Medieval group hosts tourney

PORTALES — The Society of Creative Anachronism is more than just living in medieval times.

It's about family.

That is according to long-time members of the local Clovis/Portales shire, or chapter, Blackwaterkeep.

The SCA is an international nonprofit organization "dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th Century Europe," according to its website.

Sam Hudspeth of Clovis has been a member of SCA since 1979 and has participated in SCA events and tournaments all over the world with her husband, who was in the military for 20 years.

Hudspeth said she and her husband moved every two to three years during their time in the military.

"What the SCA has been to me is family. These are the people who understood me and accepted me for who I was," said Hudspeth, known as Samilya Gyrhart in the SCA realm. "When we were military and we knew where we were going, we'd call the place we were going, and we already had a group of friends waiting when we got there, because there was usually a (SCA) group nearby. We were welcomed everywhere we went. It is one of the most amazing feelings to know you already have friends (in a new place)."

The local chapter hosted the all day "Blackwaterkeep Collegiate and Defender Tournament" Saturday in Portales City Park where members of The Outlands shire came from New Mexico, Colorado and Texas.

"We have not had a tournament in years. It's kind of a resurgence of trying to build up the local chapter," said Mary Murphy of Clovis, also known as Aveline of Blackwaterkeep.

"This is kind of huge because the king and queen are coming from Colorado. It's a big deal. The last time they were here was a while ago. It's a really big thing for us," she said, adding that a major event/tournament has not been held locally since 2012.

"We're hoping this will be the first of many for these kind of events in Portales, because we're really trying to build up the organization here," Murphy said. "It's really kind of amazing we have a Clovis/Portales group, just because of how small we are and how far away everything is. It's pretty exciting to have one here in our own backyard."

The morning portion of the Saturday event entailed SCA members mingling and teaching classes, such as Hudspeth's class teaching members about anthropological discoveries from the Anglo-Saxon era, beginning archery construction and embroidery. The afternoon entailed crowning the event champion and a large feast with venison and chicken.

"I think if there is anything the SCA embodies it's courtesy," said Johnny Scasadi, or Devon, of Portales, the seneschal, or president, of the local group. "It's not like going to a karate competition, because you never see the people after the (karate) competition. When we have tournaments and stuff, we fight and then two hours later, you're feasting with that person and hanging out with that person, telling jokes. It's more friendly than any other organization I've been in."