Tom Nader
Thomas C. Nader is a lifelong student of history, martial arts, and all things medieval and Renaissance-related. He began his Renaissance career at the age of 19, working in a variety of roles at the Ohio Renaissance Festival, including stage performer, street cast member, and fight choreographer.
Eventually, his passion for horseback riding, combined with his love of animals, led him to the world of jousting. Somewhere along the way, he also found time to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art and Design.
Thomas spent 21 years working for a two-time Tony Award-winning regional theater and can proudly boast that his work has appeared on stages from New York to Los Angeles, the United Kingdom, and everywhere in between. Over the years, he has studied nine different combat arts, horsemanship, and multiple periods of historical reenactment and living history.
Throughout all of these endeavors, Thomas has never lost his passion for learning and expanding his knowledge. Today, he brings more than 36 years of experience to Combatant’s Keep Jousting, combining his expertise in history, performance, horsemanship, and martial arts into the unique and immersive experience the team is known for.
James Fortner
James Fortner is a highly respected veteran of the jousting industry, bringing decades of experience, skill, and dedication to the sport. Prior to his jousting career, he served seven years in the United States military, including service in both the Air Force and the Marine Corps.
This year marks 30 consecutive years of jousting, a remarkable achievement accomplished without taking a single year away from the sport. For much of his career, James performed and competed approximately ten months out of every year, maintaining that demanding schedule until about four years ago.
James has earned international recognition in competitive jousting, achieving a ranking as high as 5th in the world while competing against some of the finest jousters from countries including Poland, Germany, and many others. His résumé is exceptionally extensive, reflecting a level of experience, longevity, and number of passes that is virtually unmatched within the industry.
In addition to his competitive accomplishments, James has been featured in numerous documentaries, historical programs, and interviews focused on the history and practice of jousting. His expertise, accomplishments, and contributions to the sport have established him as one of the most respected and recognizable figures in the jousting community.
Known for his skill, determination, and commanding presence on the field, James is regarded by peers and competitors alike as a formidable force in the sport—one whose reputation has been earned through decades of dedication and excellence.
Samuel Ryals
Samuel Ryals is a world-renowned fencer and lifelong equestrian. The son of a decorated United States Air Force colonel and one of America’s most accomplished rodeo drill team captains, his discipline and professionalism is a welcome sight for the future of jousting. Ever since childhood, he’s ridden horses and competed in a variety of sports garnering him a competent and competitive edge in whatever athletic art he pursues. He is passionate about history and brings the love of his craft with a sense of patriotism to Combatants’ Keep.
Sam’s first steps in becoming a knight in armor were during his studies at Ohio University. During his time there, he was a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, the vice president of the OU fencing club, and a cavalry reenactor with retired jouster Bill Gay, who introduced him to Tom Nader. Starting off as a squire in 2018, Sam was soon afforded the chance to prove himself with a borrowed suit of armor and won the 2019 jousting tournament of Versailles, KY. He’s since then invested in his own late 15th century style armor and honed his skill alongside his colleagues, hoping to leave his mark on the North American jousting scene.
In the same time, he’s gathered numerous accolades from historical European martial arts tournaments stretching across the nation and abroad. His study of swordsmanship has taken him across Germany and into more than a score of fencing schools. He’s currently among the top 1% of HEMA practitioners worldwide and trains fencers in multiple disciplines for the Gem City Duelists’ Society and the Queen City Sword Guild.
Despite being the youngest knight in the troupe, his skill has stood toe-to-toe with the best in and out of the arena. Whether it is in armor against seasoned buhurt veterans, with longswords fighting Europe’s best, or on horseback facing the old guard which has built the foundations of the American knight, he does not shy from any challenge and will be sure to perform well on his path.
Michael Knab
Michael Knab has been involved in the jousting world since 2015 and has performed with three different jousting troops throughout his career. His experience spans both performance and behind-the-scenes operations, giving him a well-rounded understanding of what it takes to run a successful show.
In addition to performing, Michael currently serves as Stage Manager for Combatants Keep Jousting, helping coordinate show logistics, horse and rider preparation, and overall event operations. His leadership role reflects both his experience within the industry and his passion for the team environment that live performance requires.
Outside of the arena, horses have been a part of Michael’s life since he was seven years old. Riding on and off throughout the years built a lifelong appreciation for horsemanship that eventually led him into the world of medieval entertainment and competitive jousting.
Michael enjoys helping create immersive experiences for audiences while continuing to grow within the jousting community alongside his fellow performers, riders, and crew.
Kasia Burroughs
Katarzyna “Kasia” Burroughs has been involved with horses for as long as she can remember, receiving her first pony at the age of six. Her equestrian career began in 4-H and later advanced through the United States Pony Club, where she earned her C2 rating and a Silver Medal in Dressage at the USPC Championships.
Throughout her riding career, Kasia has had the opportunity to train with some of the top riders and instructors in the United States, including Olympic-level coaches and 4* eventers and upper level dressage riders. During her time in Pony Club, she actively competed in eventing (USEA), hunter/jumper, and dressage (USDF) disciplines, while also gaining experience in AQHA Hunt Seat, western, and saddle seat riding.
Kasia possesses extensive knowledge of horsemanship and equine health, driven by her longtime goal of becoming an equine veterinarian. Her hands-on experience and dedication to the equestrian world have given her a strong foundation in horse care, training, and management.
She later founded her own lesson program and show team, Hawks Hollow Equestrian, named after her first pony, Hawkeye. Through her program, Kasia focused on developing riders’ skills while promoting strong horsemanship and sportsmanship.
Since 2018, Kasia has also been involved with Combatants’ Keep as a Master of Horses, working toward her goal of becoming a competitive jouster.
John Brough
With a background in dance and music, John has been performing in various areas of Renaissance festivals for over a decade. He began his Renaissance career as a musician, playing trumpet for jousts, and over the years developed a growing interest in the sport itself.
In 2021, he joined Combatants Keep as a squire, performing at several shows while further exploring that interest. During this time, he also served as a marshal at select events. It wasn’t until the 2024 season that he made the transition from squire and occasional marshal to serving as a full-time marshal.
John originally performed from the ground, but as he spent more time with the company, he expanded his horsemanship skills and, by 2025, was performing marshal duties from horseback. He most enjoys interacting with the crowd and the knights during shows and is always ready to crack a joke when the opportunity presents itself.
While he has spent years supporting the action from the sidelines and in the lyst, John has considered taking up jousting himself and hopes one day to make the leap and join the knights in full armor.
Christian deXavier
Kevin Wilson, better known by his stage name as Lord Christian deXavier, has been doing medieval reenactment with various groups for well over three decades, and has been participating as a joust squire since 2016. Christian joined Combatants Keep in 2018 and has been an integral part of the group ever since.
During the 2024 season, Christian served as the Master of the List, a mainly behind-the-scene position that helps keep the show on course by ensuring each squire knows their job, the list is set, and horses and knights are ready on time. While Christian has officially stepped back from that role to spend more time with his wife and two young daughters, his experience and leadership is often still highly valued by the rest of the team.
One of the other things that sets Christian apart from many of the rest of Combatants Keep is that he grew up actually fearing horses, and started taking horsemanship and riding lessons as a way to push past that fear. Over ten years later, few would ever guess that he didn’t grow up loving horses.
Christian’s love of “all things medieval” is apparent in his continued involvement with several other groups. In addition to squiring for Combatants Keep, he also participates in the Society for Creative Anachronism, fights with and announces for various Kentucky Buhurt teams, and serves as the Lord of the Village of Marshfield within the Empire of Medieval Pursuits.
Cassidy McMullen
Cassidy McMullen has been a part of Combatants Keep since 2021 and currently serves as the head squire. In this role, Cassidy assists the stage manager in running the show, training the grounds crew, and ensuring that all safety standards are upheld to the highest degree. While many colleagues aspire to become jousters one day, Cassidy is happiest working on the ground. Their favorite part of being involved with this incredible opportunity is bringing living history to modern audiences while providing education in a safe and positive environment.
Hailey Wright
Hailey Wright is brand new to the joust troop this year, but she has aspirations to be involved for years to come. She is lovingly referred to as “Uppies” by the rest of the crew. Her responsibilities as a squire often have her ensuring that the horses are feeling and looking their best. She spends her mornings before a day of shows braiding, grooming, bathing, and tending to the horses. Hailey has a background in western riding, and has spent the last year riding as much as she can. She spends time in-between festivals helping to ride and exercise the horses, and is working closely with the knights to understand the style of riding that jousting requires. Now, she has around five years of riding under her belt, and she is excited to continue learning horsemanship and martial styles from the talented crew she works with at Combatants Keep. It is a dream come true for her to work with this group, and she is hopeful to learn to joust one day.
Jason Jardine
Jason “Jayson” Jardine has been involved with horses for nearly 25 years. He took his first riding lessons while in high school and has been passionate about horses ever since. Jason began as an English rider, but after about two years, he transitioned to Western riding, where he has remained ever since.
Jason brings a wealth of knowledge in both horsemanship and overall horse care. He owns several horses and actively rides and competes in a variety of equestrian disciplines, including cattle sorting, team penning, roping, and cutting. He also participates in charity events that help raise money for local children’s hospitals, often bringing his horses so families can meet and interact with them.
In addition to his equestrian experience, Jason holds a degree in Social Science from the University of Georgia and contributes a wealth of historical knowledge to the Combatants Keep team.
When Jason is not traveling, competing, or working with Combatants Keep, he can be found on his cattle ranch in southeastern Ohio, where he continues to expand his knowledge and passion for the equestrian world.
J.J. Conlon
James “JJ” Conlon is a United States Air Force veteran who chose to enlist after the attack against the United States on September 11th, 2001. He served as an geospatial intelligence analyst and MQ9 sensor operator during Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Odyssey Dawn, returning to civilian life in 2013.
He was introduced to Combatants’ Keep through Samuel Ryals in 2024, the both of them being members of the Gem City Duelists’ Society. JJ’s recognized as a seasoned and respected historical European martial arts practitioner, particularly with messers and arming swords with bucklers. His instruction on the weapons is not just given in the Dayton Duelists’ Society but also at the Queen City Sword Guild and the Hilt and Helm Pittsburgh Fencing Club. He is also a talented artist receiving commissions for decorating fencing equipment with elaborate designs that have been witnessed across the country.
Known for his solid work ethic and knowledge in social sciences, he is a valued member of the crew for his dedicated efforts. He and Sam are best friends and an excellent duo, they’re seen as a force to be reckoned with in efficiency and martial skill after years of study and training
Christian Hysell
Christian Hysell has been involved in the Renaissance festival community for over four years, bringing enthusiasm, dedication, and a love of historical and fantasy-inspired activities wherever he goes. His passion for horses began at a young age, spending time with his aunt and enjoying opportunities to ride whenever he could.
Outside of the Renaissance festival world, Christian is an avid LARPer and participates in boffer combat, where he enjoys the camaraderie, strategy, and excitement of immersive combat sports. These experiences have helped develop his appreciation for historical martial traditions, storytelling, and interactive entertainment.
Whether he’s working behind the scenes, interacting with guests, or taking part in combat activities, Christian enjoys helping create memorable experiences for audiences and fellow participants alike. His enthusiasm for the Renaissance community and its unique blend of history, fantasy, and fellowship continues to fuel his involvement year after year.
Alik Schrader
Alik is entering his third season with Combatants Keep and his third year competing in armored combat. Horses have been a part of his life for as long as he can remember, giving him a strong foundation in horsemanship that carries over into both training and competition.
When he’s not on the tournament field, Alik works on a racehorse farm in Kentucky, where he continues to develop his skills and deepen his connection with the animals he has spent his life around. His experience with horses, combined with his dedication to armored combat, makes him a valuable member of the Combatants Keep team.
Whether caring for racehorses or stepping into armor for competition, Alik brings hard work, determination, and a passion for the equestrian lifestyle to everything he does.
Breanna Lengefeld
Combatant’s Keep’s Medical Officer, Breanna Lengefeld, RN, brings a passion for both healthcare and living history to the lyst. Drawing on extensive clinical experience and emergency care training, she is dedicated to keeping the riders, horses, squires, and crew safe while supporting the team’s commitment to authentic combat and entertainment.
As a registered nurse, Breanna combines professional medical knowledge with a calm, steady presence during both training sessions and live performances. She plays a vital role in event preparedness, injury assessment, and ensuring that safety remains a priority without detracting from the excitement and realism that audiences expect from a full-contact jousting experience.
Beyond her medical responsibilities, Breanna shares a deep appreciation for history, horsemanship, and the camaraderie that make the jousting community unique. Her dedication to the well-being of the team allows Combatant’s Keep performers to compete with confidence, knowing they have a skilled medical professional standing ready to assist whenever needed.
Whether preparing for a day in the lyst, supporting the crew behind the scenes, or responding when the unexpected occurs, Breanna exemplifies the professionalism, compassion, and commitment that help keep Combatant’s Keep performing at its best.
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