Women In England Can Now Compete Like Brienne Of Tarth

Brienne of Tarth has been kicking lots of butt on Game Of Thrones for years now, but real female knights are only now getting a chance to show off their skills. According to ABC, this summer will mark the first time ever that women will be able to compete in jousting competitions at castles across the United Kingdom. Historically, women were not allowed to be knights who took part in jousting tournaments. But, English Heritage, a nonprofit that manages historic sites, felt it was time to finally change that after a thousand years. They decided to ditch cultural accuracy and instead focus on girl power. "[I]n order to bring our visitors the opportunity to witness some of the most accomplished knights on the circuit, it made complete sense to invite the leading female jousters to join us this summer," Emily Sewell, English Heritage's head of events, said. This Saturday, Nicky Willis, the 2013 Joust Champion, gets the honor of being the first woman to compete at English Heritage's annual Grand Medieval Joust at Kenilworth Castle. Willis is certainly excited to show off her jousting prowess, saying in a statement, Kenilworth is home to "one of England’s strongest women, Queen Elizabeth I — so it’s the perfect place to sort the women from the boys!" May the best woman win.