REALM OF SPORT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3714, 19 May 1925, Page 9

REALM OF SPORT.

RACING STANDS FIRST. LAWN TENNIS COMES NEXT. r lhe general belief that horse-racing is the most popular pastime of tho people of New Zealand is verified in an interesting official statement given in the latest issue of tho Government’s Monthly Abstract of Statistics. The figures relate only to the active membership of the various summer sporting clube, and cover horse racing, lawn tennis, bowling, cricket, swimming, croquet;, rowing, shooting, and polo. In the statistics given in regard to racing, only the membership of clubs is taken into account, and there are excluded (oxcepf so far os they may be members) active participants, such as owners, jockeys, riders, trainers—and punters. To collect the information, the Statistical Department made two applications for particulars, one nt the ena of summer, and tho other at the end of winter last year, according to the nature if the sport. Figures for the 1924-25 season for tennis and athletics are not yet available, and those shown for the former sport relate

to the previous season. The figures given for galloping clubs and swimming clubs are also incomplete. The principal figures in regard to membership of clubs are as tollow Horse-racing (galloping, 18,244; trotting, 6797) 25,041 Lawn tennis 19,351 Bowling _ ... _ ... 15,055 Cl icket (including 2898 school members 13,729 Swimming (including 789 school members) 7,457 Croquet (including 2424 women) ... 2.480 Rowing 1,916 Shooting (gun clubs) 1,100 Polo 160 Tho membership of the racing clubs, 25,041, includes 210 women. The total figure represents an increase of 1640 persons (1553 men and 87 women) over the figures returned for the previoue j ear. In 1924 there were 6192 owners (3792 galloping, 2400 trots); 1644 trainers (400 galloping. 1214 t otting); the total for 1925 being 1568 (502 gallops, and 1118 trots); and 1996 jockeys and riders (570 gallops, and 1426 trots), there being 4896 jockeys and riders in trotting this year. Other figures are not available. Bowling club membership shows an increase of 1112 over tho previous year, and cricket has increased in popularity also, the membership of clubs having risen by 2265. The swimming club figures, although incomplete, show an increase of 225 over last year. Croquet, rowing, and shooting show decreases of 41. 484, and 514 respectively. Polo, on the other hand, added to its membership 32 persons last year. No attempt has been made to tabulate separate persons engaged in more than one sport, with the result that many persons returned under or.e sport may also be included in another.