ROWING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14384, 4 March 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

ROWING.

PEARCE CHALLENGED FOU AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP. SYD. KEMP TO THE FRONT. Syd. Kemp has challenged Harry Pearce i'or the sculling championship of Australia, and £IOO aside (says the Sydney "Daily Telegraph.") Just how ttyrl. lvemp managed to keep his intentions concerning the Australian blue ribbon so secret :s a matter i'or considerable wonder, because sucii aspirations generally leak out long before matters iiave reached concrete i'orm. It cannot be that . i£emi> has made up his mind all of a sudden, for a challenge of this kind does not malure a.> sooon as the thought comes into th*» mind. It reouircs a gocd deal oi' consideration, and more, :t calls i'or several severe trials and thorough tests to ascertain whether or nob one's prowess can support- such a challenge, iu such circumstances Kemp has evidently examined Jiimsel? completely to see what sor'i oi; a chance iio would .stand with Pearce., and apparently that tost has been satisfactory. At tL's st'mo time tlicro are nor- many critics at present who would give hiui a chance -with the Australian dnunpkm. Although he is recognised as a young sturdy sculler with plenty of dash, he lias never been placed in the same class with Harry P-earce. Perhaps it is iJiat f.o much attention has been absorbed by Pearce and Arnst and Day and Hagney. not to mention the Parramatta Hundred, that Syd. Kemp has been completely lost sight of. Certainly when one comes to examine- his most recent achievements, it cannot- be denied that he. has been keeping his end up admirably all the time. Since defeating .J. Backhouse, 11. Hopping, s-enr., and Hygh 31'Kiiinon, in heavy boat>, ho shone out in handicat) rowing during the holding of the northern rivers regatta. He won the big races at Coraki Regatta, and Woodburn Regatta. and ran into second place at tho ilnrwlUurnbah Regatta and Port Hacking Regatta, while at Lismore he got third place. His race against Ch:v.lio Messenger, on the Paramatta River will never be forgotten by thoze who saw it. 3lus ; enger "won eventually, but he wr.s given such a time that he had to be supported in h:s boat after the race, else he would have fallen out.

"What makes the challenge all ths more dtf&cuit to understand is that Pc-nrce is-declared to bo at tha zenith cf h'3 form now, una that is why ho is ausiou* to meot Amst. If that is the caso thou Koir.p must have done some really «ood work of lato to warrant him taking such a 'dctcnuiuod step towards tho titls>. 110 lodged his challenge v.-it-h I\[r. Andrews, and back, ed il n;> ]>v a £'2-5 dorx'.sifc, stipulating that lis* wanted tho race to he rowed ai ilii' end of April, or i!ic rtr ?»»ay. Any further df?tai!s cmild he' h.wd i?i; v.'!u'?i tho I'ti<•!; > w arranged. Arn>t. iVan-e. and otli!.\-s v.viv nic-'-'tr at tho limo. aad ihe shi ?,:s L;;;.!i>!-i'-a!!y • ; \v:i;dcd Hk-.;:)." sVavo v.. - •■" > {iiiivrrc.l t hat he d-' 1 - iu;iri-.lv 1 :i day «,r .0 n, think ii- ovrr. and said i;e v. <rald rer/.y then. Kemp was nil-to serious about the matter Ho is luV.ctic ally in a. position to demand a r::t •:■, Pearca must answer Vv:th;u a certain time. and alio cover tho depo.sit, or his title will b<? forfeited. However, Poarcc's answer will be awaited with great interest, and although it cannot vot he believed that Hvd Kemp will have a winning chance wh.h ths Australian ohamnion, ho is heartily wished goo:! luck bV many and on his solendid nhiclc in t°.'-kli!i. ; si a*!' b «.r lit? is 23 veirs ol a<ro, and rows at about list 71!!. Harry Ptmrcp replied later that he would put the moj.ie.y ud to rave Kciap

I'KAIiI:K AM) AISN'ST.

Will I'eani' ami Arnst moot? is «• question that, has bt'en asked a lot i;<itjl.v• Just;, how it is to be anMiercd is rather :t dii'licult problem (says a {Sydney naner.l On the on«* hand, n'p. havo IVarco .-\nisi (o im-vt Ijini tor a Make of L-'y< i. a* li«« '-.talon ii;> cannot rail;'' More jut at. indent. Almo. l r. on top ot that. ihe announcement that. Peavco lias nearly collected the full £'*oo. and should' be ahio to make up the delicieney very shortly. Them arc several theories, thatxau b& •»\<rked mil. on the. two announcements, but the onn that commands the greatest. attenti-ou is to the effect that Poanv* i.v endeavouring lo get a match for the smaller sum before he commits himself to the full amount. If this is his intention. then he is doomed to disappointment, lor when Amst was spoken to about the matter by a. "Daily Telegraph" representative,, ho was most emphatic. "No," ho.said, "I will not givo Pearce a. race-for anything under the proscribed amount, if lie is so anxious to meet mo, then let him got £o(X), and I will talk to him. It is not worth my while to take on every chap who wants to race mo for a small sum. Why, I would havo every Tom, Dick, end Harry at me if 1 did, and that is no good to me. I would rather have one good race occasionally for the full stake than always bo in training for these .small affairs. That is one of the advantages of the championship. You can tell Harry from me that if lie wants to race me he will have to get £olK) first, and that will have to bo soon, too. I will wait until after the Parramatta Hundred, and if ho does not como up then 1 am off to the Coronat:on. .1 havo made .up my mind to .seo King George crowned, and am going to gratify that desire. If Pearc-e misses a race now it will be a long time before ho has the opportunity again, as-1 intend staying in England some considerable time. AYhile I am there liarry might possibly havo another cut at me. and if ho does it will take up a 100 of time. Thou I will probably' go across to Canada, and look Durnan. up. So far as I am personally concerned, Peairo is just as welcome to a raeo as anybody else, but he must comply with the rules; £SOO is the amountthat every sculler who wants a rnce with mo will have to put up, Pearce included."