CALEDONIAN SPORTS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 9653, 21 March 1893, Page 2

CALEDONIAN SPORTS.

[from our resident agent.] March 17. — The third annual sporta of tho Stratford Caledonian Sociefc.- were hold to-day on t*io racecourse at Bush Ford Park. By great good fortune the day was fine. Tho races and all other ovonts had attracted a fair number of entries, and wero well contested. The arrangements were good, and from a sporting point of view tho meeting was thoroughly satisI factory. There was, however, a very serious falling off in the attendance up compared with last year. The reasons for this are not far to seetc. In tho first place there ia no room for doubt that in persist ing in holding the sports on tho day chosen for the much older fixture of the Normanhy Flower Show, the Society is guilty of a great error rf judgment (to say the least). Tho Ngaire and Eltham peopio have to chose between the sports and tbe show, and athletic meetings being numerous (rather ovcrdono in fact) an i flower shows infrequent, thpy choose the latter. Even local patriotism does not prevent a good sprinkling of Stratford people going to Normanby. Tho Society also this year made a gie?t mistake in abandoning the public domain and transferring the sports to the racecourse. Tho fact of the latter being a mile from the cc tro of the town, whilst the former is close at hand is enough to condemn the change. There appears nleo to havo been a feeling of resentment at the throwing over ot tho Domain for private grounds, a feeling intensified by tho common but mistaken impression that the proprietor of tho racecourse was de riving pecuniary benefit from the change. I1I 1 have ascertained that this impression was a wrong one and tint Mr Mehaffy not only received nothing from the Society hut went to some expense in preparing the track . llowover, the harm was done A list of winners is appended. Maiden, D. Swarm 1, F. W. Martin 2, C. Munday 3 ; Boys' Race, J. King 1, R. Moroy 2, T C. Coffey 3 ; 100 yds, J. Minnix 1, W. Bartlet 2, D. Swarm 3 ; High Jump, D Peebles 1, J. Minnix 2 : 229 yds, W. Bartlet 1. J. Minnix 2, W. Brierly 3 ; Tossing Cabeh, McHardy 1, Mackee 2, Webber 3 ; Wrestling (heavy, weight), Poa 1, Mackeo 2 : 440 yds, j Brierly 1, Bartlet 2, Kirkland 3 ; Boys' Race, Webstor 1, Brown 2 : Obstacle Race, Jury ; Putting Shot, M"Hanly ; £mile, Huckstep 1, Wilson 2, Liurent 3 ; Wrest, ing, (lightweight, Toppin 1, Sheehan 2 ; Mile, Huckstep 1, Laurent 2 Wil on 3 ; 120 hurdles, Lusk 1 ; Sl.eehan 2, J.Bayley 3; Throwing 561 b, Webber 1; McUardy 2 ; Publicans' Handicap, Kirk land 1 , Brierly 2, Donnolly 6 ; Forced Handicap, Donnelly 1, Moore 2, JJrierly 3.