SPORTS MEETING A SUCCESS

Southland Times, Issue 24002, 18 December 1939, Page 4

SPORTS MEETING A SUCCESS

Annual Fixture At Gorge Road KEEN COMPETITION IN ALL SECTIONS In perfect weather and before a large attendance of spectators from the surrounding district and from Invercargill, the Gorge Road Picnic Sports Society held its third annual fixture on the grounds adjoining the school on Saturday afternoon. The meeting was in every way successful, and a bright programme- of events, with a high standard of performance in all sections, ensured good entertainment for the crowd. The gate takings were £27/10/-, compared with £23 last year. A comparatively young organization, the Gorge Road Picnic Sports Society had spared no effort to make the fixature enjoyable for competitor and spectator alike. The programme included amateur running, amateur cycling, bushcraft and dancing events, the dancing being introduced for the first time. Clay-bird shooting was an additional attraction. Trophies were given in all events except the bushcraft section where cash prizes were awarded. , A number of athletes from the Invercargill and St. Paul’s Clubs travelled to the meeting and helped to swell the entries in the running events which were bigger than last year. The honours in the 100 yards and 220 yards events went to the Atley brothers, J. N. Sinclair and C. F. Harvey, G. H. Bilbrough, running in effortless style, won the mile from scratch, beating R. Robertson to the tape by a foot. R. Dixon ran well to finish a close third. Good entries were received in the cycling section'and the three amateur events—the mile, half-mile and mile and a-half—created much interest. J. Webb won the half-mile in an exciting finish'; A. Drury won the mile by half a wheel from K. Jones and H. Jones won the mile and a-half by inches. The three races were keenly contested, the finishes could scarcely have been closer, and the crowd was treated to an exhibition of fast cycling which was not without its, thrills., ■ - . ■ .. T ■ Keeri, interest was takfeh in the bushcraft events which were contested by axemen and sawyers, from all parts of Southland. In this section, too, the finshes, generally, were close. Three chopping and two sailing events were held.. The most successful axeman was H. Wybrdw.who yjpn both the 12-inch and the 14-inch underhand chop handicaps. . '■ ..... . The entries in the dancing section were very good and the standard of performance was high. Five events were included in the programme and the dancing was watched with interest by . a large crowd of spectators. Races were held during the day for children and women.

' The meeting was efficiently controlled by an energetic committee. Results:— RUNNING EVENTS. 100 YARDS OPEN HANDICAP (10 entries). —First heat: R. M. Atley (6Jyds) 1, C. F. Harvey (4yds) 2, A. P. Atley (10yds) 3. Second heat: W. A. Robertson (6Jyds) 2, J. N. Sinclair (scr) 2, J. Waddell (10yds) 3. Final: R; M. Atley 1, Harvey 2, Sinclair 3. Won by a yard, the same distance between second and third. 220 YARDS HANDICAP. (10 entries).— First heat: J. N. Sinclair (scr) 1, W. A. . Robertson (12yds) 2, G. H. Bilbrough (6yds) 3. Second heat: A. P. Atley (15yds) 1, C. F. Harvey (Byds) 2, G. Shand (10yds) 3. Final: A. P. Atley 1, J. N. Sinclair 2, C. F. Harvey 3. A foot each way. 880 YARDS HANDICAP (nine entries). —G. H. Bilbrough (scr) 1, R. Robertson (45yds) 2, R. Dixon (20yds) 3. Won by a foot, a similar distance between second and third. ' 100 YARDS DISTRICT YOUTHS’ HANDICAP (five entries). —J. McCallum (6yds) 1, R. Moyle (scr) 2, L. Millard (6yds) 3. Won by a yard. CYCLING EVENTS HALF-MILE HANDICAP (16 entries). —First heat: N. Shand (90yds) 1, J. McKenzie (50yds) 2, 'N. Hazelmore (50yds), 3. Second heat: W. Smith (50yds) 1, J. Webb (100yds) 2, G. Black (80yds) 3. ' Final:' Webb 1, Smith 2, Black 3. Half a length each way. ONE MILE HANDICAP (17 entries).— First heat: K. Jones ' (scr) 1, N. Shand (110yds) 2, H. Paton (70yds) 3. Second heat: A., Drury (scr) 1, O. Drury (scr) 2, W. Smith (90yds) 3. Final:-A. Drury 1, K?'Jdnes'2, W.' Smith 3. Won by half a wheel. ONE MILE AND A-HALF HANDICAP (17 entries).—First heat: L. Johnson (130yds) 1, N. Hazlemore (160yds) 2, A. Drury (scr) 3. Second heat: H. Mitchell (230yds) 1, O. Drury (20yds) 2, H. Jones (130yds) 3. Final: H. Jones 1, L. Johnson 2, A. Drury 3. Won by inches. BUSHCRAFT EVENTS 12-INCH UNDERHAND MAIDEN CHOP (19 entries).—First heat: W. J. Cook 1, L. Murdoch 2, W. Collinson 3. Time, 0.36. Second heat; A. Davis 1, J. G. Cook 2, S. G. Olive 3. Time, 0.37 4-5. Final: W. J. Cook 1, Olive 2, Murdoch 3. Won by about three seconds. Time, 0.30 1-5. 12-INCH UNDERHAND CHOP HANDICAP (31 entries).—First heat: E. Pahl (7sec bhd) and H. Fraser (Bsec bhd) 1 eq., H. Wybrow (ssec bhd) 3.

Time, 0.31. Second heat: L. Robinson (Bsec bhd) 1, A. L. Hughes (ssec bhd) 2, G. Dickson (2sec bhd) 3. Time, 0.33. Third heat: W. Donnelly (ssec bhd) 1, W. G. Cook (ssec bhd) 2, W. D. Hodges (Bsec bhd) 3. Time, 0.35 3-5. Final: Wybrow 1, Fraser 2, Hodges 3. A close finish. Time, 0.31 1-5. 14-INCH UNDERHAND CHOP HANDICAP (21 entries).—First heat: H. Wybrow (6sec bhd) 1, H. Fraser (9sec bhd) 2, W. Murdoch (Bsec bhd) 3. Time, 0.51 1-5. Second heat: A. L. Hughes (ssec bhd) ,1, J. Lee (12sec bhd) 2, L. Robinson (lOsec bhd) 3. Time, 0.51 3-5. Final: Wybrow 1, Lee 2, Robinson 3. Won by about two seconds. Time, 0.50.

18-INCH DOUBLE-HANDED MAIDEN SAWING (six entries).—G. Dickson and A. Buchanan 1, A. T. Swale, and J. Carston 2, W. Thompson and D. Stewart 3. A close finish. Time, 0.22 2-5.

18-INCH DOUBLE-HANDED SAWING HANDICAP (12 entries).—First heat: J. Lee and H. O’Brien (6sec bhd) 1, J. Holland and W. Donnelly (2sec bhd) 2, Fraser Bros. (6sec bhd) 3. Won by a second. Time, 0.16 4-5. Second heat: J. Thomas and J. Manson (6sec bhd) 1, W. Holland and W. Thompson (2see bhd) 2, W. Cook and R. Campbell (2sec bhd) 3. Time, 0.17 2-5. Final: Lee and O’Brien 1, Manson and Thomas 2, Holland and Donnelly 3. An extremely close finish. Time, 0.17 2-5. PLATFORM EVENTS SWORD DANCE, under 10 (eight entries). —B. Smith 1, A. McLeod 2, B. Thompson 3.’ HIGHLAND FLING, under 12 (nine entries). —J. Milne 1, B. Thompson 2, D. Anderson 3. SEANN TRIUBHAIS, under 16 (five entries). —N. McLeod 1, J. Milne 2, M. Leabody 3. IRISH JIG, open (five entries).—N. McLeod 1, A. McCrostie 2, M. Leabody 3. SWORD DANCE, under 12, novice (four entries) .-7-S. Moncur 1, D. Nunn 2, N. Munroe 3. .