doing there?
0:27:58 > 0:28:01- The passage.- Passage. That's that one.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Piaffe is stationary, passage is moving forward.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05I have to say it looks a little bit effeminate.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Is that really a manoeuvre from the battlefield?
0:28:08 > 0:28:12The collection and strength gained by the horse by performing this movement
0:28:12 > 0:28:14is very vital on the battlefield.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16If you watch soldiers work in rank, in line,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19the man on the outside may have to do double time,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21but the man in the middle is central
0:28:21 > 0:28:24and not moving and marches on the spot.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26- Oh, that's why it is.- And there is no difference when on horseback.- OK.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29So, he might be waiting for the others to catch up sort of thing.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- To catch up.- Right.- And to keep the rhythm and power in the horse.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34So, imagine we're a troop of cavalry, we're all straight,
0:28:34 > 0:28:36we're doing this on the spot,
0:28:36 > 0:28:39what else might we want to do next that you can demonstrate?
0:28:39 > 0:28:41So, the next stage from this is to go in to the piaffe.
0:28:41 > 0:28:45So, the horse remains stationary while he trots on the spot.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47So, he's collecting... He's bringing his powerhouse,
0:28:47 > 0:28:50his bum underneath him and coiling that spring,
0:28:50 > 0:28:52twisting and getting ready for the big leaps.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54When you see them going on the spot like this,
0:28:54 > 0:28:56they're actually getting ready to go?
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Yes, it's very much like a boxer on his toes before he goes in the ring.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02So, it's that bouncing, that sort of building power right behind
0:29:02 > 0:29:05so we can go in to those big airs off the ground, like the capriole,
0:29:05 > 0:29:07- the courbette and the levade. - Let's see it.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30Yeah.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34Now what about changing direction then?
0:29:34 > 0:29:36That's very important too, isn't it?
0:29:36 > 0:29:40Right, so now we have the horse being able to collect and move stationary,
0:29:40 > 0:29:44we want him to see some more of these movements where the cavalry excels
0:29:44 > 0:29:47and it's fast-moving, fast-changing, open-plan battlefield.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50So, what we're going to move on to now is the canter pirouette.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54The canter pirouette means moving direction really quickly
0:29:54 > 0:29:55- without stopping.- Absolutely.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58So, it's being able to turn on the spot
0:29:58 > 0:29:59without losing the momentum of the canter.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02So, all riding we've got that rhythm, those beats,
0:30:02 > 0:30:06and if you were to stop and turn it so much, it will lose that speed.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08So, and it also means we can practise deception on the battlefield
0:30:08 > 0:30:11if we have the horse turning and moving fast enough.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13Oh, we don't know which way you're going to go next.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Absolutely not. At the last minute I can drop my horse on to his hocks,
0:30:16 > 0:30:18spin him round in to you and take you out.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21I really hope you're not about to do that.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24- This is the art of deception with the horses...- Oh, OK.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27..and with other people. So, we'll see now. We'll work in to canter.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49That was pretty good.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52So, that spinning around that you were doing then that's called the...
0:30:52 > 0:30:55- The pirouette.- The cantering pirouette.- Pirouette.- Wow.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58So, what we have there is the horse is coming in.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00You see we can go to wherever we want
0:31:00 > 0:31:03and then swift in to that movement literally on the spot.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07So, what's next? Is it the big leaps, the airs above the ground?
0:31:07 > 0:31:09- Absolutely. The capriole. - The capriole.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12The piaffe and the passage, so the horse leaping
0:31:12 > 0:31:14clean off the ground and striking out with the hind legs.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16- We're going to change horses... - Yeah.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19..and we're going to bring out a big black battle stallion for that.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21- A good kicker. - A good kicker, yeah.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25- The best kicker in the stable.- Yeah.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32- Here he comes.- Easy.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35Here's the big black beast.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37Hello, there.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39He's a good boy. He's only a baby,
0:31:39 > 0:31:42so he's learning the airs above the ground.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45Let's see your airs above the ground then, please.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00Wow!
0:32:00 > 0:32:02If you were standing behind that,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05- you would be toast by this point, wouldn't you?- So, yeah,
0:32:05 > 0:32:10the cavalryman's worst fear is that he can't move.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12- Someone's come up behind him. - Well, surrounded.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Imagine, you charge in, you're laying about you with your sword
0:32:15 > 0:32:18and then suddenly you're surrounded with men, you can't get out.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21You and your horse are now not the terrifying thing,
0:32:21 > 0:32:23you're just a very big meat target.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26And so here, that's where we see here comes collect, collect,
0:32:26 > 0:32:28- and then we're up..- Kicking. - ..and out.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32And as soon as you land you would ride hell for leather.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35A kick in the face from you and you would be dead.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39And they'd have studs in the horses' hooves as well, like footballers.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41So, it's a nasty way to go.
0:32:50 > 0:32:51Oh!
0:33:03 > 0:33:07So, now it's time to test my own killer instincts.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Ben, do you realise my life is in your hands?
0:33:10 > 0:33:12Well, it's in his hands,
0:33:12 > 0:33:15and you can trust him a lot more than you can trust me, I promise you.
0:33:15 > 0:33:16So, basically what this is going to do,
0:33:16 > 0:33:18getting the horse to rear while you're on,
0:33:18 > 0:33:20it's going to do is get you used to that motion
0:33:20 > 0:33:22of the horse lifting himself with his hind legs
0:33:22 > 0:33:24and bringing those front legs off the floor.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27OK, let's have rearing for beginners.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29Come back.
0:33:32 > 0:33:33Come in.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38Goodness.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48That really makes you think that he's a force of nature.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51That was like being in an earthquake or something.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Good boy.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08Fantastic. Well done, Almonso.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11I'm slightly shaking now.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13Like we said before,
0:34:13 > 0:34:15it's not something you're going to forget for a long time.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18I've lost my rearing virginity
0:34:18 > 0:34:21and that's a wonderful climax to the day, really.
0:34:21 > 0:34:22Thank you, Almonso.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27Now that I'm armed with some actual riding experience,
0:34:27 > 0:34:30I'm not only beginning to feel more confident in the saddle,
0:34:30 > 0:34:34but much more in tune with the 17th century monarchs I've
0:34:34 > 0:34:37encountered so often over my years as a curator.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44I must have seen this picture 1,000 times.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48I've always known it shows Charles I on horseback coming in to
0:34:48 > 0:34:52a riding house, a bit like Bolsover, for his daily lesson.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54And that's his riding teacher,
0:34:54 > 0:34:57who was also the riding teacher of William Cavendish.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00But now I've been hanging around with the horses, there's a lot more
0:35:00 > 0:35:01that I can see here.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05This particular horse has got an extra well-developed bottom.
0:35:05 > 0:35:10He's been powering up to do his rearing with his back legs.
0:35:10 > 0:35:14He's also walking in a way that's a menage move, he's doing something
0:35:14 > 0:35:19called the piaffe, that means, sort of, skipping on the spot like this.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21And look at Charles' armour.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24No need for him to be wearing armour for his riding lesson,
0:35:24 > 0:35:29but that's old-fashioned armour, it's a nod to the chivalric past.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33So, it's pretty clear why Charles I has chosen to be
0:35:33 > 0:35:36shown on his horse of menage.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41Here, he's in control of a tremendously powerful beast
0:35:41 > 0:35:44and that's a metaphor for the control that he has, as a king.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47It's a metaphor for his own majesty.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54With his shining armour and powerful steed,
0:35:54 > 0:35:58Charles I may have thought he was the ultimate king and ruler.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01But, unfortunately, as history revealed,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04he was rather catastrophically wrong about that.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08In 1642, Charles' people rebelled against him,
0:36:08 > 0:36:12and the country descended in to Civil War.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16Perhaps the greatest irony, was that Charles' passion for horse ballet
0:36:16 > 0:36:20became the most potent symbol of his enemy's discontent.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25As every schoolgirl knows, the Civil Wars were
0:36:25 > 0:36:29fought between the Parliamentarian Roundheads, so called because
0:36:29 > 0:36:34of their pudding basin haircuts, and the Royalist Cavaliers who get their
0:36:34 > 0:36:35name from their horses,
0:36:35 > 0:36:39just like in French, the chevalier is the horseman.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43This is Prince Rupert, one of the top Royalist Cavalier generals
0:36:43 > 0:36:46on his horse, and it's actually performing the levade,
0:36:46 > 0:36:50something he would've done in the riding house in more peaceful times.
0:36:50 > 0:36:52He looks pretty dashing,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55but if Prince Rupert had heard you calling him a Cavalier,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58he wouldn't have been very happy, because, originally,
0:36:58 > 0:36:59it was an insult.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02It was dreamt up by their Roundhead enemies with
0:37:02 > 0:37:05the implication that this lot, the Royalists,
0:37:05 > 0:37:09spent far too much time prancing about on their ponies and not enough
0:37:09 > 0:37:13time paying attention to the serious business of running the country.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18For Cavendish, the ultimate Cavalier and horseman,
0:37:18 > 0:37:22the Civil War was particularly humiliating.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26At the hour of greatest need, all that self-control and discipline
0:37:26 > 0:37:31he developed through a lifetime of menage, somewhat fell apart.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34It all went wrong for William Cavendish at the
0:37:34 > 0:37:37Battle of Marston Moor in 1644.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41When he and his men arrived at the battlefield, they were late
0:37:41 > 0:37:44and his co-commander, Prince Rupert, noticed that they were all
0:37:44 > 0:37:46still drunk from the night before.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49And then, at the very moment that Oliver Cromwell
0:37:49 > 0:37:52and the Roundhead Cavalry came charging up the left wing,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55well, William Cavendish was having a smoke.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58He was in his coach and calling for a pipe of tobacco.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03He did get back on his horse and he did fight bravely,
0:38:03 > 0:38:05but he'd missed the moment.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07The battle was a miserable defeat.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13As a consequence of the Civil War, Charles I lost his head,
0:38:13 > 0:38:17Cavendish lost face and his estates, and along with
0:38:17 > 0:38:21the rest of the Royalist courtiers, he fled in exile to the Continent.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26When he and the rest of the court were finally able to return
0:38:26 > 0:38:29with the restoration of the monarchy under Charles II, the new
0:38:29 > 0:38:34regime retained its horsey passions, although the Merry Monarch
0:38:34 > 0:38:38took his own equestrian activities in rather a different direction.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49Now, this is said to be Charles II's whip.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53It is of the right period and it's got on it a coat of arms
0:38:53 > 0:38:57belonging to Barbara Villiers, his favourite mistress.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00And the story goes that she gave it to him as a present.
0:39:00 > 0:39:04Who knows what for? But Charles II did love horses.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07He wouldn't have been using his whip, though, for the art of menage,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10like his father. He wasn't interested in that.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14Charles II would have been using his whip to make horses
0:39:14 > 0:39:16go as fast as possible.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Instead of pouring his efforts into menage, which by now had
0:39:22 > 0:39:25negative self-indulgent connotations,
0:39:25 > 0:39:29Charles II focused his attention on horse racing,
0:39:29 > 0:39:33creating a mini racing metropolis here at Newmarket, where
0:39:33 > 0:39:38he transported his entire court, mistresses and all, twice a year.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42To find out why Charles II favoured the gallop,
0:39:42 > 0:39:47I'm visiting the National Horseracing Museum.
0:39:47 > 0:39:48So what's this gallery here then?
0:39:48 > 0:39:50This is Gallery One. It's quite interesting.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52This was the subscription rooms.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54It was the only room women were allowed in the whole club.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57- Oh, is that right?- Yes. - And what are we looking at?
0:39:57 > 0:39:58Are we looking at this one?
0:39:58 > 0:40:02We're looking at what's really a scene in 1709, by James Ross,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05and shows, very clearly, what a race meeting would have
0:40:05 > 0:40:08appeared like at the end of the 17th and early 18th century.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10So, you've got to forget the idea of a modern racecourse with
0:40:10 > 0:40:15grandstands and the public all in a, sort of, pre-built structure.
0:40:15 > 0:40:17How did they see what was going on?
0:40:17 > 0:40:19Well, either on horseback themselves
0:40:19 > 0:40:23and they would have followed the race on horseback, or in their carriages.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26So, in a sense, a race meeting at this time would have
0:40:26 > 0:40:28looked like, almost a rabble of people in the countryside,
0:40:28 > 0:40:32very different from what you might think of as a modern race meeting.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36There does seem to be some drinking and carousing going on in the tents.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Absolutely. And it certainly was a kind of excuse for people
0:40:39 > 0:40:43to have a good time, but it wasn't as frivolous as sometimes you can think.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47There's a real seriousness of purpose that sits behind it, which is
0:40:47 > 0:40:49the selective breeding of cavalry horses.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52So these are, in a sense, still a thick-set cavalry horse,
0:40:52 > 0:40:56not quite the thoroughbred that you get developing through the 18th
0:40:56 > 0:40:58and 19th centuries.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01So, are these horses heavier? Fatter? Chunkier?
0:41:01 > 0:41:03Much heavier, much chunkier.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Remember, they've originated from having to carry
0:41:06 > 0:41:09a knight on horseback in full armour.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12In the 1660s, Charles II comes up to Newmarket to re-establish
0:41:12 > 0:41:14it as a base for racing.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18He founds, in 1665, the Newmarket Town Plate.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22That's a race for a prize of a 100 guineas presented by the King,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26a huge amount of money at the time, to give a real impetus
0:41:26 > 0:41:29to the development of good horse stock.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31And just to give you an idea,
0:41:31 > 0:41:34this is a four-mile marker here of an original
0:41:34 > 0:41:35eight-mile course.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38- So that's only half?- That's only half.- ..of one race.- Yes.
0:41:38 > 0:41:42- And that's four miles.- Yes.- Is that quite a lot longer than races today?
0:41:42 > 0:41:44Much. I mean the longest race we have in this country is
0:41:44 > 0:41:47the Grand National, which is just over four miles,
0:41:47 > 0:41:50and that's in one go, whereas these were multiple heat races.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53So, if that was over four miles, that would have
0:41:53 > 0:41:54galloped 16 miles in one day.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56These are real stamina animals.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59I'd always assumed that when Charles II was at Newmarket,
0:41:59 > 0:42:02he was messing around being the Merry Monarch.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05But, actually, you're saying that he was trying to revive
0:42:05 > 0:42:07- the English Cavalry. - Absolutely.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09There's a real seriousness of purpose, because it's very
0:42:09 > 0:42:12easy for us to imagine that it was inevitable that Charles II would
0:42:12 > 0:42:16keep his throne, but he felt that he had to defend it at any point.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20So what he's trying to do, is replace the vast amount of cavalry
0:42:20 > 0:42:23stock that's been lost during the English Civil Wars and really create
0:42:23 > 0:42:26the kit with which he can go to war and defend his throne if he needs to.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29- So, this is a kind of boot camp for the Army, really.- Completely, yes.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31No, absolutely.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34What fascinates me about Charles' passion for horse racing,
0:42:34 > 0:42:40is that his motives had a lot in common with jousting and the menage.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44Although each equestrian activity had very different horsemanship
0:42:44 > 0:42:48skills attached, all three were about spectacle
0:42:48 > 0:42:53and shared the same intent, training in the art of war.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56In the case of the Merry Monarch his dedication to racing certainly
0:42:56 > 0:43:02paid off. He died in 1685 of natural causes after a long
0:43:02 > 0:43:04and relatively peaceful reign.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09Under Charles' patronage, horse racing became the sport of Kings
0:43:09 > 0:43:13and enjoys equally enthusiastic royal support to this day,
0:43:13 > 0:43:18whereas the art of menage was almost completely swept under
0:43:18 > 0:43:22the royal red carpet by the end of the 17th century.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26For an old-school royalist, like Cavendish,
0:43:26 > 0:43:27it was a bitter loss.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29As he lamented in his book...
0:43:29 > 0:43:32"The science of menage has been so neglected
0:43:32 > 0:43:36"and discouraged in England, that young gentlemen are now obliged to
0:43:36 > 0:43:40"go to foreign nations for this part of their education."
0:43:42 > 0:43:46So, following in their footsteps and in need of a little education
0:43:46 > 0:43:51myself, I've come to Vienna, once the capital of the horse-loving
0:43:51 > 0:43:55Hapsbergs, one of the greatest royal dynasties of Europe.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58Because menage not only flourished here during Cavendish's lifetime,
0:43:58 > 0:44:00but still survives here today.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06Now, in Britain, so far we've only had two rulers called Charles,
0:44:06 > 0:44:10but in Austria, Charles' have been rather more successful.
0:44:10 > 0:44:11There were six of them.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15In the early 18th century, Emperor Charles VI decided to
0:44:15 > 0:44:19rebuild his palace complex in the city of Vienna.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23He put in all the usual ballrooms and state apartments
0:44:23 > 0:44:27and also an absolutely stupendous riding house.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33To this day, Charles' palatial riding house is home to the
0:44:33 > 0:44:37Spanish Riding School, one of the few surviving institutions
0:44:37 > 0:44:39dedicated to the art of classical menage.
0:44:42 > 0:44:48The spectacular riding house itself was completed in 1735,
0:44:48 > 0:44:51although the school was founded in the late 16th century,
0:44:51 > 0:44:55around the time that Cavendish and our Charles I were born.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03I've been invited to witness a morning training
0:45:03 > 0:45:07session, where the riders and their Lipizzaner horses practise
0:45:07 > 0:45:10every day in preparation for spectacular shows.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15Just the sort of thing that Cavendish would've done himself.
0:45:15 > 0:45:20CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYS
0:45:44 > 0:45:47This is like being at the theatre, isn't it?
0:45:47 > 0:45:50- We're watching a wonderful show behind us.- It is. It is.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53And every day, hundreds of people come in to see the show
0:45:53 > 0:45:54- just like the theatre.- Yes.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57They come to see the show, but they also come to see
0:45:57 > 0:45:58- the training session. - The training.- Yes.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02So we have... Every day we have the public here.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04Are all the horses here white?
0:46:04 > 0:46:08Well, most of the horses are white, but we always have one or two
0:46:08 > 0:46:12bay horses, brown horses, and that's considered luck for us, you know.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15There's a saying that as long as there is a bay horse
0:46:15 > 0:46:19here at the Spanish Riding School, that the Spanish Riding School
0:46:19 > 0:46:23is going to continue, and so far, it came true, I guess.
0:46:23 > 0:46:28- It's continued for 450 years.- 450 years. Yes, we celebrate this year.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30Why is that?
0:46:30 > 0:46:34Why has it always survived through wars and changes and politics?
0:46:34 > 0:46:36I think a big part of it was that the
0:46:36 > 0:46:39people are proud of the Spanish Riding School here in Vienna.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42Well, I think you need to look after your dark horse.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44- You don't want to lose him. - We will. We will.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47No, no, we'll make sure that we always have one.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50How do you become a rider here? Is it many years of training?
0:46:50 > 0:46:53The first part of the training is about four to five years.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57You learn on a trained horse, so the young student learns from the trained
0:46:57 > 0:47:02horse and then later on the trained rider teaches the young horse.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04That is about the system that we have here.
0:47:04 > 0:47:07So, is that eight years in total?
0:47:07 > 0:47:11- I would say around ten years is about the...- Ten years? Ten years?- Yes.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14Before you're ready to ride here. Fantastic.
0:47:14 > 0:47:18And the riders are training the horses for four or five hours
0:47:18 > 0:47:20every day themselves?
0:47:20 > 0:47:25Yes. Every rider has around seven horses to take care of and to train.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27That's a huge amount of discipline, isn't it?
0:47:27 > 0:47:29Every day, six days a week and riding
0:47:29 > 0:47:32for four hours a day on seven horses.
0:47:32 > 0:47:34- I would say even more than that. - More than that?
0:47:34 > 0:47:35Yeah. Five, five and a half hours.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39Five and a half hours a day, for six days a week, for ten years.
0:47:40 > 0:47:44Well, that is just your education, but then this continues
0:47:44 > 0:47:46until you retire.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48That's an enormous commitment, isn't it?
0:47:48 > 0:47:51Yeah, but it's a great... It's the best thing that you can do.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55Having watched the training, you won't be surprised to learn
0:47:55 > 0:47:59that my request to join in a live show was met
0:47:59 > 0:48:02with a categorical, "No!"
0:48:02 > 0:48:05And when you see one of the Spanish Riding School's
0:48:05 > 0:48:07performances, you'll understand why.
0:48:11 > 0:48:16Since these balletic moves haven't changed for 450 years, I think
0:48:16 > 0:48:20it shows why Cavendish gained such an extraordinary reputation
0:48:20 > 0:48:23when he performed the art in the 17th century.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31This theatre of classical horsemanship has spurred me
0:48:31 > 0:48:35on for my next lesson towards my own public performance.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43Now, it's taken 250 years, but the art of menage is actually having
0:48:43 > 0:48:47a bit of a renaissance through its related sport of dressage,
0:48:47 > 0:48:51in which the British, after all, are now Olympic champions.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54William Cavendish would be pleased to know, that finally,
0:48:54 > 0:48:56menage is coming home.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03Because menage was kept alive with such vigour on the Continent,
0:49:03 > 0:49:08horse ballet, or dressage, became a competitive sport at the turn
0:49:08 > 0:49:12of the 20th century and included in the 1912 Olympic Games.
0:49:15 > 0:49:18Over the years, we Brits have become rather good at it.
0:49:18 > 0:49:22Our former national dressage champion, Joyce Fearn,
0:49:22 > 0:49:24has agreed to give me a quick lesson.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27After all, it's only a few weeks before I've got to get my act
0:49:27 > 0:49:31together for my own public performance in Cavendish's
0:49:31 > 0:49:32riding house.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37- That's incredible, Joyce. - Ah, thank you.
0:49:37 > 0:49:41It looks like he's walking on the tips of his toes, like a little...
0:49:41 > 0:49:44- He's a little elegant person. - He's elegant, isn't he?
0:49:44 > 0:49:47Now what do you think you can teach... Well, what can Damien
0:49:47 > 0:49:50and you teach me to do in the way of dressage moves this morning?
0:49:50 > 0:49:53- Well, we'll get you on the pony and see what you can do.- OK.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56- I don't know how much riding you've done.- Very little.
0:49:56 > 0:49:59Well, I hope I can teach you how to move the horse in the way
0:49:59 > 0:50:02that's not necessarily use your leg and go faster,
0:50:02 > 0:50:06but more a way of move your leg and feel the response from his body
0:50:06 > 0:50:10and how you can move him sideways and backwards
0:50:10 > 0:50:12and forwards without him thinking your leg aid means run away.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15So we'll see what we can do with that.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17This does feel like I'm about to sit an exam,
0:50:17 > 0:50:20knowing that you can get points for this, points for that,
0:50:20 > 0:50:21points for the other.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23It's not about the thrill of the audience,
0:50:23 > 0:50:26- it's all about hitting the mark. - Precision, yes.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29Fingers, and draw your elbows back slightly.
0:50:29 > 0:50:31Lean a little bit forward and put your legs back on him
0:50:31 > 0:50:34and see what effect that has.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37- Ooh, is he going backwards?- Yeah. - LUCY LAUGHS
0:50:37 > 0:50:39- You just told him to. - That's fantastic.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42- He's so well trained, I can put him into reverse.- Yes.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45So let's go. You give him a little squeeze.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47- And, if that doesn't work, he needs a bigger one.- Walk on, please.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50Yes, because he's used to being told what to do. There you go.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52Go faster, go sideways.
0:50:52 > 0:50:54You're on your own now, Lucy.
0:50:54 > 0:50:59Push him over. Well done. Lead with your right rein and over you go.
0:50:59 > 0:51:01Little bit of left leg.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04- Stop. - And then think of reining back.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11- Backwards.- It's all right.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14- Backwards.- Oh, turn on the forehand.
0:51:14 > 0:51:16Oh, you can't go backwards now, cos you're into the wall.
0:51:16 > 0:51:19Could you put him towards the wall again, please, Lucy?
0:51:19 > 0:51:21And now we will halt.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27And I will shorten the reins, and I will go back.
0:51:27 > 0:51:28Back.
0:51:28 > 0:51:29Back?
0:51:30 > 0:51:31Back!
0:51:31 > 0:51:32LUCY GASPS
0:51:32 > 0:51:36He's done it! He's done it! He's done it!
0:51:36 > 0:51:38And stop. And...
0:51:39 > 0:51:41..forwards, please.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44Oh, that didn't work!
0:51:44 > 0:51:47- Put your legs forward. - Forwards, please. Come on.
0:51:49 > 0:51:51Giddy-up. Yes, that's it.
0:51:51 > 0:51:52And we're off.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54Oh, that's much better. Well done, you.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57Olympic Games for you next, I think.
0:51:57 > 0:51:59- How does that feel?- Lovely.
0:51:59 > 0:52:01Oh, you can have an eight for that one.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03No way! An eight?!
0:52:03 > 0:52:05Yeah, cos it doesn't look as though
0:52:05 > 0:52:06it's being done by accident this time.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09- LUCY LAUGHS - Very good, well done.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11"It doesn't look as if it's being done by accident."
0:52:11 > 0:52:13THEY LAUGH
0:52:14 > 0:52:17Right, let's see what the dressage champion Joyce
0:52:17 > 0:52:20has got to say about my riding. This is my scoresheet.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24Collected walk, half pass to the right. Didn't do that.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26Ooh!
0:52:26 > 0:52:30She's given me a good mark for paces, freedom and regularity.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32But I've done less well on submission.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35I haven't been very submissive this morning.
0:52:35 > 0:52:40And she says here, "Must continue with the dressage training."
0:52:40 > 0:52:42Hmm. So I'm not a champion yet.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46Competitive dressage has renewed that ancient link
0:52:46 > 0:52:49between manege and royalty.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52Think of both Princess Anne and Zara Phillips.
0:52:52 > 0:52:54I've also discovered that the skills of manege
0:52:54 > 0:52:58are used in another, very regal spectacle of horsemanship
0:52:58 > 0:53:02on a visit to the barracks at the Royal Horse Artillery.
0:53:04 > 0:53:05Thank you.
0:53:17 > 0:53:20This is fantastic fun, they come like that.
0:53:20 > 0:53:21Yeah, the split.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23Not without its perils, I have to say.
0:53:27 > 0:53:32The King's Troop was set up in 1946 to commemorate the tactics
0:53:32 > 0:53:36used by the Royal Artillery in the battlefield.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39Their ceremonial displays at royal and state functions,
0:53:39 > 0:53:42such as the Queen's birthday, keep alive the skills
0:53:42 > 0:53:45used by the artillery before mechanisation,
0:53:45 > 0:53:49when they charged into position and fired their guns
0:53:49 > 0:53:52before repositioning their horses for the next attack.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55And what is fascinating is that the original training
0:53:55 > 0:53:59at the Royal Horse Artillery can be traced directly back
0:53:59 > 0:54:02to manege and the Spanish Riding School.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06- So is this an actual gun from the First World War?- It is, yeah.
0:54:06 > 0:54:10All of our guns were built just before the First World War,
0:54:10 > 0:54:12and most likely all of them saw action in the First World War.
0:54:12 > 0:54:15- And were they pulled into position by the horses?- Yes, yeah.
0:54:15 > 0:54:19These are... The quickfire 13lb gun was a horse artillery gun,
0:54:19 > 0:54:21so, yes, it was pulled in by horses.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24I'm quite intrigued by the links between this modern,
0:54:24 > 0:54:27very technical art of horsemanship and the art of manege.
0:54:27 > 0:54:32When horse artillery was first brought into the British Army,
0:54:32 > 0:54:35the Duke of Richmond got in a chap called Captain Quist,
0:54:35 > 0:54:39who had the knowledge from the Continent of horse artillery
0:54:39 > 0:54:40and was able to teach them.
0:54:40 > 0:54:43So this is Captain Quist. He actually trained
0:54:43 > 0:54:45at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna before he came over to us.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48Well, I recognise these pillars that are used in the art of manege
0:54:48 > 0:54:51- and that's essentially what he's doing.- Mm, yes.
0:54:51 > 0:54:55What could he offer as an expert in manege to the British Army?
0:54:55 > 0:54:57The artillery was slow before he came in,
0:54:57 > 0:55:00and that was because most of the gunners who actually manned the guns
0:55:00 > 0:55:03and fired them walked next to the artillery rather than riding.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07The skills he was able to bring, and the connection with the horse
0:55:07 > 0:55:10that he was able to teach the soldiers
0:55:10 > 0:55:12meant that they could ride alongside the guns
0:55:12 > 0:55:15and they'd be a lot faster and a lot more manoeuvrable on the battlefield.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18So you're saying that the skills of the manege -
0:55:18 > 0:55:19which is not so much about going fast
0:55:19 > 0:55:22but it's about changing direction very quickly, isn't it? -
0:55:22 > 0:55:23that would have been useful
0:55:23 > 0:55:25in pulling these big, shiny guns around?
0:55:25 > 0:55:27Yes. Turning on a battlefield is very important.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30If you go in a straight line very fast in the wrong direction,
0:55:30 > 0:55:32you're not going to be of any help to anyone.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35So, yes, it is being able to put yourself in the right position,
0:55:35 > 0:55:37and that involves using manoeuvrability and turning.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51This is the gravestone of a legendary member
0:55:51 > 0:55:53of the Royal Horse Artillery.
0:55:53 > 0:55:58It reads, "Underneath here lies an old horse called Wonder,
0:55:58 > 0:56:02"who had lived to the extraordinary age of 40 years."
0:56:02 > 0:56:07And the legendary Wonder belonged to Captain Quist himself,
0:56:07 > 0:56:10who lived to the extraordinary age of 91.
0:56:10 > 0:56:12And I like to think of Captain Quist
0:56:12 > 0:56:16and his "Wonder-horse" coming from the circus-like atmosphere
0:56:16 > 0:56:20of the Spanish Riding School and teaching their skills
0:56:20 > 0:56:23to the very serious officers of the British Army,
0:56:23 > 0:56:26who would use them in the very serious arena of the battlefield.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30And it strikes me that all of these great horseman of the past -
0:56:30 > 0:56:34Captain Quist, William Cavendish, even Henry VIII -
0:56:34 > 0:56:36have something in common.
0:56:36 > 0:56:41Their control of the horse gives them control of themselves,
0:56:41 > 0:56:43which leads to control over other people
0:56:43 > 0:56:48and, in the case of a king or queen, that stands for control of a nation.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57So, finally, it's time to put my training to the test
0:56:57 > 0:56:59and to perform for the paying public.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02Watch out, everybody - I'm on the hoof.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08- Now or never. - HOOVES STOMP
0:57:08 > 0:57:11Look, he's pawing the ground, he's ready to go.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13I think he's readier than I am!
0:57:14 > 0:57:17Oh, oh, oh, oh.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20Oh! And we're off!
0:58:13 > 0:58:14I'd like to get off now!
0:58:14 > 0:58:16LAUGHTER
0:58:16 > 0:58:19So...how did I do, Ben?
0:58:19 > 0:58:22- It was good.- What's the verdict? - Well done.
0:58:22 > 0:58:24Was that the rear of the year?
0:58:24 > 0:58:26I think that was definitely your rear of the year.
0:58:26 > 0:58:28I think it was the rear of the century!
0:58:28 > 0:58:30SHE LAUGHS
0:58:30 > 0:58:32Well, thanks, Armando.