 In the "History of William Marshal", the biography of the knight assigned to him as a tutor in 1170 and his tournament team leader until 1182, he is described as a constant competitor at tournaments across northern and central France between 1175 and 1182.With his cousins, Philip I, Count of Flanders, and Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut, he was a key patron of the sport.He is said to have spent over £200 a day on the great retinue of knights he brought to the tournament of Lagny-sur-Marne in November 1179.