FRANKTON SPORTS.

Waikato Times, Volume XIV, Issue 1173, 3 January 1880, Page 2

FRANKTON SPORTS.

The first sports held for many years on what was once part of the old Hamilton racecourse, where many a fi^t-cla^s race meeting was held when the Imperial troops were in Waikato, came off on ew Year's Day, and were most numerously attended, i hey we^e held in a clover lea paddock near the railway station, aud throughout the day the course was crowded with carnages and equestrian^, holiday-makers, and picnic parties. Between seven and eight hundred people wre present, including visitors fiom Piako, Cambridge, ohaupo, Te Awamutu, Ngaruawahia, and all parts of the district. In fact, for an athletic sports meeting thers has never been such a gitLering in Waikato. The day was fine, there was plenty of room, and the distance from Hamilton &o short that whole fimilies could walk, out, and a very geueral hope was expressed that this, the first of the Frankton sports, would become an annual affair, and that the programme should consist as much of horse-racing as of athlotic contests. Air James had a booth upon tho ground, and there were also I temperance booths for the supply of eat-

ables, tea, coffee, lemonade, &c. Tbe ' committee worked wo!l to carry out tho programme faithfully, and -u^eeded fully in do.ng -o. The police were present, but had a holi-lay the same as other people, tor not a sign of drunkenn»m nor tne tfightos distubauoo of any kind ocuuried to mar the geneinl enjovnipnt. 'I he Band of the Hamilton iglit Infantry were on the groiiu.i, and couuibu'c-d not a little to the general onliveumeut of the proceedings, i here was .some excolbnt tunning, and a pretty .sharp contest be tweeu Pagan, of AuckLiud, and the local champion i.yde. Fagau is an excellent and graceful runner, and has earned off prizes at several VVaikato sports. 1 he first race was tho A.aiden «.a<,e, 200 yards.— J. Graham, 1 ; Me *oughton, Z. \ protect being entered for jostling-, it was decided by the committee in f.tvor of H. riyde. Throwing- the Hammer. — Duncan Vclatyre, 1 ; X Mumo, 2. usual this was a gift to Duncan Mclntyre, who, sports after sports, has never yet met hit match. Half-mile Race. — W. Hyde, 1; Xi- ! rika, 2. J Girls' Rice. —K. Wright, 1 ; C. arke , 2. Oi,e Hundred Yards Race.— Lewis, 1 ; Thorpe, 2. Mile ace.— Faaran, 1 ; W. Ryde, 2. Six Hundred Yaids liace.— H." aydc, 1 ; Kinka, 2. lrotting tface, 3 mile-. — All will's lackthorne, 1 ; Grahatn's Doctor, i. This race was the srreat event of the day. here were several entered, but three only ' kept huffioient ahead to compete. It was Mippo^ed that the race would lie between Biackthorne •< nd >. arter's Mi^^ \\ hilfler, : .»ut at no time could MissWhiffler be said to have anything like a chunce, indeed she carried weight enough in her owner for two horses ; and though hhe has, we believe, beaten tho winning hor^p on thd n>ad, Miss hifflsr does not peiform .so well upon the turf. Gnham's Doctor made a good hecoud, and had the race been Knottier half mile would have given uiackthorne harder work than he \\x\. urdlo Itace. — McKiunon, 1 ; Fergusson, 2. « onsolation Race. — Thorpe, 1 ; G. i eid, 2. Catchinsr the Grea-y Pig concluded the sport, and afforded immense a lusement. His Pigship wds caught before he had got 40 yards away 1 by P. 'lenry.