MR EWEN A. CAMPBELL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18874, 29 May 1923, Page 8

MR EWEN A. CAMPBELL.

WANGANUI’S GRAND OLD MAN. INTERESTING REMINISCENCES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) WANGANUI, May 28. No one is -better known in connection with horse racing, or respected more than Mr Ewon A. Campbell, president of the Wanganui Jockey Club, who celebrated his eightieth birthday on Saturday. Mr Campbell was entertained on the auspicious ocoasion by quite a large crowd of Wanganui s leading citizens, and presented with a silver salver, suitably inscribed. In acknowledging the gift Mr Campbell said he was present at the first race meeting in 1848. when he was live years old. He, with other youngsters of the time, gathered on a sandhill, where the gaol was now situated. The racecourse was surrounded by high manuka-, but there was a cleared space where the road now came round. Clothes at times were scarce, and they had little on, but they enjoyed the racing. He could remember, as well as if it were yesterday, in the following year racing on the same course, a native, who was riding a horse, fell at the turn and was killed. There was a cleared space through the manuka, across the course whore target practice was held, and the championship belt of New Zealand was won by W. T. Owen. Racing for a period became a blank until 1874. He had horses named Cossack and Shylock. After the Maori War racing was resumed, and ho had been connected with it for 40 years. He, perhaps, had curious ideas, but he had made up his mind not to bet, and had never done so, as he wanted to keep clear of monetary interests while acting in a judiciary capacity.