PAT BOOT SHIELD

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28802, 24 January 1959, Page 5

PAT BOOT SHIELD

A LTHOUGH there should be . many interesting individual performances in the annual athletic contest for the Pat Boot Memorial Shield at Rugby Park today, Technical looks likely to ■retain the shield for none of the other clubs appears to have sufficient strength through all grades to cause an upset. Begun in 1947 by the South Canterbury sub-centre, as a memorial to

the Empire Games champion, Pat Boot, one of New Zealand’s greatest athletes, the competition emphasises team effort. Most of the track events are relays and the field events are decided on the aggregate performance of three club members. In many cases, particularly in the smaller clubs, athletes have to compete outside their ’normal range of events so a club can complete its team for an event. The contest is open to all South Island clubs. The responsibility for organising it rests with the club holding the shield Technical has had a remarkable run of successes and except for 1955 when Toe H won, it has held the shield since it first won it in 1949.

The meeting has been responsible for some fine performances and contests and it is a pity that interest in the competition has been mainly confined to Canterbury clubs. One exception, however, has been the North Otago club which has been a consistent competitor. Pat Boot died 11 years ago, aged 32, while under an anaesthetic during a dental operation. He was born at Ashburton and

s received his secondary education 1 at Waitaki Boys’ High School, - and Timaru Boys’ High School. t He made athletic history in c South Canterbury when he ran j a mile in 4min 26 4-ssec, an s Empire schoolboys’ record. He - twice won the New Zealand 880 s yards championship and was the holder of the mile title. i He represented New Zealand j at the Olympic Games at Berlin

in 1936 and at the Empire Games in 1938 at Sydney where he ran a Imin 51.2 sec half mile, the fastest time ever recorded by a New Zealander.. He also held the New Zealand record of Imin 53 2-ssec until it was beaten by D. M. Harris in 1946. Pat Boot served in the Pacific, the Middle East and Italy during the war. After the war he maintained an interest in athletics and coached in Gisborne.