ART OF STARTING

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 14 January 1928, Page 11

ART OF STARTING

THE MAN BEHIND THE GUN.

BEATING THE PISTOL.

TRACK “SLINTER” OF THE OLD DAYS.

(By ‘ ‘Physical Culturist”)

As anticipated in this column oi Decern oer is, cue starter lor tne Australasian cbampionsiup meeting proved to De \\, T. (.xJorrie; Leslie, ex-cixampion wallier, ana ironi an accounts iie nas rairly earned nis title oi “prince ol starters.' 5 To get tnrough a three days’ meeting, unere every competitor is a cnampion strung up to concei t pitch, witnout any competitor getting a break on tbe gun, is an achievement any starter may justly be proud or. in conversation witn Mr. Len. LLunt on tile conduct or the recent meeting, he expressed the opinion that Dorrie Leslie is tne best starter lie has ever seen, standing for no trickery, while at tne same time not unduly l causing nerve strain while waiting on the mark. To be a successful starter one must possess the confidence of the competitors that he will not in one event adopt one method and in the next a ditferent one. Consistency is tne keynote to success. This faculty Mr. Leslie seems to possess to a marked degree, i understand that the overseas competitors rank him second I to none, which speaks for itself. In late years the best club starters that have come under my notice are W. Dixon, of Masterton, and Leo. Marker, of Hawera. Both of these officials are a valuable asset to then clubs. Mr. Dixon has been to a great extent responsible for the success oi the Masterton Club. I only once at an important meeting saw him fire the second barrel. Tbis was in & 100, where the American Scholz was on the mark. The majority of spectators exclaimed “What for?” but while Scholz was down to a dead set one of the handicap runners was on tlic move as the report was beard. That move was equal to at least an additional yard to* his start, and. Starter Dixon had the backbone to bring them back for a fresh start. The reason so many starters fail to despatch the men to an even start is the plain fact the competitors have no confidence in the man with the gun. Down through the years 1 have .seen all sorts of starters, good, bad and indifferent. Mr. Hartgill, who first officiated at Feilding some 40 years ago, was one of the best of the old school. Before the word set was introduced it was rare to see a man move before the gun. Mr. Hart gill had a fine personality,, and held the respect of the athletes in tlic days when it was a usual .sight to see the competitors in a. sprint race continuously breaking away; every runner was afraid the other fellow would steal a march on the pistol. More often than not some runner would be yards out in front when the pistol was fired. At sports on the Wanganui racecourse in the ’eighties.l once saw the starter go back to the scratch man in a- quarter, satisfy himself he was on . his mark, then walk on toward the limit man after saying “Get ready.” The nearest man was on about 10 yards. When opposite this man he fired the pistol, hut as he walked forward the scratch man was also advancing, and went off with a flying start from 10 yards' to win! The first starter to introduce the set start on this coast was J. G. McNaught at the Caledonian sports in Wanganui, and to him is largely due the. credit of the dead set- start. '‘Old Mac” used to err a little too much in keeping competitors waiting after giving the word set, hut gradually the peds. learned the lesson that it was useless .trying to heat the gun. Bight on his heels enme another good starter. Geo. Watson, of Wellington, q handienpper, who. to ensure the runners would start from the marks he allotted them, also acted as starter. He also adopted the style of “Get on your marks, ready, set,” and ns soon asi all were, motionless, would let her go. Watson sensed it was an undue strain to keep men waiting. The TTnwera starter. Mr. Leo. Mnrter. reminds me of Watson in his method of getting them away.

I have heard athletes who have been used to the word “set” ask a- starter “Are you giving the word set?” and receive a reply in the affirmative. Then has come “Get ready,” and while waiting for the word “set” the S’ 1 '* lias hanged, the confiding ped. being left standing. When asked why lie had misled them in that way the starter has replied, “I am not letting you get any flys on to me.” Then he has wondered why he eonld not get even starts for the rest of the day. He had lost the confidence of the pedis, and: really had no confidence in himself. A man whose word cannot he relied on has no moral right to hold the gun. Peds. could bank on the word of Starters Hartgill, McNaught and Watson that they would not vary in their method of desnatch. The Australian pros, who had been used to Carrington and l Botany starters, where handicapping had heen brought down to fractions, even to half-yards, were unanimous in opinion that .this old- trio were the best in New Zealand, giving the palm to George Watson, who was succeeded !>v Dorrie Leslie, the friend of all gen nine triers. ON THE BLIND SIDE OF THE STARTER.

One day in Wanganui, self and Billy Watts met W. H. Corby, athletic writer for the “Herald.” During the course of conversation W.H.C. enquired if Watts was going to nominate at M— —. “Oh, yes,” was the reply, “I must nominate at M . I always get a good innings out there. Joe N— — i s starter, and I can always get a fly on old Joe.” W.H.C.: “How’s that, Carbine?”

“Oh, well, Joe always says set, turns his head to one side, shuts his eyes, and fires.” We said nothing, but I made a mental resolve, as I also was entering at those sports in the same events _ as Watts. In due course we all arrived on the track. I at once made a bee line for the starter, when the following dialogue took place: “Good morning, are you Mr. N ?”—“Yes.” “I believe von are the starter?”— “Yes.”

“Well. I hope you will keep an eye on Watts and see that he does not heat you to-dav. He has told more than one that he can always win under old Joe N ; that Joe always says set, turns his head aside, shuts his eyes and fires the gun, and he can always got a flying start. Now. Mr. N— /you know whether you do that or not.”

Starter: “Oh, did lie? Well, I’ll see that he doesn’t to-day, at anyrate.” A few minutes later we stood on our mark's in Ihe 100, and the starter was true to his word. Crisply sounded the words “All ready, set. Watts, go hack a. yard 1 Set. \Vatts, go hack

another yard; if you break again 111 disqualify you.” Again “set,” and then the gun went. Billy get away with the crowd, but not to win. In the 220 yards the starter kept his eye on Billy, while 1 watched the starter and got a good start. The ruse had worked. Tears after this occurrence I met old Carbine, and in running our races over again asked if he remembered that day at M . He replied, “Yes, one of my off days.” I then told him how it happened. Billy slapped his thighs and laughed heartily, remarking, “I have often wondered how it was old Joe had me set that day.”

“A GOOD THING.”

One day at Birmingham, now known as Kimboiton, Watts and I decided to join forces against another combination who were aiming to win at our expense. Billy was looked on as the likely winner of tne 220 hurdles and i as dangerous iu the quarter fiat. From information received we learned chat Watts was to be capsized in the nurdles and i likewise in the- quartei. So we put our heads together and discussed the pros .and cons, and concluded that if not interfered with we would be able to linisn first and second in each event —Watts could win the hurdles and I the quarter, provided we got a clear run. As it was obvious that we were to be interfered with, we decided that Watts would go after the quarter and I after the hurdles. lo this end we both accepted in the quarter, in which Carbine was not considered dangerous. From pistol fire I discovered 1 was the marked man, beam jostled left and right. This went ' oif for 150 yards, when I pulled outWatts in the meantime had opened up a big gap, which our opponents could not reduce, and won easily. When it came to the hurdles Carbine was the watched man, while I got a clear run and won. In those days it was a case of each man for himself —with sometimes a slice of luck thrown in.

IKE WATTS’S RECORD

Wilting of Watts, recalls another I. Watts, one time of Uawera, a really good handicap runner. Billy and Ike nave often been referred to as brothers. As a matter of fact they were much together, but were not related. At Uawera in 1887 on the one day he won the maiden, 100 yards, 220 yards, and 440 yards—a good beginning—which ’he followed up- by other good performances further afield. I have no record of all his performances, but he ran in good company. Looking up some old newspaper reports, I notice at Inglewood in a 220 yards handicap 1. Watts was -second; won by J. H. King, G. Ware ham third. In the 440 yards handicap W . Webster first, I. Watts- -second, G. Ware bam third. Watts was standing Webster up three yards, and the latter was not slow. At Hunterville the year that Wareham was the surprise packet, winning the three sprints and -second in the- half, Ike ran second in the 100 and third in the 220, Jimmv King being second, while I liad to be content with second in the 440. A. W. Watts won the bracelet the' same day. At an Elt-ham meeting, according to the report of the sports, 100 yards, I. Watts- first, Wareham second', Corbett third. Time- for the final, 9 3-5 s ec. The handicap marks are not mentioned, but in similar events around that period Ike’s mark would range from five to seven yards; the time- returned will convince that he could stride faii-ly fast. From personal experience I can vouch that he was consistently amongst the cracks. In the 220 handicap, I. Watts first, Wareham -second, Terry third; an excellent race. Terry was the ped. who later trained Donaldson, the- Australian 'world’s record holder over 300 yards. The Eltham handicap, 440 yards, was won by Wareham, I. Watts second, Laurent thir-d. Ike had other good performances to his credit of which I have no record. I recollect competing against him at an Easter meeting at Wellington over 30 years ago, the final sports for the season, at which all tlie stars of that period in New Zealand -seemed to have rounded iip. and from which a number went to Australia and did well.