Sporting Jottings.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 395, 15 January 1909, Page 2

Sporting Jottings.

[By Ilex.] Wake up Kawhia ! Sports every, where except here. ! hope, Mr Ed - tor, to see a meeting called at an early date to discuss the advisability of bedding a “Kawhia Week.” Tbi--, I would suggest, contains two days for a grand aquatic carnival, to include boat racing, sailing, swimming races, diving competitions, launch race?, walking the greasy boom, ec. Tie Maoris are very keen on tbe canoe races and hope to see tbe old days of eanoe racing revived. Why not ? I am not at present aware of the cob< ilions of tbe Willison Cup, but if tl e douor of that trophy would allow it to ba raced for at the carnival it would be a big local attraction. Tbe Couniy Council Pairs is another ti at would create much excitoiueut. T» e following entries might be received—•Lmathan and Jenkins, ck &rd Gillies, Shaw and Hay! ck, Ia; on and Whitcomb?, 11. Arms»<ung •nJ B. Davies, aud Pettit and Mack nz . I would devote two d-<ys to a tenf-ia tournament. Our players are w&l known through uf the Waikato, hav. ing annexed many trophies, aud 1 feel sure that tbe Taurus Club would be only too pleased to have a tourname t which would doubling a‘?rac maty players from 6 vari ms c >ur vi<i ed : by Kawhia tonoi. Co - i sidering she ;nauy attrae ions, one cay I I would all-»t to a cricket uit ch, h.»- : whia v Visitor.-, aud o .£ diy to either i a fishing excursion or pic ucirg. Such a week, I ven.ure to say, w«. d be a bo nto Kawhia. It nly wants fine weather, an energetic secretary and a good working commit ee to make Ma “ week ” a big success. Of course it would not be complete without et least on one night holding a grand ball.

A. F. Wilding won the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Championship, as w« only to be expected after his br.iifau form of late. He was net even really extended, his being a very easy \ e • tory.

The friends of D. Pretty in this di. trict will be highly gratifi-d at Lis dual success at Eltbam, iu wiani. g both the N.Z. Championship aud th World’s Championship Chnp No* a bad double >1 hope he backed ic. W • bad a teste of bis ability in Kawhia in 1906.

I notice the Australians have choten Noble, Trumper, Hartigr , Ka s«..rd Hill and Armstrong as ce lainti s i- r the cricket team which is to vi-it E* gland this year. It te the ueucten f a very strong eleven—six splendid batfl and two first-class bowlers.

Auckland has retained possess-.. >n of the Pluoket Shield, having played a drawn game with Otago and beaten Canterbury by 32 runs, Now that cricket is making such guides in tbe Dominion I expect to see New Zealand sending a team home in a year ur twe, Frank Wootton, the Australian jockey, is indeed lucky. It- is nc| given to maiy boys at ths age of 16 years to refuse £2OOO a year. But such was young Wootton's case. He was recently offered a reteiriog fee of £2OOO by a wealthy French wnflr for him to rile in France. It i c <*nputed that he is at present making <5OOO • year. He has had a wonderful record during the past racing sea-on in England. His neck and <‘«er with toe famous Anglo-America jockev D. Maher as to who should ue?d the ii°t ol winning riders has neen n?« of the features of the English t trf. Umike most jockeys be can live the litj uf an ordinary individual, not haviog occasion to “ sweat ” or “ physic ” to get off superfluous flesh, so he must have a brilliant future befoae him. By ths best judges be is considered a riding prodigy. The total gate receipts (or the Johu-son-Burns fight amounted to £26,200.