ORIGIN OF HANDICAPPING.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5488, 29 October 1878, Page 3

ORIGIN OF HANDICAPPING.

The origin of “ handicapping/' with which the name of the late Admiral Rous has for many a long year been so intimately associated, is to be found in a custom at oho time, perhaps, as prevalent iir England as ’ -the modeni practice of raffling.’ One person, let it be ; supposed, ; had a pocket-knife, which he wished'’to exchange for another person’s pencil-case. He would challenge the owner of the pencil-case to make the exchange with him, and this -being agreed to/a third person would bo found to “make the award,” or in .other words' W arbitrate as to the respective values of the two. articles and to award a certain siihi by way of equalising them. Before the/award was made all three parties would in a h’at or cap a certain stake, which the arbitrator would appropriate in the event ;of liis award proving, satisfactory to . both' parties, or in the event of his award proving •satisfactory,, to neither party. The way in • which this” willingness or unwillingness to abide by the award of the umpire was expressed seems.originally to have been thus : —The two exchangers wera to stand each with a “hand-i’-bhe-cap/' and on the award being uttered—after an amount of circumlocution purposely .intended., to confuse them—they were instantly to withdraw their hands and' open them. If both bauds held money ih them, both were understood to accept the award, the ; exchange was made, and the arbitrator pocketed ■ >he stakes., If neither he‘d money, the bargain ! was not concluded, and the stakes were still 'forfeited to the arbitrator.. If only one of the ; two displayed a coin, that one drew the stakes, i and the exchange was not made. According i u' the rules of the modern' Jockey Club, ** n . aaudicap match is A, B, and C to put an equal sum'into a hat ; O. who is the haudicapper, ; mak'es a matcli for A'auil B, who, when they have perused it, pub their hands into their ■ pockets and draw them out closed ; then they >pen them together, and if both have money in . their hands the match is confirmed; if neither ] have money, it is no match.” Thus it will be , seen that/whereas the old practice was literally a “hand-i’-fche-cap,” the modern has become a “hand-i’-the.pocket.” , •