BOXING DAY SPORTS.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 345, 29 December 1875, Page 3

BOXING DAY SPORTS.

From the gloomy appearance of the weather at the time for the commencement of the Sports on Monday morning it was feared that but little pleasure would be derived from carrying out the programme ; but, fortunately, about 12 o’clock the rain ceased, and throughout the remainder of the day it was fine enough for the many special tors who assembled on the beach to enjoy the very good day’s amusement arranged by the Sports Committee. The first race was for largo open boats, over a course of about six miles, for which four boats entered. A good start was effected, the Gipsy Queen loading round the first buoy, closely followed by the Olio and, Native Industry, the Karewa, which made rather an indifferent start, being well behind. The boats then beat down the harbour with a good breeze, and the tide in their favor, and on passing the wharf after sailing up the harbour before the wind the Clio had taken the lead, with the Gipsy Queen second, and Mr Asher’s boat, Native Industry, rather a bad third. The Karewa was some distance behind, and on arriving at the wharf she retired from the contest. The same order of sailing was maintained throughout iho remainder of the race, and after going the second lime round the buoys the Clio sailed in first, followed at an interval of a minute and a half by the Gipsy Queen. The next event was a Pony Race, to be run in three half-mile heats, for which there were ten entries. Some very good running was made, Mr Downey’s Peeress winning the first, and Mr Douglas’s Barney the second and third heats, Barney being thus declared the winner. A war canoe race was advertised to follow the pony race, but as the natives did not put in an appearance with their canoes, this race, and also number six for small canoes, was left out of the day’s sports, Luncheon having been despatched, the open boats got into position for their race, which was to be over the same distance as that sailed fay the large open boats. The starting gun having been fired off from the wharf, Mr Cook’s boat the Silver of the Sea took the lead round the first buoy, closely followed by the Elizabeth, sailed by Mr Christopher Faulkner, the Celia, sailed by natives, the Mangaroa, sailed by Mr John Thomson, and the Flying Dutchman, under the command of Captain Marks. This race was not sailed as quick as the last, the boats having to beat down the harbour against a strong tide, but shortly after leaving the first buoy the Mangaroa and the Silver of the Sea took up the first and second places which they maintained throughout the race, both boats being well handled, and after an exciting race the Mangaroa came to the winning post about six o’clock, the Silver of the Sea coming in about 25 seconds after her, Flying Dutchman and Celia taking respectively third and fourth places. A protest was entered by the owner of the Silver of ■the Sea against the Mangaroa, for using her cenlre»board and carrying a square-sail, the result of which was that the committee after considering the matter in the evening divided the stake between the boats. Simultaneously with the boat race the other events of the afternoon came off on the beach in front of the Strand. The sack race, which was capitally contested, being won by Middle brook, and the first and second prize for the wheelbarrow race being carried off by Matthew Keefe and Bob White. Watson won the second race. The hack race, in beats, came off next, which resulted as follows:—lst heat, Mr Connor’s Flyaway ? 2nd heat, Mr Grant’s Catch me if you can ; 3rd heat, Mr Connor’s Fly» away. A noticeable feature in this race was the plucky riding of young Master Snodgrass on Catch me if you can, the sympathies of the spectators being quite on the side of the little fellow, who but for losing bis stirrup in one of the heats would have stood a good chance of pulling off the race. Quite a crowd of small boys started in the foot race, which was won by Joe Warbriok. Tiie pig hunt was a failure, as immediately the pig was let loose it was seized upon by a party of natives, who carried it away by main force to their boat, The fun of seeing the

pig run and the competitors follow after it in their vain efforts to catch the animal being altogether lost. The greasy boom was the last entry on the programme. The boom being lashed to the end of the wharf, beyond which it extended some yards over the water, the fun was great to see the struggles of the competitors in their attempts to walk along the greasy surface of the pole and seize the goose tied up in a box at the end of it, their efforts for sometime being rewarded only with a ducking in tho water. The difficult feat was at length accorm plished by 8. Middlebrook, who triumphantly seized the prize and claimed it for his own. Two extra prizes for climbing tho greasy pole were won by Charles Gardiner and Johnny Sellars, This last event completed the day’s sports, which to judge from the numbers who remained to witness them were thoroughly appreciated. The stewards certainly deserve the thanks of the community for the manner in which all the arrangements of the day were carried out for their task was no sinecure, and it required no small tact to make the holiday thoroughly successful.