INVERCARGILL CALEDONIAN GAMES TODAY

Southland Times, Issue 23408, 15 January 1938, Page 13

INVERCARGILL CALEDONIAN GAMES TODAY

Revival After Fifteen Years’

Inactivity

(By

SPIKE)

Seventy-six years ago the Invercargill Caledonian Society held its first 'meeting and for over 60 years its annual sports gatherings were an outstanding attraction for the sports-loving people of Southland. In 1923 this long record of success was broken and the society was inactive until 1936, when a new directorate was appointed and plans made for a revival of the games. ;That revival will take place at the ■show grounds today and should result ■in the Invercargill Caledonian Games once again taking a position of first importance among the sporting fixtures of ‘the province. How great was the importance of the early athletic gatherings of the society is shown in its records. The names of many fine athletes appear regularly in the minute books, among them that of Frank Forde, who still lives in Invercargill, and was one of the greatest field athletes New Zealand has ever known. His prowess as a hammer thrower is shown by the fact that a world’s record he established at the games stood until a short time ago. At the peak of his career Forde made an attempt on the world's record held by the famous Donald Dennie. The contest was held at Queen’s Park under the supervision of the society, the Mayor, Mr John Stead, and a public committee. Forde was allowed three throws but his first easily beat the record anti stood for many years. The stone which was used was made by Johnston’s, Ltd., and is now m the possession of the present president of the society, Mr John McGregor. Mr Forde will be present at the games on Saturday and will take part in the parade of contestants. Another New Zealander who secured world honours and ■ who competed at the games was Lachie McLachlan, whose world record of 21 2-ssec for the 220 yards, established in 1902, stood for a number of years. Other wellknown runners who competed regularly at the games in past years were Ben Bain, James Murdoch, Jack Campbell, Jack Kelly, Billy Wiseman, Ab. Couling, Billy Trembath, Tom Reidy and Scott, the wrestler, Robins, McFadzien and a host of others whose names, if not heard now, are still fresh in the. memory of those enthusiasts to whom" the games meant so much. The most important year in the history of the Invercargill Caledonian Society was 1899 when the New Zealand Association of Caledonian Societies was formed under the presidency of Mr R. D. McLean of Napier. The Invercargill society at that time was considered the strongest in New Zealand and to it fell the honour of holding the first national championship meeting. The usual programme was limited to £250 but on this occasion £lOO was added and the big sum of £350 competed for. Some of the more important championships were won as follows:—Pibroch.—Kenneth Cameron; hammer throw.—Frank Forde; reel.— McKenzie-Forbes; 880 yards—Lionel Broad; 440 yards.—Chas. Robinson; 100 yards.—A. Fowler; one mile.—A. Couling; 220 yards.—J. W- Green; 120 yards •hurdles.—J. T. May; Highland Fling.— McKenzie-Forbes.

These great days of the past should be revived today when the champion athletes,., bushmen, dancers and pipers of the province will take part in a programme which ranks as one of the best ever arranged for a sports gathering in Southland.

AMATEUR COMPETITORS Strong support has been given the amateur athletic events on the programme for the Invercargill Caledonian Games today. In more than one case runners have entered who have not so far taken part in open -competition this season, and the fields for all events include men who will be among the title winners at the Southland track and field championships next month. A welcome, re-appearance on Invercargill tracks will be made by Bill Donaldson, the former junior 100 yards champion of Southland, who is now a student at Otago University. Donaldson is scratch in the 100 yards handicap and the quarter mile. In the former race, if he is in form, he should easily run into a place. The limit is five yards and he should be able to break that down within the first 50 yards. In the quarter mile he will meet with stiffer opposition. F. W. Mayne has six yards on him, and, if Mayne runs as well as he did in the 300 yards scratch race at Rugby Park on Tuesday night, Donaldson will find him difficult to hold, especially over the last 100 yards. Mayne, in his turn, will have to move fast in the mile, in which he is scratch, if he is to 1 beat A. L. Fagg, the Tokomairiro runner. Fagg has 60 yards, and judging by his recent performances at northern meetings, that will be just about 10 yards too much for Mayne. Fagg won the mile at the Alexandra meeting on New Year’s Day from the 140 yards mark in 4min 18sec. He finished easing up 30 yards ahead of the next man, and W. A. C. Pullar, the Empire Games representative was fourth. BUSHCRAFT PROWESS In all sports arenas throughout New Zealand controlled by the New Zealand Athletic, Cycling and Axemen’s Union there are no more thrilling events staged than in the bushcraft section. And in no other form of athletics does the scientific element provide a more prominent part. Well trained and big muscles often go awry when science is ' lacking, but when both are developed in perfect unison, then the wonderful feats of conceding limit men half way starts and still catching the judge’s eye at the business end of big prize money is not uncommon. In no other branch of athletics can this be done. No Shef-

field man or miler can give away such a handicap; but Tom Dunster, the West Coast axeman did it in the 15 inch underhand chop at Tokanui and again in the standing chop at Tuatapere. Yet, although Dunster won the double at Tuatapere, he was not the only outstanding axeman. Tori Jones (North Island), Charlie Neame (West Coast) and Bert Olliver (North Island) would beat Dunster just as often as getting beaten. Dunster had it on them in the final of the big chop in the wood. Nevertheless, Dunster is an athlete who combines muscular development with science in his work—combines it to a degree that enabled him to win nearly £lOO during his 10 days on the Southland sports circuit. The full science of bushcraft and all the excitement produced when champion axemen and sawyers meet will be seen at the games today. The directors of the Invercargill Caledonian Society are to be richly rewarded for their foresight in offering such liberal prize money in this section of their programme (with a lower proportional entry money than any other society in New Zealand) for in the three chopping events they have secured no fewer than 128 entries, four mwe than competed in the same events at Tuatapere. Among the competitors will be two idols of the chopping ring—Jack Pont and Jack Te Au. The former Gorge Road lightning-fast wood cutter Mart Donnelly, and that splendid little axeman Charlie Harding, are the two backmarkers in the big 15 inch underhand event. Donnelly proved himself a fast cutter during recent meetings in .Kamahi logs, defeating Dunster at Limehills by six seconds. He would beat any visiting axeman seen here this year in that wood. And by his work in the big chop at Tuatapere in which he secured fourth place, and by his win in the 12 inch underhand as well as his win in the 15 inch underhand at Orepuki, Charlie Harding shares the honour as Southland’s fastest axeman in Kamahi logs. Among the other cutters that will be competing is Cyril Hayes (South Otago ' champion), a young, powerful cutter. This axeman requires only three months’ proper coaching and he would be fit to compete for world’s titles in either standing or underhand events. Then there is A. J. Hodges, W. Tillard, C. A. Bates, Jack Te Au and a score of others. Both the Southland handicappers, Messrs M. Dowling and A. E. Cocker, have been working on the adjustments and it is safe to say that some thrilling finishes will be witnessed in both chopping and sawing. Altogether, nearly 200 logs will be required, as there are 52 entries in the 12 inch underhand chop, 42 entries in the big underhand chop and 34 in the standing event. Both the sawing events claim 16 entries each.

GEDDES IN GOOD FORM

OTAGO’S EMPIRE GAMES REPRESENTATIVE

Otago’s Empire games representatives showed promising form in aji evening meeting at Dunedin this week. The feature of the evening was the two mile race in which W. A. C. Pullar and A. R. Geddes were on the back mark. Pullar was laid up with influenza after the holidays, and did not appear to be running so freely as usual, more particularly over the second mile. On the other hand, Geddes seemed to be at the top of his form and running well within himself, though this was his first fast work since he put up the New Zealand 10-mile record in December. Geddes played a waiting game, and let Pullar make the pace for the greater part of the way, but when Geddes challenged over the last 150 yards Pullar was unable to respond and Geddes went on to win by 10 yards in 9min 44 2-ssec, which was good going on a track that was on the slow side after recent rain, writes “Pistol” in The Evening Star. Geddes moved freely throughout and strode very nicely over the last lap. He should be in great form for the six mile event at the Empire Games. Pullar was obviously a little short of fast work though he went well over the first mile. The race should do him good, and with another three weeks to the Empire Games, he should be right to battle for his life in the three miles at Sydney. No runner showed more impressive form on Monday than H. J. Tyrie, whose objective in Sydney is the 440 yards event. Tyrie has mixed his races judiciously this season, and the halfmiles he has run have built up his stamina. He went very well in this event on Monday, and was well out in front when he retired at the end of 600 yards. Later he ran a splendid furlong in the relay, his determined finishing effort giving his team second place on the post. There should be nothing wrong with his form when he steps out in Sydney. Besides winning the 100 yards open handicap, A. R. Duff made no mistake in the 220 yards junior handicap from the back mark, and the junior half-mile handicap was won by the consistent and improving Civil Service junior, Maurice Collins, who turned in 2min 7 2-ssec from the 60 yards mark. Collins is barely 17 years of age, but he is a solid little runner, and has quite good judgment. He has been running particularly well of late. His father, Mr C. Collins, was at one time a wellknown distance runner, and among his performances he has a second to his credit in the Port road race.