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Raetihi's 100-year run

Raetihi celebrates its centenary next year and to mark the occasion long-time residents have put pen to paper to produce brief histories of the town 'as they see it\

Athletlcs In Raetihi

Prior to 1940 amateur athletics was virtually unknown in country areas. These areas were the stronghold of 'cash' (professional) athletics which were regularly held at the various annual country sports meetings. Instead of trophies for first, second and third in an event, a cash prize would be given. Seldom did first prize exceed $20. Athletes normally did not belong to a club but were registered directly with the New Zealand Athletic Union. This allowed them to compete at the various sports meetings. After the Great War at least three organisations sponsored athletics in the Waimarino. They were the Rangataua Axemen's Club and the Ohakune and Raetihi Caledonian Societies. There may have been others. Old programmes show that several local runners competed regularly and travelled as far afield as Owhango and Taihape to compete. About 1923 Pearce Punch was considered to be the local sprint champion. Some of the names of other athletes were: Herb Punch, Jack Garmonsway, Lewis Meyer, Walter Wamer, D Symes, A Rose, W Allen, G Edmonds and G McDonnell. In the late 1940's Johnny Patterson was considered the fastest local over 100 yards. In 1951 the Raetihi Cash Athletic Club was

formed through the efforts of Norm Scarrow, Herb and Pearce Punch and Walter Warner. Eric Warner was the first secretary. The object was to stage an annual sports meeting. These sports meetings ran for eight years. At one stage they offered the biggest prizemoney in the North Island for one-day sports. All of the meetings were held at the Show Grounds. The standard of competition was very high and over the years drew runners from as far afield as Christchurch and Auckland. In 1954 Turi Bannister, the New Zealand sprint champion, travelled up from Burnham and competed. Another visitor was Eddie Ward from Leeston. A year later he was the New Zealand 440 yard champion. Local competitors who performed well at these sports meetings included Kathleen Jones, Grace Reid, Gail Duggan and Leslie Dobson. Others were Roy Taylor, Keith Haitana, Trevor Garminsway, Ron and Morris Ivey, Colin Webb, Leo Punch, Morris Duggan, Owcn and Eric Wamer, Trevor Frederick, Allan Scarrow and Barry Billington.

NZ Mile title to Raetihi

In 1954 Allan Scarrow won the New Zealand 880 yards championship title at Auckland. This resulted in sanction being granted for the New Zealand one mile title to be contested for at the 1954 Raetihi sports meeting. In front of a home crowd, Scarrow also won this title after being pushed hard by M Peart from Raglan. Another local in Trevor

Frederick unexpectedly finished third coming home in front of South Island and Auckland run- , ners. In 1955 Eric Wamer attended the New Zealand Championships held at Waimate in the South Island. In the 880-yard New Zealand Championship final he finished third behind K Duthie of Southland and C Sutton of Canterbury. Scarrow and the Wamer brothers also had several wins at the huge two-day Otorohanga Easter Carnivals which regularly drew over 10,000 spectators. Some of the people who helped run the Raetihi Sports included Jack Ennis (ground marshall), Jim Clarke (chief steward), Don Moffitt (chief marksman), Bill Hussey (judge) and Dcs O'Donnell (announcer). The handicapper was Herb Punch and Pearce Punch, the starter. Pearce used a double-barrel shotgun. The start of each race could be heard all around Raetihi.

Spectator support wanes

Although entries and the standard of competition at the Raetihi Sports were excellent, local spectator support was usually poor. The Club was finding it hard to 'ballance the books'. By 1958 'cash' athletics morc or lcss had come to the end of the road. Towards the end of 1959 the Wamer brothers were the prime movers in forming an amateur athletic club in the town. Their reward was reinstatement for amateur competition. For the next few years regular weckly club meetings

were held over the summer months. The first club championships were held in early 1960. Keith Haitana won the 100 yards title while Owen Wamer won most of the other championships. Some of the other club members around the period included Gil Cook, Brian Haitana, Dixie Robson, Brian Kara and about six from the Waiouru Army Camp. The club was based at the recreation grounds and in latter years owned a small ex-Forestry hut where they stored all their equipment.

Raetihi club earns respect

Raetihi became a very strong country club receiving a lot of respect from the city clubs of Palmerston North, Wanganui and New Plymouth. Local athletes competed extensively at sports meetings in the areas betwecn Levin, Taumarunui and New Plymouth. In the earlier days these included the Warner's Fay, Owen and Eric as well as Janet Haitana, Val, Garvin and Tony Read. Several Raetihi athletes had success in West Coast (North Island) Centre Championships. Lynnly Barrett, Pam Taylor, Jillian Cochrane, Marilyn Dobson, John Mcllroy, Eric Churton, Owen Wamer, Brian Read and Keith McFadgen. Lynnly Barrett discovercd she could throw a javelin as a fourteeen-year-old. The same year she qualified to compete in the New Zealand open women's championship where she finished about seventh. In later years she was to win New Zealand silver and bronze mcdals. Lynnly would possibly have gone to the Kingston Commonwealth Games had she not retired at an early age. Even in the mid 1980's she was still ranked in the top twenty throwers of all time. Bob Davis was the clubs first walker and had success at Centre level. To give him some company in training Owen Warner went on a few walks with him. Wamer discovered he himself had good ability. He changed from being a runner to competition walking and immediately had national success. Over the next few years at New Zealand championships he won nineteen medals including nine gold. He held the 20km New Zealand record and also competed in Australia. In 1970 he received the 'Waimarino Sportsman of the Year'. Gillian Cochrane also competed at New Zealand championships in discuss and javelin and got through to finals.

End of era

Back in Raetihi young people were turning to other forms of leisure and sport such as swimming. With the departure from the district of the Wamer Tum to page 12

Athletics of old

From page 8 brothers, senior athletics ceased to function. A chapter of Raetihi history had closed. New Zealand championship honours had come to the town. The great Arthur Lydiard once ran a coaching session at Raetihi. Olympic Gold Medalist Norm Read competed in a walking race around the streets of Raetihi. Peter Snell ran a brilliant mile in a little over four minutes on a rough Ohakune track shortly before his World record at Wanganui. The International team that competed the same night at Wanganui, all had a training session on the Recreation Grounds prior to being entertained socially by the local athletes. One of the American athletes said it was the first 'goat track' i he had trained on but appreciated the opportu- 1 nity. Today there are many who fondly look back on j their involvement with j the sport in Raetihi. |

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/RUBUL19921027.2.29

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 459, 27 October 1992, Page 8

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,210

Raetihi's 100-year run Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 459, 27 October 1992, Page 8

Raetihi's 100-year run Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 459, 27 October 1992, Page 8

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