SPORTING NOTES.
There is nothing startling in athletics in England just now except Gale’s great walk at the Agricultural Hall, London. This plucky little long-distance walker commenced on October 21 a still more difficult task than that which he brought to a successful issue at Lillie Bridge at the beginning of October last, the present undertaking being no less a feat than walking 4000 quarter-miles in 4000 consecutive periods of 10 minutes each, a performance he claims to have accomplished at Cardiff a short time back. There being some doubt as to the authenticity, Gale has determined to show that he can do the feat. By latest news, Gale had worked off nearly threefourths of the distance. The interest taken in the walk is getting very great, and the pedestrian was in capital health and spirits, and confident of pulling through. A sculling race between the two ex-cham-pions, Kelly and Saddler, took place on November 5, from Putney to Mortlake, for £4OO a-side, Sadler winning easily. There has been big rowing going on in America lately, and there is every likelihood of a match being made between one of them and some of the, English champions. The sculling match for the championship of America was rowed on the Alleghany River on the 13th of October last between E. Morris and Pat Luther, Morris winning rather easily. J. H. Tomlinson, the well-known Cumberland and Westmoreland wrestler, who is now in the Brazils, is matched to wrestle a gigantic Spaniard, one Maximo Roderigo, in the Border style, the giant staking 600,000 reis to Tomlinson’s 300,000. The match will take place in the Theatre St. Pedro, and the English Consul has consented to act as umpire. Maximo has the reputation of having thrown four Englishmen at Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, and Rosario, the one thrown at the latter place being killed by the fall. Football is now in full swing at Home, and a long account appears in Bell’s Life of the match ,last winter, Dunedin v. Auckland. The game is still played at Home under the Rugby Union rules, with no thought of any other rules. A revival of boxing and wrestling has taken place in London, and matches of feather weights, medium weights, and heavy weights have been the order of the day. A boxing match between. Goode and Rees for £IOO a side caused great excitement, the men fighting for two hours, and damaging each other almost as much as if fighting without gloves, when both men were quite exhausted, although Goode had slightly the best of it. The police, who had been gathering for about half-an-hour,' rushed in and stopped proceedings. Goode and Rees were taken away in traps. They met next day, when both were willing to fight it out, but eventually Rees* accepted £5 to draw. Goode at the start missed a hit at Rees, and struck hiswrist on an iron spike, fracturing the bone, and rendering his arm useless. Rees, who is an Israelite, had his left arm swollen and discolored to such an extent that the pain made him swoon, more than once. The boxing for the championship of England proved a hollow affair, Tom Allen, of Birmingham, beating Torakin Gilbert, of Lincoln easily, who proved himself a duffer as far as science was concerned. , The match between the horses ol Leon the
Mexican and Mr. Newsome, for £IOOO, has ' been started. Tjie original stipulation of this match was that the horse which went the farthest iu 50 hours was to win £IOOO. At the last moment, however, this vvas altered, each rider being allowed to have a second horse in attendance. The match is not yet concluded, but Leon is ahead and seems very likely to win. The only noteworthy event in the running line was the 5-mile amateur championship race, J. Gibb, the 4-raile champion, winning iu the fastest amateur time ever done, with W. B. Fuller second. The hitherto best time was 2Smin. 2seo.; Gibb’s time was 20min. 13sec. A prize was given by the London Athletic Club to the b“st all-round man from 100 yards to 5 miles, including walking, putting stone, throwing hammer, and jumping. H. Sturt won with 78 points ; Stockton, 2nd, 69 points; and Puttick, 3rd, 51 points. A novel race, crutch v. wooden leg, took place at New Morton, for £25, the distance 100yds., between E. Garside (crutch) and G. Warren (wooden leg). At the start odds of 3 to 1 were laid on Warren, who led for the first twenty yards, after which Garside drew up level, and the pair raced together for another thirty yards, when the favorite stumbled and falling, Garside hobbled in alone. As promised I will just pass a few comments on the various Wellington peds who performed at the recent sports, taking them alphabetically ns the most handy method;—Aitken, who is a new man to Wellington, ran very neatly, but is not sufficiently good, even with the long starts allotted him, to greatly trouble the local men. Blythe, who won the 1876 Midwinter Handicap iu such a capital manner, is a grand quarter-mile runner, and when fit should, on good ground, be capable of making almost even time; his performance on the Ist iust. stamps; him as a runner of the first class. I hope to see him competingofteueriu future. Dovovan, who is quite a veteran, ran in his taking style, but the youngsters seem getting rather too good, for him, he having fallen off very much at his; pet quarter of a mile hurdle, as his defeat on Boxing Day testifies. Although still able to give starts to most in the 100, Ereeman, although a very fast sprinter, lacks training, and if desirous of winning a hundred from such men as Donovan, Webb, Woods, or l Major should devote,a little time to practice.: Greenfell by many was thought to be a coming: man, but his easy defeat iu the Consolation Hundred, with the limit start, 1 , scarcely justifies those opinions. Major is, as I have said: before, a most uncertain runner, and although possessing plenty of speed and endurance, is' apt to spoil his chances by neglect of practice and injudicious running. On Boxing Day the 220yds, which he won frem the one yard mark, was run in nearly a second faster time than the one on New Year’s Day, in which he started with four yards, . and finished; fourth., James Moran, who, like Donovan, is a veteran, but, unlike him, a long distance ono has become decidedly pass6,< retaining nothing but the mere elegance of l style that always characterised his running. Poole, a maiden, showed very good running powers, and should be heard of in the coming anniversary and St. Patrick's handicaps. Woods is about the best all-round ped iu Wellington, and ran extremely well throughout the last two meetings. I have no doubt that but for his accident iu the J-mile he would have been
“ moighty adjacent ” to Blythe and Webber. He astonished all by his tine style of running a hurdle race,-and but for Webber’s excellent start would have scored another win. Webber, a travelling champion, is another exceedingly good all-round athlete, running well at all distances, from 100 yards to five miles, and being the premier vaulter of New Zealand. His going in the “quarter” on New Year’s Day was a treat to witness ; and had the race been a few yards farther, he could scarcely have failed to win, as he was nearing Blythe at every stride, his running and jumping in the hurdle race being the theme of general admiration, as was also his splendid leaping in the pole vaulting contest. Webb is I think the fastest 100yds. runner in Wellington, and at a quarterns by no moans to he despised, and if he only took a little more interest in running matters would score not a few wins. John Moran, although but a lad, is a really capital walker, possessing a splendidly fair style, and great endurance. J. McFlat has. shown an improvement in style since the Boxing Bay sports, and with perseverance may develop into a good walker.- Zesoh, a persevering walkist, I would advise to give it up, his constitution ' not being sufficiently. strong, although his pluck and spirit pull him through. I would advise the Wellington Athletic Club to follow the example of the London Athletic Club by giving a prize to the all-round athlete at their next meeting. Nunquam Dokmio,
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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5243, 12 January 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)
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1,412SPORTING NOTES. New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5243, 12 January 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)
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