HALSWELL ATHLETIC SPORTS.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 174, 29 December 1874, Page 2

HALSWELL ATHLETIC SPORTS.

T u e first athletic sports ever held in this district came off on Boxing Day, in a paddock kindly lent by Mr Alex. Dunbar. There were about 250 persons on the grounds. Only two races being open to all comers there was a difficulty in getting the required number of entries to make a race, viz., three, and, no doubt, this being the first year, those who have the management of them next year will see the advisability of taking in a larger district, the Hal swell Educational district being far too small to furnish material for anything like good, sports. The result was that one man, much better than any other, took everything he entered for without being made to run for it. The committee were, Messrs Alex. Dunbar (chairman), H. Glover, E. Lloyd, Henry Meyerhoff, Hugh Leathern, John Lee, G, Going, T. Kennedy; hon secretary, J, Beverledge ; hon treasurer, D. Sunderland, ex officio. The programme was carried out as under. The efforts of the secretary and treasurer were most praiseworthy for the untiring zeal they displayed to get through the work. The same may be said of many others of the committee. The first event which was got off was the Boys’ race, under sixteen. * Distance, threequarters of a mile; entrance Is. Entries —F, Dunbar, F. Hurlock, F. Spark, Walter Streeter. W. Streeter 1 F, Dunbar 2 F. Spark 3 Boys under thirteen years; distance, 440 yards; entrance, 6d. Entries—Messrs J. Flint, E. Griffiths, E. Stafford, W. Mellish, A. Clark, J. Campion, Jennings, Moffat, T. Dunbar. E. Stafford 1 T. Dunbar 2 W. Mellish 3 Race for Men; one mile; entrance, 2s 6d. J. Dunbar... 1 R. Sparks 2 F. Culliford 3 George Fleet, F. Blowers, and J. Patterson also ran, but had no chance in the race, Dunbar coming in easily. Race for girls, under 12, 100 yards. Helen Walker 1 Helen Lincoln 2. - M. Harris also ran. Race for Girls under 16 years. Alice Jackson I Mary Dunbar 2 Louisa Lincoln 3 Caroline Going also ran. Hurdle race, for men, six flights of hurdles, 3ft high ; distance, 440 yards. Entrance, 2s 6d. James Dunbar 1 T. Blower 2 F. Culliford 3 Dunbar went away with the lead, and maintained it throughout, winning easily. Three-Legged race for men ; 220 yards;Helliwell and Dunbar 1 Spark and Donohue 2 Parish and Mason also ran. Wheelbarrow race, blindfolded, 150 yards ; three entries. Brown coming in first got the prize. Married Women race, 220 yards. Mrs E. Clark 1 Mrs Poon ... ... 2 Sack race, 150 yards: two entries. James Dunbar I who won easily. Hop, Step, and Jump, F, Culliford I Helliwell and Sparks also jumped. Two Mile Walking race; Ist prize, a cup value £3 3s, presented by Messrs G. L. Beathand Co ; 2nd prize, £1; 3rd prize, 15s. This was a hollow affair, the time being-twenty-one minutes. Bowley, of Christchurch, who was not allowed to compete being out of the district, over lapped the winner by more than two laps, thus gaining more than half-a-mile on him in the distance. James Dunbar 1 W. Helliwell 2 E; Clark 3 Two-Mile Plat race, open to all comers; Ist prize, £3 ; 2nd, £l. C. Brown 1 E. Reeves 2 M. Donohue and C. Bowley also ran. This was a capital race. Donohue went away with the lead, which he maintained until the third lap, when Brown Went to the front, Donohue falling back. Reeves and Brown being together. Bowley, who only entered to warm himself being out»: the race, and soon gave in. Reeves: and Brown went together with Donohue laying si* yards behind, Ttya con-

tinned until the seventh round when Donohue spurted up to the others, and passed them, going past the winning po-t five yards ahead, but ran off the course, thus losing the race, he having mistaken the number of laps. Brown and Reeves still kept together. Coming in for home a splendid spurt for 200 yards took place, Brown winning by six inches. One Mile race, open to all comers; Ist prize, a suit of clothes, presented by Messrs Hobday and Jobberns. E. Reeves 1 M. Donahue and C. Brown also ran. Brown gave up the last lap. A dog getting in the way of Donahue about a chain from home, spoilt his chance. Vaulting; Ist prize, 10s; 2nd, ss. Jas. Dunbar . ••• 1 J. Sparks 2 Sparks pushed Dunbar hard for this, Dunbar clearing 7ft 4in, which Sparks failed to do. The Old Men’s race, and a Married Women’s race for 11b tea, Throwing the Hammer, Putting the Stone, a game of Quoits, and a lot of children’s sports were got off. Three cheers to Mr A. Dunbar for tire use of his paddock brought the first Halswell sports to a close.