ROWING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1533, 31 August 1912, Page 13

ROWING.

[Br "Mercury."] THAT CHALLENGE-AT LAST. Arnst Sends It In. * Latest news anent the sculling championship is extremely interesting, chiefly it consists of the intelligence that "Dick" Arnst has "come again" after all, and has put in his challenge, ami made the JilUO deposit necessary to clinch a match. So tho tanglo that "Mercury" presaged last week has come about. . Harry Pearce was first in, tho field with his challenge and forfeit money, and has received a cablcd acceptance from Barry— an acceptance that was most explicit. It made no mention of that important item, expenses, but announced the champion's willingness to row "at any time." Accordingly, Pearce had determined to leave Australia in March or April of next year, and to row in July. In addition, Barry has also been flirting with a challenge from Ed. Durnan, of Canada, evidently in the hope of getting another race, and a race that would represent easy money to tide him over until the Pearce affair. Barry's Position is Now Unique. Now, on top of all comes Arnst's challenge. Truly, it is a case of an embarrassment of riches for the Englishman. His position is unique, in so far as it has never happened to a champion to have threo challenges hurled at him from different quarters of the globe so soon after securing tho title. , Apparently the'choice rests with him, although, strictly speaking, Pearce has tho first refusal, it is generally understood that the defeated champion has first right with a challenge, but, in this ense, Arnst has hung in the wind for so long that he lost his chance. I'lie position as regards Barry, is that he is now bound to row Pearce, and that lie may meet Arnst first or not, just as ho pleases, only if ho rows tho ex-champion first, and is beaten, he loses the deposit put up for the Pearce match. Arnst wants a race before November, but in consideration of this matter of the forfeit money, Barry will probably give his request vory serious consideration before committing himself. Durnan's Part In It—A Small One. Evidently the Durnan affair is not being taken seriously—and there appears to bo no reason why it should. The Canadian made anything but a .favourablo impression as a "class" sculler when in Australia some years ago. George Towns then beat him "on the Nepean course with ridiculous ease, and Durnan must now be well past his athletic,hey-day. Jloreover, the long, tiring Thames course would be most unsuitcd to the style of sculling he adopted when in Sydney, sculling as he did with bent arms through his stroke. One cannot hold out much hope for Durnan, despite which fact, however, he is, according to tho cables, leaving Canada almost immediately for England, where he hopes to race eight or nine weeks after arrival.