THE WORLD’S CHAMPIONSHIP.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6451, 24 February 1908, Page 1

THE WORLD’S CHAMPIONSHIP.

HISTORY OF THE TITLE.

SOME EARLY CHAMPIONS OF ENGLAND. AUSTRALIAN AIMD AMERICAN CHALLENGERS.

*HE laurels of professional ecullins practically came Into existence in tho fifties. The first holder of tho title of champion of Engined was J. Messenger, who secured the honour in 1854 by defeating T. Colo on the Thames.

and held th© laurels. Brown was not, in any case, a very formidable opponent, as subsequent races in. England proved.

TRICKETT’S CHALLENGE. FIRST AUSTRALIAN WIN.

Tho honours remained unas-sailed for some years, and Sadler was on the decline of bis powers when, in 1876, an Australian, Edward 'Trickett, went homo to England to meet him. Sadler was now thirty-seven years of ago, having rowed his first race in 1861. At the same time tho English rowing world did not expect him to succumb to tho Australian. Some time before tho race tho London “Times 0 wrote of tho Australian challenger: Ho luu been in this country upwards of ten weeks and has improved considerably, as he has been under the care of Henry Kelley, by whom ho has been taught to slide. He is 6ft 4in high and weigh© a little more than TJst. but his style docs not find much older than his opponent, qneuters of tho riverside. Sadler is sculling as well as ever, but he is much older that his opponent.

Threo years later Messenger had to lower his colours to Henry Kelley, who for more than twenty years was the finest oarsman in England, and whoso prowees was primarily the cause of giving the titlo of champion of England tho value which it possessed. As a matter of fact, Kelley was not himself champion for very long. Two years after his defeat of Messenger he succumbed to another very fine sculler, Bobebrt Chambers, who held the titlo for four years. Then Kelley won it bock, and twice boat Ilamill (of America) on succeeding days on the Tyne. Chambers meanwhile bad beaten a future champion, Sadler, and had been beaten again by Kelley before the champion went under to Kenforth on the Thames. Benforth did , not, however, hold • the championship for any time, Sadler assuming it and defending it against several challengers, including R. W. Boyd, who gained tho titlo after Sadler had been beaten by Trickett for the championship of tho world. THE FIRST OVER-SEA CHALLENGES. AUSTRALIA AND AMERICA.

In this historic race Sadler was piloted by his younge; brother from the bowg of an eight-oar cutter, while bis old opponent, Henry Kelley, performed the same office for the challenger. Sadler caught water first and got a lead, rowing throughout faster than tho Australian. but TricketUs strokes had more power in them and he forged ahead and won rather comfortably. CHAMPION OF THE WORLD, THE ADVENT OF HANLAN. TriekctFs victory converted tho championship of England into the championship of tho world. Since then the honour has never been recovered for tho Old Country, though it has on several occasions beei defended on the Thames. Returning to Australia with his honour, Trickett defended it on the Parramatta against Rush and Lay cock. In 1880 Edward Hanlun. of Canada, tho prettiest sculler of all time, and at j that time champion of Canada, the United States, and England, challenged Trickett, and a match was arranged to bo rowed on the Thames. Trickett was twenty-nino years of age and weighed 12st 51b; Hanlan was four years his junior and weighed lOst 12lb. The race was the easiest of wins for Hanlon, who provided much amusement for the spectators. Trickett, who appeared to bo overtrained, held to his opponent for some short distance and then gradually fell away. fIANLAN'S ANTICS.

It was in tho year 1876 that England had first to reconcile herself to defeat in tho professional sculling championship. Until that time tho title of sculling champion of the world had little meaning, since tho honour had never been held outside of England. Tho first oversea oarsman to challenge the holder of the English championship was R. A W, Green, of Australia. who assailed the honour in 1863. Tho holder was Robert Chambers, of The match was rowed over the historic Putney to Mortlnke course, and Chambers had no difficulty in winning, although Green led for the first mile and a half. Three years later, when the championship was held by Henry Kelley (one of tho finest scullers of all time), James Hammill, of Pittsburg, XJ.S.A., crossed the Atlantic and rowed two matches on the Tyne. Kelley was easily victorious in both. Another throe years elapsed, and J. H. Sadler was tho champion, in the prime of life. Walter Brown then held the title of champion of America and he camo across to row Sadler on tho Thames. He suffered in health from the change of climate, and was unfit to row when th© time of the race arrived, so Sadler rowed over tho course alone

Tho London “Times 0 says:—■ '"Opposite tho Doves Trickett, who bad been taken wide by his opponent as they passed Biffen's yard, camo in under Haulan’s stern, whereupon tho latter,

struggled on for a Lew strokes, and, passing Gaudaur, won eventually as ho wished. With the exception of theSton-bury-Harding race ten years later, this was the fastest time recorded on the Putney to Mortlake course. On his return to Australia Beach again defeated Hanlan, this time on the Nepean. Shortly afterwards, in 18S8, Beach retired, bequeathing the championship to P. Kemp. TITLE PRESENTED TO KEMP. Hanlan was still in Australia, and had not given up hope of regaining the laurels. Clifford was tho first to challenge Kemp, and he was defeated without much difficulty. Then Hanlan came forward, and was defeated twice on the Parramatta river. ~ , But Kemp was not to be allowed to hold the championship for long. Before tho end of 1838 a new and brilliant star had appeared in the sculling world. , A NEW STAR. H. Searle belonged to the Clarence river, and had hitherto not been seriously regarded as a challenger. His match with Kemp, however, demonstrated at once that ho was to be a formidable bidder for the honour and an equally formidablo defender of it. Before the boats had gone 150 yards Searle had half a length’s advantage of his opponent, and at tho half mile he was two lengths ahead. Kemp was altogether lacking in life and dash, and Searle had no diffiouly in beating him. Having won the titlo, Searle went home to England to moat the Canadian champion. W. O’Connor, defeated him, and returuned to Australia. He died on the voyage, just as tho ship was entering Sydney Heads. The fine monument on the banks of the Parramatta river was erected to his memory by public subscription.

who was fully three lengths in front,, estopped find looked about him, this being tho first of several antics in which ho indulged and which, though perhaps common in Canada and America, have not hitherto signalised sculling races on the metropolitan river. Owing to this stop Trickett reduced the gap between the boats, but Hanlan, who, of course, had the raco in hand, pulled a couple of dozen sharp strokes, and having regained his former lead, lay flat down on his back in his boat opposite the Oil Mills, as if to show that he at least was not troubled at the spot where the Australian Laycock had recently rowed down his three opponents. When Trickett came within a length and a half of him, Hanlan sat up and sculled away again amid general laughter ashore and afloat, and when he had regained a lead of three lengths pulled first one scull and then tho other alternately exactly as ho had done just before starting, a water frolic which, in many cases, would lead to a ; capsize. The. race had now become a mere farce. Hanlan stopping not less than five times before he reached Barnes Bridge.” BAKLAN IN AUSTRALIA. I Hanlan again beat Trickett over the 1 same course in JBS2, and he twice* beat the Australian Laycock, once on the Thame® and again on the Nepean river in 18St. Within a few months. However, ho met his fate. In the race with Beach, which was rowed on the Parramatta, Hanlan caught water first and got away with a lead which was soon ! half a "length. About Blaxlands the water became very broken, 'and there was some danger of tho boats being swamped. Beach took advantage of the rough water to close up, while Hanlan got so close to a .steamer that it was feared ho would be sunk. For a time Hanlan had a clear load of two lengths, but Beach came at him with such determination that before long he was even and their sculls crossed. Some words passed between them regarding the foul, and suddenly Beach stuck his sculls in and pulled away, his opponent losing some ground by holding up his hand to appeal. He* then rowed on without much heart, and Beach won. The umpire disallowed tho appeal, considering that Hanlan was to blame for getting into Beach's water. THE UNBEATEN CHAMPION. i Beach held the championship for three years. He defeated Clifford, N. Matterson, and Hanlan again on the Parramatta river in 18S5, and in tho following year went to England to meet Jacob Gaudaur, tho Canadian, who had just : come into prominence. This match, I fought out on the Thames course, was ! i perhaps the hardest struggle for the' [championship on record. At one stag© both men were thoroughly exhausted : and desired to stop. Beach, however, I

THE CLOSE CORPORATION. THE AUSTRALIAN COMBINE. On Searle’s death. Kemp again assumed the title of champion of the world. This was the beginning of a phase in the history of the championship which has been the subject of much adverse comment both at Home and in Australia. By an agreement amongst several Australian scullers it was arranged that when anyone sought a match with Kemp, and was considered dangerous,. he was referred to Stanbury, already the strongest oarsman in Australia. O’Connor, the Canadian, who had new hopes now that Beach wasr gone, was one of the first to complain of this arrangement. He challenged Kemp, but was put off by having to meet Stanbury. He did bo and was beaten. Kemp and Stanbury then promised to go to America in the following year, 1801, to give O’Connor an opportunity of contesting the championship. In May. 1801, Kemp had rather an easy win over a new challenger, John 1 McLean, of the Richmond river. McLean was not satisfied and wanted to row again but Kemp put him off by saying that O’Connor had tbo next call. O’Connor was defeated, and then McLean cam© forward again, believing that tho olnstacle to his match was now removed. To his mortification Kemp put forward Stanbury, by whom he was defeated. Tho way was at length clear ' for McLean to row Kemp, and the match took place on the Parramatta river in 1893 ho defeated Bubear on the*Thames, and Kemp lost ground in appealing. McLean mado good his opportunity to got a lead and, pushing on, won the race. ( STANBURY CHAMPION, j No sooner had McLean won the championship than Kemp's partner, Stanbury, cam© forward and challenged him. These : two oarsmen met twice on tho Parramatta river in the same year, Stanbury 1

wanning both times. McLean then definitely retired from the championship contests. In 1892, the year after ho secured the championship for himself, Stanbury was challenged by a Now Zealander, Tom Sullivan, whom he defeated on tho Parramatta river. Prom that time ho was allowed to enjoy the honour for some years without serious trouble. Indeed, it was not until 1898 that he was really seriously challenged. Sullivan had gone homo to England to engage in first-class matches there. In 1893 he defeated Bubcar on the Thames, and two years later he assailed C. H. Harding for tho championship of England. Thero were two matches, one on tho Tyne and the other on the Thames. Harding won both, and Sullivan, finding he could not win tho championship for himself, offered to match Stanbury against Harding. Harding weighed 9st 81b and Stanbury 13st. Tho Australian won easily in the fastest time over put up on the. Thames course. GAUDAUR DEFEATS STANBURY. But two months later Stanbury met his Waterloo. Jacob Gaudaur, the Canadian champion, had twice beaten Stanbury in turning races in America, and ho immediately challenged the first honour of the world. Gaudaur was now thirty-eight years of age, and Stanbury ten years younger: they each weighed about 13st. The match was rowed on the 7th September on the Thames. There were h number of false starts, and the spectators were beginning to fear a repetition of a previous experience when a race had to be abandoned for this reason. At last a barge came floating up on tho tide so close to tho scullers that they felt obliged to take some action, and they got away. Gaudaur having rather the best of the start. Stanbury, of course, immediately rectified this and wont ahead, but Gaudaur came along steadily and at the mile had his boat clear of his opponent. Stanbuiy pulled several times for a foul. At length there was a bump, and he held up his hand and practically stoplied rowing. Thereafter he went on in a half-hearted manner, apparently rowed out. and Gaudaur won ns he liked. The protest was disallowed. GAUDAUR AND TOWNS. THE RAT PORTAGE HAGGLE. The Canadian held the championship for five years, his title being secured to a great extent by his claim that challengers should meet him in Canadian waters. When at length George Towns jchollenged him in 1901 there was great trouble and delay over fixing the course, and it seemed as if no agreement would ever be arrived at. The match was rowed right at Gaudaur’s door, and was put off for threo days owing to rough water. Towns got away with a lend, but Gaudaur, rowing his usual race, gradually forged up alongside and remained thdro i for some time. Then Towns pulled away and" won the race by four lengths. Towns brought the' championship once more to Australia. His first challenger was R. Treseider, who is also bidding for the honour on the Wanganui to-day. Tressider was defeated, bu’ .1 tho following year Towns succumbed to Stanbury in a race that was rowed in record tune. In July again of the following year Towns camo to light again, defeating his old rival and regaining the honour.

Another Canadian, Edward Durnan, a nephew of Hanlan, and a finished sculler, then came into the field, but Towns defeated him on the Nepean early last year. Then he handed the championship over to his brother Charles, who, ns is well known, lost it to Webb.on the Parramatta last August. On the night of Webb’s win the present match, was partly arranged, Trcssider putting in a challenge almost immediately.