Great Sculling Record

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 614, 16 March 1929, Page 16

Great Sculling Record

CHAMPION AT FORTY-FIVE

Many Victories Won By J. P. Hannan

PROBABLY the oldest sculling champion that ever »a>. and certainly the winner of more races than any other professional scalier of recent times, was J. I'. Hannan, who has handed over the professional sculling championship of Nfr Zealand to J. Mason, of At Hangarei. Hannan was 45 years of age East August. He never reached world's championship form, but he had a remarkable career in hit branch of sport.

Hannan did not take up sculling . Until he was 26 years old. He was then a member of the Wellington aud Petone rowing clubs, for he had been ; born in Wellington and educated at the I Marist Brothers’ School there. After j trying himself out in club “tubs, ’ he ■ was convinced that, beside plenty of muscle, he had ability for sculling, and he settled down to it in earnest. As an amateur he won 11 sculling races. In 1913 Hannan turned to professional sculling, entering for the big Parramatta Handicap in New South Wales. Victory in that race brought him into prominence, and he was soon matched with A. Priddlc. former amateur champion of New South Wales. Hannan heat Priddlc easily. Then he challenged W. Webb for the New Zealand championship, but the old world’s champion beat him, on the Wanganui River. That was in 1915. For five years after that Hannan did not have a' race, the Great War having slopped professional sculling. He was 37 years of age when he had his next race. By that time Webb had retired, and Hannan rowed William Fogwell for the New Zealand championship, on the Wairau River, Marlborough. Hannan won. By tliis time the world’s championship had come again into the keeping of Dick A rust, who had first won it in 1908 but bad lost it to Ernest Barry, of England, in 1912. Barry was the champion until after the war, when he lost the title to A. D. Felton, but regained it some months later. Barry’ was then desirous of retiring, and he did not accept a challenge from Arnst, who therefore was recognised as world’s champion again. Hannan challenged the Canterbury man. and they raced on the Wanganui River on June 11, 1921. Arnst beat Hannan, but as the greater championship in these things does not include the lesser. Hannan still held the New Zealand title. Fogwell had not rested content with his defeat by Hannan, and another race between them was arranged for 1922. In this race, which was rowed on the Wairau River, Hannan set up a. New Zealand record of ISmin 50see for the course of three miles 109 yards. Another unsuccessful challenger for the New Zealand, championship was Fred Wells. Hannan beat him twice—on the Wairau River and in Picton Harbour.

Soon after that came the crowning success of Hannan's career. Alf Felton oi Sydney, had rowed in New Zealand some years before, having won the Manawatu Handicap. Two years after Felton had lost the world's championship to E. Barry, a race between him and Ha.man was arranged. Felton was then the champion of Australia, and as Hannan held the Now Zealand title their race became one for the Australasian championship. It was rowed at Nelson. The race was exciting, Hannan find Felton rowing neck and neck all the way. Hannan just managed no win by three feet. Then came W. McDevitt, champion of Tasmania, in quest of Hannan's Australasian honour. They met at Riverhead, near Auckland, and the New Zealander won again. This revival of sculling aroused old fires Dick Arnst's breast, and Canterbury’s former world's champion went after Hannan's scalp. But Arnst could not manage it. Ilannan heat him with some case, on the Waikato River. At that time Arnst was again an exchampion of two years* standing. In 1922 Darcy’ Hndficld. former amateur champion of New Zealand, who had beaten some of the world’s best amateur scullers when he was in England in 1919, had wrested the world's professional championship from Arnst. Hadfieid, indeed, had won by 10 lengths, and Arnst remarked, “I got it where the chicken got the axe!” But Janies Paddon bad come across from New South Wales to make Hadfleld’s glory brief. Now Hadfield turned in search of Hannan’s championship. But he got from Hannan what he himself had given Arnst—and a little more, for Hannan beat him by 12 lengths. That >vas at Tauranga in 1925. In 1926 Mason pitted himself against Hannan, but was beaten by four lengths. Hannan beat him again last Saturday by a length and a-half. and then relinquished the championship to the man whom he had beaten. It is doubtful whether that oral deed of gift would bold good if* it were disputed, but there is no other known claimant for the championship in sight. The letiring champion has been a j versatile athlete. He has won mile swimming races, boxing, wrestling, and weight-lifting contests, and has not been defeated in one-a-side tugs-of-war. He played Rugby football as a member of the Oriental Club, Wellington, and for some time was a Rugby refer* e.