THE NEW ZEALAND ATHLETES

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8931, 15 July 1892, Page 6

THE NEW ZEALAND ATHLETES

[by one of them.J O.N" BOA HP.

We are all well, and at last beginning to realise we shall soon be in the land of our looked for adventures. We are having, I suppose, the usual run of voyages, varying weather, from the cold at the Horn to the

heat of the tropics, rough and calm seas, no big storms so far, large appetites, lots of fun and frolic, sports, concerts, in fact, dissipation of all kinds galore.

The first two weeks on board passed very drearily—the intense cold while doing outSouthing, combined with mild seasickness, had its depressing effectßatger was our worst sailor, and did not get his sea legs until well round the Horn (eighteen days after leaving Auckland). Derrv Wood was perhaps our best, then came Hempton (who has been very well indeed, and considerably increased in dimensions), Peter Wood, and Cuff. We have got on splendidly together, lots of good fellowship, with an evident in- | tention on the part of all to " fall in" with one another, and so make the trip as great a success as possible. As above stated Hempton, and indeed all the team, perhaps, though, with the exception of Batger, has filled out considerably, principally fat, of course. A good hard fortnight's walking though ought to make us all tolerably hard before doing severe work. We are very thankful to think we have some spare time to do this before our trials, for your readers can easily imagine how soft and " dilapidated," I might almost say, land lubbers get after five weeks loafing at sea. Soon after leaving Auckland we abandoned all idea of doing any training on the voyage, though, during the last week the smooth weather has tempted Batger to do short sprints up the deck, while Derry Wood walks steadily night and morning. Hempton goes in too for the quieter exercise—he fancies " deck running" is apt to shorten his stride. Cuff keeps in good form, life at sea agrees with him. Peter Wood is strong and well, as may be inferred from his inclination for hard walking, in fact, we are all in splendid spirits and quite longing to extend ourselves on land again. Probably to-day week will see us having a quiet spin at Stamford Bridge. We are naturally excited at the very idea—fancy running in England, "the land of legend and song." Batger meeting his old opponent Shaw over the hurdles, Hempton running his hundred in 9 and 4-oths. and judging by his present condition he will run as well in England as he did in New Zealand, while Derry and Peter Wood will, I'm sure, give a good account of themselves in the half and quarter miles flat respectively. We must not, however, anticipate too soon, so now for the voyage again. The ship's sports from an athletic aspect were the great event. The programme consisted of Potato Race, Boat Race (running twice round the deck, taking off one's boots, then throwing them into a large box, where they went through a " mixing process." running round without them, again finding your own boots, putting them on, and around once more. Obstacle Race, Go-as-you.please (eight minutes), Sack Race, and Soda-water Race, once round the deck with a corked soda-water bottle, opening it and then drinking it (no "heel-taps"), and starting off heavily laden —with aerated water inside with a vengeance —to sprint and finish at the winning post, 50 yards away. 1 may say here Hempton proved invincible in this, not only in the sprint but in the manner of swallowing the soda-water. I'm sure he broke evens, for the contents —even the bottle, narrowly escaped a hurried burial—were out of sight (not out of mind, though) before we had time to yell " Doctor." Batger won the Potato Race after a hard struggle with Cuff, who got second, also the eight minutes' Go-as-you-please and the Sack Race, Cuff again coming in second in the latter. Derry Wood did not start in the Go-as-you-please, so Batger, out of a field of nine, had it all his own way. These were all

the events in which any members of the team were successful. Additional interest was lent to the proceedings by the intrusion of a totaiisator, Is tickets being the price for each investment. The public largely patronised it, and some very fair dividends were paid, despite the fact that the proprietors, under the style or a firm of Hill and Poole, a wellknown Wellington firm of turf agents, thought fit to deduct 20 per cent, commission. Some reform was urgently needed here. The Hon. the Colonial Treasurer ought to look into the matter, and see if it is not possible in the future to swell his Estimates by stringently taxing all " totalisators at sea."

We were all glad to get ashore at Rio, though we one and all failed to appreciate the Rio odours; 110 wonder yellow fever rages incessantly here. The harbour, though, was truly grand, surpassing, we all thought, the grandeur of Sydney Harbour, which most of us had seen.

TO PLYMOUTH. From Rio we had a very smooth trip all the way to Plymouth, stopping a few days at Tetieritfe en route. We were unable to land there owing to the quarantine regulations, though we had a good view of the island from the anchorage. We m •ere all over-excited six days after leaving Teneriffe to get our first glimpses of the English coast. A long time at sea was beginning to make us anxious to settle down on shore and get to work. We decided not to land at Plymouth, but po on to London by the steamer instead of the overland routes. It was thought the more convenient thing to do, and would at the same time give our English brethren a chance of meeting us. Cuff had telegraphed to Mr. Herbert (the secretary of the English Athletic Association) from Plymouth, to say we had arrived safely and were going to land at Gravesend. Advice of course had already been cabled to him that we were in the Kaikoura. Next day saw us safely deposited at Gravesend, having had no delays through fogs, etc., in the Channel. A grand passing view of the " white cliffs of Dover" was obtained on our Sway, a lovely morning with the sun shining full upon them, making a very fine panorama. Indeed, the scenery all along the Channel coast was very interesting and picturesque, while the shipping alone was in itself worth seeing.

LONDON. From Gravesend we were not lone; in running up to the Charing Cross Railway Station. 80, from trie " quict'of six and a-half weeks at sea. with all its even monotonies, we weresuddenlv hurled into theheartof London. Oil, mighty London ! Shall we ever forget the first impressions you made upon us. I should like to sohliquise here, but must refrain, for I should be sadly depressing. You want " matters atheletic" not sensational, for London is the place for "sensations." At least so our worthy manager thought, for he soon made us pack up our traps anil take to the country with all speed three or four days after we landed. We stayed at the .Metropole Hotel for the few days we were in London (a high hotel in the centre of everything). Herbert and other athletic celebrities called upon us and gave lip a very hearty welcome. It was rather amusing to watch the way the popular secretary of the English Association took stock of us alland no wonder, after what he afterwards told us, of the general behaviour of certain foreign teams that had paid visits to the old country. However, I tancv we passed muster all right—in fact, lie concluded we were a fairish lot of chaps, who, with "luck," might conduct ourselves fairly decently I trust his conjecture will turn out all right.

AT STAMFORD BRIDGE.

To sum up, we got a very hearty welcome indeed, and on Saturday, two days after arrival (the 9th), Herbert took us to Stamford Bridge, where we met almost everybody of any note in the running world, who, one and all, greeted lis very warmly indeed. At the same meeting we saw Messrs. Kibblewhite and Heath run a scratch two miles. Tremendous interest was taken in it, especially by our little band, who had often in New Zealand heard of Kibblewhite's powers over a distance. Heath was a comparatively new man to us, though we ere told that, he had came on so much the last month or two that a close race was to be the game. And a very close race it was, too—Heath winning grandly, beating the champion miler of last year by quite 15 yards. 9m. l-ss. The Mile Race 011 the programme was something to be remembered—the like we had never seen, and probably, never will see again. Out of an ant of tiro huwlrnj and sixteen over one hundred and *ixty came to the post arid started '. I Does that make the energetic otiicials of the Auckland A.A.C. envious ? Such a race ! A mass of trained amateurs running hard for the post, and only one to win '. At this moment I don't know who the lucky one was—though it was some one with a long start—the men on the back marks being unable to get through.

We were all disappointed with the Stamford Bridge ground, for it compares very unfavourably with Lancaster Park, or witn the magnificent turf of our own Domain in Auckland. Indeed, the grass courses we have so far tried (at present only in the South, we hear they are better in the north), are very dead; 110 doubt the chalky subsoil makes it so. The cinder track at Stamford Bridge, too, did not strike us as being fast, though* we; are told it is so; it, certainly, is not anything like as hurl as the Lancaster Park track. I must say we left the track — the premier track, too, in London, and where the championships are to be held—disappointed. J forgot to mention we saw rolling, Hempton's opponent, running in a l'2oyds handicaps. He was at scratch, of course, though failed to win his heat in 12 1-oth a., lie ran with eat freedom, having a tine open swinging style, with a long stride. We hear he is always at his best towards the end of the season.

We saw Shaw run in a heat (*l2oyds Flat). He looked very well indeed, and seemed to run as well as ever. Not getting a place, he did not run in the final.

On Shaw's advice (who has been very attentive ever since our arrival), CufTwent out to Brighton next day (Sunday) to look out for quarters for us. He returned on Monday with a very favourable report, so on Monday afternoon we left the Metropole for our new quarters at the Crown and Anchor Hotel, Preston, Brighton. We were all pleased with the place, a splendid track for training purposes being close handy, while the post and telegraph office and railway station were on either side. Brighton is a 52-mile run from London by train, which takes from an hour (express) to two hours to do it, and as the trains run very frequently, it will be an excellent place for our permanent headquarters.

IN TRAINING. Training began almost a3 soon as we arrived at our new home. We all indulged for the first week in hard walking exercise over the Brghton Downs. We met with little encouragement as far as getting into condition was concerned, for we seemed to go backward instead of forward. The weather, too, was a trifle cold and damp. A very raw bleak east wind blew incessantly, which gave us all bad colds. At the end of a fortnight we began to get our land leg£, the colds, too, got slightly better, so we toon to running easily on the track, short sprints being the order of the day, morning and afternaon. By this time Cuff had written to Hutchens, the famous Sheffield professional runner, to come down and look after us, so he with another local man manages the rubbing down. It will be remembered in New Zealand it was through the HutchensGent" match at Lillie Bridge a few years ago that the latter ground was completely wrecked; and many a good story Hutchens tells us as he merrily plies the gloves over _us of the numberless adventures he has had on the running path in England and Australia. He is simply a marvellous runner even now, and without doubt the fastest runner— or professional— iu England. Only last week he was handicapped (at a big Sheffield handicap) to give 12 yards start. He is therefore a splendid trial horse for Hempton. Indeed Hempton, perhaps for the first time ill his life, has felt during the last week's training what it is like to have a man running for a hundred yards by his side all the way. Whether Hempton will run up to his New Zealand form it is hard to say. I don't expect him to next Saturday at Tufnell Park, our first venture. He may, though, in time for the championship at Stamford Bridge. Perhaps his fastest opponent will be a man from the Northßradley—lie is faster than Felling I fancy, though Hutchens tells us he thinks Hempton can beat either of them. I hope it may turn out so. Batger is in good form, especially for the Quarter Hurdles, which is the only race he runs in next Saturday. Tremendous interest is being taken in his meeting Shaw over the distance. Shaw is running very well indeed. On Monday last the Brighton* Athletic Club held a meeting in Preston Park (the track we train on), at which Shaw was specially imparted to run for a World's record over the quarter hurdles, 3 feet 6 inches high. He had to beat Batger's world's record made in New Zealand, of 01 2-sth sees. He got away well with the pistol, though did not seem to run as freely as we had seen him. At halfdistance he got his field, though two hurdles had been knocked over by the limit men, which of course spoilt any record going if Shaw 'succeeded in getting in m time. He managed to beat Batger's time by exactly a second, though of course the hurdles coming down made all the difference. Next morning, exactly over the same course, same hurdles, &c. Batger did a trial quarter —starting with pistol, &c.— he finished easily in GO3-sths., or l-sth longer than Shaw, with all the hurdles up. So, both fit and well next Saturday the Hurdle Ra»« should prove very close and exciting.

I Derry Wood is striding along regularly in his work as is also Peter Wood. But neither of them will be cherry ripe before the Championships. I should not be at all surprired, despite the splendid lot of half-inilers •erry Wood will meet this year to see him run very well up in the Half-mile Championship on the 2nd July. Peter Wood will have to get faster than he at present is to get home in the Quarter-mile Championship. Cuff is at present very big— don't think he is anywhere near his New Zealand form— and unless he improves very considerably and rapidly also. I don't think he will be tit for the Long Jump Championships or the Hurdle Championships, both of which he will compete in. In the 120 yards Hurdle Championships, the man who beats Shaw ought to win, so Batger and Shaw will probably race their old race again. We have had lovely weather for the past three weeks—lots of blue sky and sun—people say such a summer has been unknown here for years, so we are lucky. We were dreadfully afraid of the climate at first, it didn't seem to suit us at all ; everything seem to go wrong with us, though now we have picked up we are much happier. We shall be all right as long as the bleak and raw east wind keeps away.