Deadliest tournament (military contest)

The highest number of deaths at a tournament was 60, which was recorded at an event that took place in Neuss (in present-day Germany) in May 1241.

Contemporary records suggest that deaths at tournaments – while far from unheard of – were fairly unusual events, considered shocking by spectators, and not as common as might be expected given the full-contact hand-to-hand combat that was the main event. In terms of the level of risk, a tourney was probably about as dangerous as, for example, mid-20th-century motor racing.

The high body count at Neuss is ascribed to the conditions that spring; the weather was exceptionally hot, and had been for some time. The men and horses of the mêlée churned up a choking cloud of dust, which enveloped the field. The dust made it hard to breathe, which proved deadly for the knights pushing themselves to their physical limits in heavy (up to 40 kg) tournament armour, padded clothes and mail.

On other occasions, unusually deadly tournaments were ascribed to too much bad blood between the participants. In areas where armed conflicts were common, for example, a tournament might bring together mortal enemies for a "friendly" contest. It was not unhead of for these mock battles to turn into actual battles, and sometimes noblemen arrived with a force of regular infantry to back them up if things went bad.