Flying Barding

The Flying Barding (also called The Iron Horse and Metallic Flying Horse) is a mechanical steed that first appears in the original Dragon's Lair as one of the rooms inside The Castle. A floating horse barding that may or may not be sentient, it quickly takes off at full speed with Dirk just barely managing to navigate its direction. As Dirk flies through the room, he must quickly act to evade the walls of stone and fire. If Dirk crashes into any of the walls, the Barding is destroyed in the collision. After the Barding crash lands at the end of the stage, Dirk is able to use an exit in order to advance.

Other Appearances

Dragon's Lair: Escape from Singe's Castle

Referred to in the game's demo disks as "The Iron Horse" and in the ReadySoft game manual as "Metallic Flying Horse", Dirk finds the horse and awakens the sleeping mount after reaching up for the gem on the horse's forehead. The horse attempts to carry the knight straight towards a wall of fire, which Dirk must avoid.

Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair

The Flying Barding does not appear in Dragon's Lair 3D: Return to the Lair, although a 1999 IGN interview with Rick Dyer references it as being originally envisioned for inclusion to showcase the game’s fully three-dimensional controls and expanded focus on exploration:

There's tons of new challenges. For example, remember the original horse scenario where Dirk was riding on this mechanical horse and having to dodge a fiery brick wall? Well in the 3D version you actually get to control Dirk and the horse and so that gives you access to parts of the castle that you could never get to before.

Dragon's Lair (TV series)

The Flying Barding appears briefly in the series' first episode "Tale of the Enchanted Gift" as one of the traps that Dirk encounters in Cinge's dark castle as he, Timothy, and Bertram attempt a rescue mission of Princess Daphne.

Trivia

• In the 1984 Marvel Coloring/Activity book Dirk the Daring Battles the Black Knight, the activity challenge on page 39 suggests that Dirk is able to stay on the flying horse thanks to saddle glue.
• The Ruby-Spears Space Ace TV series episode Wanted: Dexter! features “Hover Horses” that resemble the Flying Barding with a more science-fiction aesthetic.
• It is featured in Cardsmiths' Dragon's Lair trading card series as card #19 ("HORSELESS"), with the description: "Save a horse, ride an armor! Dirk gets taken for a ride on a suit of magically animated suit equestrian armor. Will he be able to reign in this galloping getup?"

Gallery

Production Art

Screencaps

Trading Cards