Caledonian Championship Gathering.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 135, 31 January 1903, Page 18

Caledonian Championship Gathering.

WA.NGANUI was en fete en Thursday and Friday last week, the occasion oeung the annual championship meeting of the New Zea^ land Association) of Caledonian. Societies. The bagpipes were greatly in evdenee wherever you wandered in the city during the earlier part of fche days mentioned, and the kilts — the tune-hon-oured garb of the representatives of auM Scotiat— were proudly worn b^ the sons of the Hielands, and their descendants. » • * The sports and Caledonian games were held at St. John's Hill, in beaut-ful weather, and were keenly enjoyed. The ground itself is an ideal one, being a natural tableland! at the top of a lull. It carries a four-lap to the mile track, and is as level as a bowling green. The only regret I had when looking at it — and I did that from all points of view — ■was that such a ground was not procurable in Wellington. I feel sure that if sports here could be conducted on a ground similar to the one the Wanganui people have, the present apathy in. athletic sports would be a thing of the past. # The championship events did not excite much competition — -the distance events were gifts to D. Smith, the Bundaberg (Queensland) runner, and the sprints were soft things for Furrie, the ex-Foxton school teacher, who is now stationed in Feilding. Good old "Billy" Watts was not asked to do too much to win the- 120 and 440 yards hurdles championship, and Carlson — the big athlete from Danne.virke way who has more than a probable chance of inclusion in the New Zealand representative football team this season — was not asked to exert himself in the field event®. Carlson's tally for the meeting was six ohampion&hips, bust his best performance was in the putting of the- 161b ball. His put was 42ft. Bin., and constituted a New Zealand record under Caledonian rules, the previous best being 39ft. lOin. by Forde, in InvercargiH, in 1900. The world's record for this description of contest is 44ft. 5-Jin. * *■ * The Bundaberg runner — Smith — is an undoubted champion. He runs with a long, loping stride, but is inclined to lift his feet too far behind. He gets over fche ground, though, in. beautiful style, and winds up all his races 1 with a slashing sprint down the straight to the tape. His best runs were in the halfmile (lmin 57 2-sthsec) and mile handicaps (4min 25 2-sthseo). Both these are New Zealand records under Caledonian rules, and compare more than favourably with world records for these distances Half-mile, F. Hewitt, lmin 062-seo; 1 mile, W. G. George, 4min 12-} sec. Furrie has come on a lot since he ran last in Wellington, although there were many who predicted then that he would develop into something above the ordinary. His style is elegance itself, and, although he did nothing sensational m the matter of time, the opposition caused him) but little anxiety in any of his championship runs. There was another runner ait the gathering who would be heard of if someone took him m hand. I refer to Campbell, of the Daixnevirke Club. He runs a good mile and half-mile, and is a hard nut to crack in a quarter hurdle race. Yet, he is said to run without training. • • * The Caledonian events proper were keenly contested The skirl of the bagpipes was in evidence all through both days — either there were dances in progress of competition, or bagpipe music itself. And didn't the Scotch folk enjoy it too — the foot-racdng and so on could be watched bv those who wanted it , as for them, they wanted to see the kilts swirling round in the sheauntreas, sword dance" Highland fling, and so on. I don't know much about the quality of the dancing — experts have told me that finer dancing could not be seen on any sports ground in the world. McKenzie Forbes, with a world-wide leputation, was there: McKechnie from Dunedin, who is as hard to beat for

music as he is in dancing , Campbell Smith, a son of that great authority m Caledonian matters', "Kilty" Smitlh, of Onslow Park, Pahiatu \ whose absence was much regretted bv one and all, everybody being of the opinion that the accident that prevented him attending the gathering must have been a painful one indeed to keep him away , Mooriisom, the champion piper of the Australasian Commonwealth , and many others — not forgetting our on n "Davoy" Campbell * * Just one word more le the competitions. Kerr, who 'has gained a worldwide notoriety, and has been the subject of much press criticism because he was tuned to" walk a mile m Dunedini last year m Omins llsecs, won the mile walk, but he \\ as not asked to extend himself, the lourney takine considerably over 7min He has a pretty style of w alking, and at Wanganui, at any iate, his action was beyond reproach. * ♦ * The management of the meeting was good, and the events were got off well to time. There seemed, however not enough events on the programme to keep the ball rolling, but, perhaps, the paucity of entries in some of the ckaimpiofn'ship events may have upset calculations slightly. There was one feature about tihe gathering that I d'd not like, and that was charging the competitors admission to the sports. lam one of those who believe that the more numerous the competitors, are the better the public appreciate the competitions, and the more kkely they are to attend succeeding meetings. The runners, cyclists, and so on, maike the sport and surely it is hard to ask them to pay to see the sport they are assisting in making. This aspect of the question I siubmit to the fair consideration of all sports promoters, with the conviction that a little courtesy like this show n to the competitors will tend to increase the pormlarity of their gatherings without hampering their finance at all. I travelled to Wanganui incognito, but, nevertheless, have to thank the Wanganui Committee for courtesies shown, and, if fortune favours mo in so far as to have en o^roorturnty of again visiting the anr.ua! gathering of the Waixganui Caledonian. Society it will afford me the utmost pleasure to do so.