The Challenges

Cambridge Presidents Steve Dudek and Esther Momcilovic, and Oxford Presidents Maxie Scheske and Malcolm Howard at this year’s Challenges at the office of title sponsor BNY Mellon. Photo: the BNY Mellon Boat Race website.

A press release about the upcoming Boat Races on the River Thames reached HTBS:

On 24 October, the Official Challenges of The BNY Mellon Boat Race and The Newton Women’s Boat Race were issued by Cambridge at the Autumn Reception. The event acknowledges the start of The Boat Race season. All four of the Club Presidents and some members of The 2013 BNY Mellon Boat Race and The Newton Women’s Boat Race squads attended, marking the second year of parity for the Women’s clubs, which are just one year away till their race relocates to the Tideway, in 2015.

The official challenges are laid down at the start of every season by the previous Race’s losing University Boat Club President to the President of the victorious Club. Both the Oxford Men’s and Women’s Blue Boats triumphed in the 2013 Races, so it was up to Steve Dudek and Esther Momcilovic of Cambridge to issue the Challenges on behalf of their clubs.

The reception was held at the offices of the title sponsor, BNY Mellon, and as well as marking the start of the season, the evening was also an opportunity to celebrate the launch of official partner, JeanRichard’s new limited edition Boat Race watch. The evening was also supported by official partners, Bollinger, which provided the champagne reception, and Hackett.

Curtis Arledge, vice chairman and chief executive officer of the Investment Management, BNY Mellon, commented: “We are pleased that our continued commitment to supporting The BNY Mellon Boat Race will ensure that this historic rowing competition, now in its 160th year, will enthral an expanding global audience for many years to come. The focus, integrity, teamwork and excellence demonstrated by the crews are values that are aligned with our organisation and its commitment to our clients and local communities across the world”.

Robert Gillespie, chairman of The Boat Race Company Ltd, commented “Whilst this event marks the start of The Boat Race season, this day has been many years in the making for our triallists and in the history of our event. This is a momentous year in our history, as we celebrate the 160th Boat Race and the last year before the Women’s Boat Race moves to the Tideway, and we are delighted to share it with our title sponsors, BNY Mellon and Newton, the latter being the women’s sponsor. With their ‘Which Blue Are You?’ campaign entering its second year, we are excited to continue working together to enhance the event’s appeal to a UK and global audience.”

Helena Morrissey, chief executive officer at Newton Investment Management commented: “I have to admit to feeling 2014 will be somewhat poignant for the Women’s Race. The end of an era is a big occasion, and I’m hoping for a great and celebratory race between the two crews. Newton is delighted to be shaping this event and I’m excited about the potential impact of the progress towards equality – not just on rowing but on female participation in sports – at both top competitive and school levels.”

Among guests at the reception were four-time Olympic gold medallist and Oxford Blue, Sir Matthew Pinsent, and London 2012 gold medallist, Anna Watkins, who was unveiled as the new BNY Mellon Boat Race Ambassador. In her role as Ambassador, Anna will work alongside The BNY Mellon Boat Race Team over the season to develop greater awareness and participation in rowing. Commenting on her new role, Anna said: “It is a real honour for me to become Ambassador for The BNY Mellon Boat Race. Rowing has really captured the public’s imagination since the London Olympics. I am delighted to have this opportunity to play a role in such a globally-recognised event.”


The 2014 BNY Mellon Boat Race will take place on Sunday 6 April, 2014. The Newton Women’s Boat Race will take place a week earlier in Henley, on Sunday 30 Mach, 2014.

The Rowers on the Queen's New Year's Honours List

HTBS is happy to present the rowers on the Queen's New Year's Honours List of 2013.*

CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire):

Katherine Grainger, Double Sculls

MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire):

Anna Watkins, Double Sculls

Alex Gregory, Four

Sophie Hosking

Katherine Copeland

 Sophie Hosking and Katherine Copeland, Lightweight Double Sculls

Heather Stanning

Helen Glover

Heather Stanning and Helen Glover, Pair

Pamela Relph, Naomi Riches, James Roe, David Smith and cox Lily Van Den Broecke, Mixed Coxed Four

Paul Thompson, Coach

Robin Williams, Coach

Gordon John Day – For voluntary services to Rowing and charitable services through the Allen Glen’s School Club (sorry, no picture).

*Please see also Tim Koch entry Arise, Sir David... also posted today, 29 December, 2012.

Photographs: British Rowing (except of the Four)

Katherine Grainger - Sport Personality of the Year?

Today, Sunday, Katherine Grainger is going to be appointed 'Sports Personality of the Year', or at least many rowers in the U.K., and I, for sure, hope so. She has proven that 'dreams do come true' - which is actually what Gary Herbert yelled when Grainger and her sculling partner, Anna Watkins, crossed the finish line to take the Olympic gold in the London Games this summer. The Scottish rower has shown a tremendous fighting spirit for years, and kept on rowing to be able to get that Olympic gold medal that she was lacking in her collection. The Guardian's Rob Bagchi gives us some strong arguments in this video why Grainger should be 'Sports Personality of the Year'.

And while I am at it, please, Your Majesty, give Grainger a damehood this New Year's.

Update: Sunday evening, 6:30 p.m.: winner of the BBC Sport Personality of the Year award is cyclist Bradley Wiggins - however, I still stand by my damehood for Grainger!

Leander Rowers Shake Their Stuff for a Good Cause

Photo: The Henley Standard

Here is a fun fund-raising event that happened in Henley-on-Thames the other day. The local newspaper the Henley Standard writes:

The Olympic gold-medal winning four of Pete Reed, Alex Gregory, Andy Triggs Hodge and Tom James performed to Beyonce’s Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) during the BBC telethon on Friday night. They then joined fellow gold medallists Anna Watkins, Katherine Grainger, Helen Glover and Heather Stanning in “rowing” on office chairs.

The routine helped boost the total raised on the night to a record £26,757,446. Many fund-raising events took place in the Henley area, especially in schools. Reed, a Leander Club athlete, said: “I am not a dancer at all. It’s actually a fear of mine but ‘Children in Need’ is a great charity so I just had to man up and give it my best shot. We had a lot of fun as a crew that day. It turns out that we are all trainable and it’s good not to take yourself too seriously.”

Watkins, a Leander sculler, said: “It was great fun to take part. We’re not natural dancers but they found something even we could do, although we’re not quite ready for Strictly yet! I think the boys enjoyed doing Single Ladies way too much.”

Read the whole article in the Henley Standard here. (Where you will also find a funny video!)

Film On 2011 Wingfield Sculls

2011 Wingfield Sculls with Adam Freeman-Pask in the lead, Tom Solesbury on the left, and Henry Pelly closes to the camera.

The 171st Wingfield Sculls - The British Amateur Sculling Championship and Championship of the Thames - took place on Thursday, 27 October 2011, as reported earlier on HTBS by Tim Koch. With great weather conditions it looked as it would be an open affair in the men’s race, especially as last year’s champion, Alan Campbell (winner also in 2006 and 2009), had withdrawn due to injury. It was left to Adam Freeman-Pask of Imperial College, Henry Pelly of London RC, and Tom Solesbury of Leander to fight it out on the Thames. In the end it was Freeman-Park who crossed the finish line first in a new record time, at 19 min. 21 sec.

As Rosamund Bradbury withdrew in the women’s race, it became a match between Anna Watkins of Leander, who won last year, and Beth Rodford of Gloucester. Watkins took an early lead, and did not have a problem finishing the race in a new record time at 20 min. 55 sec., beating the old record by almost a minute.

While Tim was one of the first to write a report about the 2011 Wingfields, HTBS is also proud to present Tim’s film from this year’s two races. Enjoy!!!



(Special thanks to Dr Robert Treharne Jones, press officer at Leander Club, for allowing HTBS to publish his photographs.)

Tim Koch On 2011 Wingfield Sculls

The 171st Wingfield Sculls (‘The British Amateur Sculling Championship and Championship of the Thames’) in 181 years took place on Thursday, 27 October 2011, over the ‘Championship Course’, Putney to Mortlake in London. It was also the fifth year of the Women’s Wingfield Sculls race. My report on last year’s challenge gives the history of this special event and my preview posted last week gives a brief biography of the competitors who had entered. On the day, however, two things happened to make both races notable.

Firstly, mild weather with little or no wind and a strong tide coincided to make a potentially fast race (though times on a tidal river are, of course, no real reflection of ability). Secondly, Alan Campbell, indisputably the fastest British single sculler and a Wingfield’s winner in 2006, 2009, and 2010, had to withdrew due to injury. This left the men’s race wide open. Leander’s Tom Solesbury (98 kg, 200 cm) was the biggest man in the race but with little sculling and Tideway experience. London’s Henry Pelly was a little smaller (92 kg and 188 cm) but had spent a reasonable amount of time in a sculling boat and on the tidal Thames. Adam Freeman-Pask of Imperial College was a lightweight (70 kg and 185 cm) but he knew the course and was a sculler first and foremost.

At the start it was Pelly on Surry, Solesbury on centre and Freeman-Pask on Middlesex. They were not to stay on their stations for long and umpire Elise Sherwell had to do a lot of flag waving in the first few minutes. The water between Putney and Hammersmith had started to get a little rough and the less experienced Solesbury was clearly uncomfortable and started to fall back. Freeman-Pask was always in front but in the first mile he had little clear water between himself and Pelly. Solesbury had gone wide by the end of Putney Embankment but when he started to move back into fast water he began to catch the other two up and this was reflected in the times to the Mile Post (AFP 4'24'', HP 4'25'', TS 4'27''). All three went very close to the large buoy just down from the Post and Pelly missed a few strokes as he had to let his bowside scull pass over it. Solesbury tried to take advantage of this but his efforts caused him to move out of the fast water again. His tragedy (and also to some extent that of Pelly) is that either his steerers were not communicating with him or he had forgotten that, uniquely, this race allows competitors to receive steering signals from someone following in a launch. Had Solesbury remained in the stream it may have been a different race. In contrast, Freeman-Pask steered a very good course throughout. Just before Harrods the river was much calmer and Solesbury found the fast water again and started to overtake Pelly for the first time. Both were about two lengths down on the leader. As soon as the Leander man passed into second place he put on the power and quickly pulled away in pursuit of Freeman-Pask.

Adam Freeman-Pask of Imperial College, the winner in the men’s race.

At Hammersmith Bridge the official times were AFP 7'33'', TS 7'34'', HP 7'37''. Unfortunately from here Solesbury hugged the Surrey shore on a flood tide, denying himself the advantage of the deepest part of the river. He corrected this just before Chiswick Eyot and reduced the IC man’s lead considerably. The times to Chiswick Steps were a new record for all three scullers, AFP 12'06'', TS 12'07'', HP 12'20''. The old record was 12'21''. From the top of the Chiswick bend to just before Barnes Bridge, the two leading scullers were almost level and there was some fine side by side racing but this was due to great efforts from Solesbury while Freeman-Pask always looked as if he was in command of the race. Near the band stand umpire Sherwell took the decision to overtake Pelly. Approaching Barnes Bridge, Solesbury suddenly dropped behind, beaten either physically or mentally, with the result that he reached the bridge in 16'34'', seven seconds behind the leader (though both beating the old record of 16'45''). From here the race was really over and Adam Freeman-Pask reached Chiswick Bridge in 19'21'', while Tom Solesbury followed in 19'52''. Both were inside Peter Haining’s 1994 record of 19'58''. It was a fine race and a very good illustration of the various skills need to win the Wingfields, an event were you need more than just a 28 kg weight advantage.

In the Women’s Race, Rosamund Bradbury withdrew so it was a contest between last year’s winner, Anna Watkins of Leander (79 kg, 183 cm), and Beth Rodford of Gloucester (77 kg, 178 cm). In conditions promising a fast time, Watkins went off at 40 (to Rodford's 35) and took an early lead. They settled to 32 and 28 respectively and Watkins had a three length lead by the end of Putney Embankment. At the Mile Post both had gone down to 28 and the Leander sculler recorded 4'44'' (beating the old record of 4'46''), her opponent got there in 4'49''. All the other times were record beaters for both women. The timings at Hammersmith Bridge were: AW 8'03'', BR 8'10'' (old record 8'29''). After Hammersmith Watkin’s lead opened up to five lengths. The other times were: Chiswick Steps, AW 12'48'', BR 12'58'' (old record 13'30''). Barnes Bridge, AW 17'28'', BR 17'37'' (old record 18'11''). Finish, AW 20'55'' and BR 21'06'' (old record 21'53'').

2011 Wingfield’s winner, Anna Watkins of Leander.

Guy Pooley (Wingfield’s Treasurer and Champion in 1991 and 1992) said of the women’s race:

“(It) was a powerful display from last year’s Champion. She went off the start meaning to get ahead and stay ahead and sculled very well indeed..... She had it all, technique, endurance, power..... a worthy winner.”

At the prizegiving at the Tideway Scullers School boathouse, Bill Barry (Champion 1963-1966) praised the efforts of Wade Hall-Craggs (the Wingfield’s Secretary and Champion in 1993) and Guy Pooley in keep the event running and relevant. When Henry Wingfield started the event in 1830, he said that he wished it to continue ‘forever’. Wade and Guy are both working on some innovative ideas to ensure that this will be the case - watch this space.

Anna And Alan Take The 2010 Wingfields

Marcus Bateman chasing Alan Campbell in this year's Wingfield Sculls on the Thames.

HTBS's special correspondent, Tim Koch in London, gives here a brilliant report of this year's Wingfield Sculls. Tim writes:

On Tuesday, 24th August 2010 the title of ‘Champion of the Thames’ was contested for in the 170th Wingfield Sculls. In 1830, lawyer Henry Colsell Wingfield presented a pair of miniature silver sculls ‘to be held by the best’ as long as they agreed to race in single sculls on his birthday, 10th August, ‘for ever’. Eighty six men and, since 2007, three women have held the title ‘Champion’ The course is the 4 ½ mile (6.8 km) ‘Championship Course’ (most famously used by the Oxford–Cambridge Boat Race) from Putney to Mortlake complete with tide, bends, shallows, rough water, driftwood and other river users. I was lucky enough to be in the umpire’s launch for this year’s race.

The Wingfields is organised by a committee of former winners who also appoint an umpire from their number. This year it was Rory Henderson (Champion, 1990). The present Hon. Secretary is Wade Hall-Craggs (1993) who organises the event with great passion and who has also done a marvellous job in collecting and preserving the race archive. Interestingly, the Hon. Treasurer, Guy Pooley (1991, 92), told me that one of the main sources of income for the event is from shares in the Guinness brewing company which were donated by Lord Iveagh (Rupert Guinness, Champion 1896) in 1962 (HTBS 24th August 2010). There has also been generous support from the Wingfield Family Society. They have presented the race with a new flag and, when the Women’s Race was started in 2007, with a silver trophy based on the 1830 original awarded for the men’s event.

The 180th anniversary produced a rare and unexpected event, in-depth newspaper coverage of a sculling race that is obscure even within the sport. On 24th August The Times published a full page preview by Patrick Kidd and, on the following day, a half page race report. Unfortunately, you have to pay Rupert Murdoch a pound to view this online but, as it is such a rare occurrence, it is probably worth it.

In his race preview, Patrick Kidd writes: “[The race is] above all…about athletes being taken out of their comfort zone. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, once said that rowing was the ideal sport because it was so hard for people to watch and thus worth doing purely for its own sake. In the Wingfield Sculls, that vision of glorious amateurism remains alive…”

Kidd also quotes Wade Hall-Craggs: “Top class rowers today are used to racing on plastic lakes where so many of the variables have been taken out and it is just a battle of limb and lung size. This is a different challenge.”

This was illustrated in the 2009 race when Alan Campbell beat Mahe Drysdale. At that time, and on a ‘plastic lake’, most people would have expected the result to be different but, in rough conditions on a ‘living river’, Campbell was the better waterman. He demonstrated this again in 2010. One of the idiosyncrasies of the Wingfields is that the competitors can legally be ‘steered’ by signals from following boats. Until at least the 1920s this was done by the bowmen of following eights, not rowing and facing the wrong way. The picture above shows the three boats steering the competitors in the men’s race. The gentleman standing in the far boat is Bill Barry, coach of Alan Campbell and great nephew of Ernest Barry (HTBS 19th March 2010).

The 2010 Women’s Race was between Sophie Hosking (London) Champion, 2008 and 2009, Beth Rodford (Gloucester), Anna Watkins (Leander), and Ro Bradbury (Leander).

Rachel Quarrell, rowing correspondent of The Daily Telegraph, webmaster of The Rowing Service and a Henley Royal Regatta winning coxswain saw the race like this: “Anna and Ro were quickest off with Sophie a little behind and Beth surprisingly far back, I think she was very cautious about her rate. Anna got ahead along the Putney Embankment. For the next three minutes Sophie and Ro were pretty much side by side (in joint second). Just after the Mile Post, Beth did a huge push which moved her from fourth to second [...] which was very impressive […] Anna always led but Beth remained two to three lengths behind.”

Anna Watkins won in 23’07’’ with Beth Rodford five seconds behind.

The men’s race was between Alan Campbell (Tideway Scullers) Champion 2006 and 2009, Marcus Bateman (Leander), and Brendan Crean (Agecroft).

Rachel Quarrell again: “All three had a quick start, Alan going off at his usual very high rate. One of the most crucial parts of the race came in the first two minutes. Alan pushed slightly ahead of Marcus and encroached on his water. Race rules allow this as long as they do not actually touch - and Alan just avoided it. He stayed a few feet ahead until the Mile Post when they were both hit by the wash of a cruiser. Alan realised that he was going through it well, put in a big push and moved away from Marcus. After that it was a fairly straightforward race. It was very rough around Chiswick and anyone could have fallen in. Huge credit to all three of them that no one did so. A fascinating race but one that was over very early.”


Alan Campbell won in 22’34’’ with Marcus Bateman fifty one seconds behind.

Anna, Jurgen, and Alan.

In my entry on rowing medals of 15th January 2010 I forgot that the Wingfields gives such an award to every first time winner. GB coach Jurgen Grobler presented Anna with her ‘Champion’ medal and Alan with a 2010 bar to join the 2006 and 2009 ones on the ribbon of the ‘gong’ he first won in 2006.

WS medal and bar.

WS trophies.

The evening of the race saw eighteen past winners meet at London Rowing Club for their decennial dinner. My entry of 26th March 2010 mentions the first winners’ dinner in 1930 and attached are pictures of three of the previous four dinners. They nicely echo the one seventy years earlier. Soon I hope to post a picture of the 2010 celebration which will have its female champions present for the first time. What would the gentlemen of 1930 have made of that?

WS winners at the 1959 WS Dinner.

WS winners at the 1980 WS Dinner.

WS winners at the 2000 WS Dinner: (l.t.r.) T.J. Crooks (1977, 78, 80); M.D.A. Carmichael (1979); G.R. Pooley (1991, 92); R. Henderson (1990); O.W. Hall-Craggs (1993); M.J.B. Kettle (1997); G.M.P. Searle (1998, 99); P.M. Haining (1994, 95, 96, 2000); B.T.H. Bushnell (1947); S.C. Rand (1954); D.V. Melvin (1955, 57); A.J. Marsden (1956); J.M. Russell (1959); W.L. Barry (1963, 64, 65, 66); N.P. Cooper (1967); K.V. Dwan (1968, 69, 70, 71, 72, 75); G.A. Mulcahy (1976).

In conclusion, I think that, while few winners of the Wingfields have not been worthy champions, often the event has not been contested or has been a token contest. I would suggest that this is because of a lack of depth that has almost always existed in British sculling. Occasionally we have produced outstanding individuals but, historically at least, I think the British have regarded sculling as ‘second’ to sweep rowing. Thankfully though, things seem to be changing. Whatever happens, it looks as though the Wingfield Sculls will continue, as Henry wished, ‘for ever’.