Organisers of the medieval sport of Jousting are hoping to get Olympic recognition.
English Heritage have created an online petition, that they hope will help Tokyo 2020 organisers consider the sport for the Games in four years time.
The sport is currently not recognised by equestrian sport's World governing body The FEI. For Jousting to be considered for a place in Japan, it must first be gain FEI recognition.
"We are being deadly serious," Lucy Hutchings, English Heritage’s head of projects told The Guardian. "It is an incredible spectator sport, a really fascinating thing to watch. The skill of the knight and the horses make it a great thing to witness... we absolutely believe it deserves its place at the Olympic table."
The sports sees two people in armour suits carry a 12ft wooden lance, while riding a horse. The sport had King Henry VIII as its most famous competitor.
"Given what sports have been submitted to the Olympics over the years, I don’t think there is any reason that something which has been a sport for over a thousand years should not be considered", Dominic Sewell, English Heritage’s jousting expert, added.
With competition timetables being expected to be settled up for the Tokyo Games in the coming years, jousting's time may be running out.
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