Tourneys and jousting

[DanHoward]

Originally Posted by Icelander

But beyond that, if someone can afford only a single set of armour, meant to be usable in the field and at least passable in the joust, why should be be prevented from competing?.

Historically if someone could only afford a single suit of armour then he would not be close to the wealth and status required to compete in a tournament. The later in period you look, the worse it gets. By the end only rulers and their wealthiest vassals competed in jousts. Think of a single jousting competitor as a Formula One racing team and the amount of money required to put a car in a F1 event.