HENLEY ISLAND Ontario

Royal Canadian Henley Regatta 135 YEARS STRONGWords DONNA MCLUSKIE HISTORY

In this article, the first of three we will be running in Row360 on RCHR, we look at the regatta from an historical perspective. “All of the Canadian In Issue 18 we will take a closer look at what the regatta is doing this year, clubs who had entered being the year it cele- brates its 135th birthday; HRR suddenly scratched and in Issue 19 we will cover the 2017 regatta. their entries in 1903.”

s the Canadian Association of Ama- teur Oarsmen sought a permanent home for their annual race in 1903, why did they apply for a royal writ the (HRR) and rename their event the Royal A . Equally Canadian Henley Regatta? And why determined was the Toronto-based did all of the Canadian clubs who club Argonauts, who sent their had entered Henley Royal Regatta best men’s across the At- suddenly scratch their entries in lantic Ocean in 1899 and 1902 to 1903? After considerable effort and Canada's Left compete at HRR for the Grand expense to qualify to race, what HRR Diamond Challenge Cup. Scholes also raced prompted the abrupt decision not Challenge Sculls at HRR in 1902 in his . to compete in England after all? We winners Neither Canadian crew won. may never be sure, but there are past crowds of cheering In 1903, Scholes and the Argo- compelling clues that offer insight spectators in nauts qualified to race again at to these questions in the fascinating 1931. Stroke to HRR but both scratched their en- history of the Royal Canadian Henley bow: , tries late, claiming that they found Regatta, which will celebrate its Jr. (1928), Bob it impossible to make the journey 135th year of racing this August. Pearce (1931), Lou overseas. Instead, both highly ex- Canadian single sculler Lou Scholes (1904), perienced crews raced and won at Scholes was determined to win Jack Guest (1930). the freshly christened Royal Cana- dian Henley Regatta (RCHR) that year, which was held for the first time at its new permanent venue of Martindale Pond in St. Cathar- ines, Ontario. In 1904 Scholes did return to HRR to compete for the Diamond Challenge Sculls and, glo- riously, he won, after three heats, in the final with a record time. The Diamond Challenge that year was so desperately fought that two of Scholes’ four opponents needed help getting ashore after their race, including the opposition in Scholes’ record-breaking final.

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ficient entries to offer a men’s eight through realignment and regularly race. Preparations for the 1903 re- dredged. Dredging, of course, pro- gatta were extensive. St. Catharines duces silt to be disposed of, but the “Contemporary English Rowing and Club was formed resourceful people of St. Catharines to facilitate the establishment of have repeatedly managed to work the venue and guide its growth, use that challenge into an opportunity. accounts of HRR made clear and development. Once the Old Silt from the 1930 dredge was used Welland Canal at Port Dalhousie by along with other infill to extend on that Canadian competitors St. Catharines was approved as the land by the finish area of the course. race’s permanent home, work began To celebrate these course improve- were affectionately thought to create a Royal Canadian Henley ments, plus the completion of a new Course exactly equal in length to the concrete grandstand, an exhibition of as colonials.” English HRR course (one mile and row-past of a distinguished 4- crew 550 yards) within an area of water generated thunderous applause from that was eventually renamed Martin- specatators at the 1931 RCHR. The dale Pond. year is commemorated by a stone Described on the day as a “quiet plaque on the backside of the grand- broad liquid expanse which has stand steps. In that exhibition crew charmed the hearts of the oars- were all four Canadian HRR Diamond men”, the 1903 RCHR drew a record Sculls Challenge winners, including crowd of 10,000, which exceeded Scholes. the population of its host town St. In the 1950s, RCHR began to Catharines. Spectators arrived by evolve dramatically. Reid Island, carriage, train and steamer. “In 1903, amidst what is now Martindale Pond, everything stopped in St. Catharines was purchased from private owner- for the rowing,” explains historian ship by members of the local rowing Stan Lapinski. “Newsboys asked for community and renamed Henley the papers to be printed early so Island. The intention was to use the that they could complete their deliv- island for boating and storage of eries first thing in the morning, then racing shells. get to Port Dalhousie to watch the When the course was once again racing. Downtown businesses closed dredged in 1964 in preparation for in St. Catharines that afternoon and upcoming Olympic trials, the result- people jumped on the trolley to go ant silt was boldly used to more than down and see the races”. double the size of Henley Island. In achieving his aim, Schole’s expe- however, was keenly felt whenever With such a passion and rooted An appeal was made for townsfolk rience could be one of the earliest foreigners such as Scholes won one interest in the sport, St. Catharines’ and businesses to donate unwanted examples of how RCHR racing has of the coveted English trophies. As rowers and townsfolk resisted persis- appliances and other non-explosive, often served as a springboard for late as 1905, HRR Stewards hotly tent pressure for their beloved event inorganic items to infill the new further success. debated whether or not they should to be relocated elsewhere, such island boundary berms. Roadside Contemporary English accounts continue to invite foreign entries to as Burlington Beach, or the more collections produced truckloads of HRR made clear that Canadian their increasingly prestigious annual cosmopolitan Toronto. Through of junk including television sets, competitors were affectionately event. They soon realised, though, canny foresight, funds generated by bicycles, mattresses and at least one thought of as colonials. According to that prestige was an integral part hosting major rowing events over car – a Volkswagen Beetle. With sta- historian Sir Theodore Cook, the race of racing against worldwide elite the years at the Henley course on bilising pilings driven into bedrock, RCHR as Main officials knew that offering fierce competition. Martindale Pond have always been the dredged silt and donated infill, captured by international competition was the In 1903, Scholes and the Argo- invested in legacy infrastructure. all topped with good quality soil, photographer Ever-better clubhouses, shellhouses, Henley Island was transformed into Kevin Hodges. best way to preserve English rowers’ nauts would have felt tremendous “high standard of style…if ‘foreign pressure at home to support Canadi- grandstands and starting gates have a venue large enough to become the Left The 1965 entries’ were ready conclusively to an rowing by racing at RCHR’s new, been built and evolved along with base for all future racing, boathouses expansion of show up our deterioration whenev- first-class venue. In 1897, 1899, 1900, the course itself, which has been pe- and storage structures associated Henley Island. er we deserved it”. A dreaded risk, 1901 and 1902, the regatta lacked suf- riodically altered in length, improved with the Henley course. 

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“Royal Canadian Henley has become an island-hosted race since 1965.”

oyal Canadian Henley Regatta has thus become an island-hosted race is definitely the most professional since 1965. In 1964, the course was and pressured experience in my shortened to 2000 metres and life because almost any race could awarded Canada’s first Class A be your last for that season so you RFISA rowing venue status. Since this have to lay it all on the line”. designation, Henley Island and Mar- “‘Canley’ is a fabulously organ- tindale pond have hosted Olympic ised regatta with top level club trials, an annual regatta for Canadian competition,” agrees US Olympic secondary school athletes, world silver medallist and RCHR win- championships, world masters and ner Gevvie Stone. “The venue is Pan Am Games. great, with fair water and the best “It’s my home course and I love weather forecasting technology it out there,” says 17-year-old Jacob that I’ve seen used at a regatta. I Tyrer, who won two medals, one with raced there in 2013 when I couldn’t an event-fastest time, at last year’s train seriously enough to be on the RCHR. “Thinking about racing is Below The finish of senior team because of medical what gets us through winter training the first Ladies VIII school, and I had some good com- and we try to be at our peak per- exhibition race at petition. It’s a beautiful part of the formance in time for August. Henley the 1948 RCHR. world, close to Niagara Falls”. Crews return year after year to compete at RCHR. For most, it is an integral component of their training and racing schedules. “We like to hold Henley after the long weekend in August so people can mark their calendars,” Chief Commissioner of the Regatta Bill Schenck explains. “We actually saw a pretty good uptake on athletes last year. We had more crews from abroad than usual and we’re very excited about that. The more crews from different countries we can

8 ROW360 // ISSUE 017 ROW360 // ISSUE 017 9 HISTORY You never know who might turn up to race at RCHR but thanks to the race organisers’ consist- ently high standards set for venue maintenance and improvement, expert event management and, above all, fairness, fun and excitement in racing, athletes of any skill level can reliably ex- pect to be challenged by appropriate opposition. get here, the better it makes our regatta and the Ottawa lightweight rower Paul Scheneker more that we try to cater to some of these coun- entered six events at the 2015 RCHR including tries coming in as well”. racing as bow guide in the for a “In fact, we had some rowers from Rio who para athlete. “To my happiness and demise, I came here to compete, which I just thought was a made it to the final in all six events I entered. On hoot,” laughs Lapinski. “Later, when I was watch- the Sunday I had three races, all finals, which was ing a replay of the Rio Games, I noticed a dis- too much. I will remember my last race, the light- tinctive flag on the side of one building that the weight men’s pairs race, until the day I die. At the Olympians were rowing past, the same insignia Canadian Henley, it is first or it’s nothing and that as our Brazilian contingent wore on their racing has its own motivating factor. Coming from a kit! They came all the way to Henley instead of guy who has come second place a lot, includ- staying in town and they won here, taking home ing a very close, haunting second in that pairs medals in two of their events”. race final, I still wouldn’t want the all-or-nothing In 1998 Mayor Thomas Rigby called RCHR “the aspect of Royal Canadian Henley to change. finest and fairest challenge of champions in Cana- Without doubt a Henley win brings out motiva- da”. “Fairness is like democracy, you have to keep tion to race at an even higher level but I think a working at it,” says Peter Scott, Mr. Chairman disappointment at Henley has maybe a little bit of the Regatta. “We are always sitting around a more of a motivating factor. Straight after we Above 's boardroom trying to make our regatta fair for the lost in the final, my pairs partner turned around in 1999. spirit of competition and that’s an endless game”. to me and said “This is never happening again”. Scott lists some results from those “fair play” The next year he went back and won three Hen- Right and discussions. “There are increasingly more inte- Mahé Drysdale in the ley medals and now, with the fastest lightweight Waiariki R.C. 8+ at the grated para events. We operate on “club regatta” mens 2km ergo score as of February this year, he 2001 RCHR. status - this eliminates composite crew racing is aiming to make our national team”. that could potentially dilute club talent. Wom- Inspired by the standard of international Main Henley Island en have been rowing at our regatta since 1948, competition at Henley Royal Regatta, the Royal and surrounds seen although that early race was a one-off exhibition Canadian Henley Regatta has evolved into one from above. eights row. But we have included womens events of the most prestigious international regattas in since the mandate in 1972 and we the world for amateur rowing. With this in mind, I now have an equal number of mens and wom- asked RCHR medal winner, official photographer ens events at Henley. And, of course, there is the less you made the elite team, there was a big void and event historian Stan Lapinski why there have Efficiency Trophy”. of time to develop without much experience other “Fairness is like been so few British crew wins at the Canadian The Efficiency Trophy gives every club, than nat champ racing and domestic regattas in democracy, you Henley. In 135 years of racing, only four British whatever its size, a fairer opportunity to win this NZ. So, it was decided to target RCHR in 2000/1 crews, all of them female athletes, have earned a honour. It requires extensive regatta engage- to enable our dispersed crews to come together have to keep coveted RCHR medal. In 1983, Thames Trades- ment, including mens and womens events in and race. We thought the Canada Cup in Montreal working at it.” men crews won junior women’s double and sen- both sweep and and sets minimum entry was the bigger of the two regattas but found out ior women’s double. Olympian Nonie Ray of Rob numbers. A points scale applies to a win in each otherwise later. In my year in 2001, we took four Roy Boat Club from Cambridge, England led the event. No other regatta utilizes such a unique guys from Cambridge and four from Christchurch. women’s single 500 metre dash in 1985. Scottish points based system. Included in our eight were myself, Mahé Drysdale, Rowing sent over its senior lightweight women’s “RCHR is a world class event,” says local light- and Donald Leach. RCHR was a great pair in 2001 to take the Cookson Memorial Tro- weight Olympic rower Eric Woelfl. “It’s something regatta for some more experience. It was good, phy. I asked Stan if there have been other British I grew to appreciate as I had time to reflect on hard racing, especially against some of the USA crews who raced at RCHR over the years but did it when I had been away from the regatta with Rob Waddell to race at RCHR as “reconnaissance camps that came to race. We didn’t win our 2km not win. the national team for a few years. First off, the for the worlds”, which were held soon after on the race but then found out we were doing a 500m “I don’t think so,” he said, “and I feel reason- competition is at a very high level and is amazing same Henley course. “Rob broke the world record dash and just monstered that and won – pretty ably confident about that, because it has been exposure for up-and-coming athletes to have a there that year, which was pretty awesome,” cool as we don’t really do any sprint racing here in my experience that international crews do not chance to race against people from around the smiles fellow Kiwi Olympian Eric Murray. These NZ over that distance. I do remember racing the come to RCHR unless they are very good and world. You get the chance to watch how national were formative years for RowingNZ, explains U23 pair at the Canada Cup with Sean O’Neill and have a better than 50-50 chance of winning. team athletes compete and to measure yourself Murray. “In 2000, RowingNZ started up an acad- we beat the guys who had won at RCHR. They They may not win every race they enter, because against them as well, which is pretty unique”. emy/development system that was encouraging asked us why we hadn’t raced in the pair there they often enter races above their class to justify Across the world, many small countries, coun- young/aspiring athletes to train over the winter too but the only reason for the pairs racing was the expense of coming, but they win what they tries with emerging athletes or fledgling rowing months. At that time in New Zealand rowing, there because the bigger crew boat we had wasn’t right came for”. Lapinski’s fair observation rings of programmes have entered events at RCHR. In was junior worlds, then basically nothing much un- for our athletes so we just grabbed some pairs truth and dare for international crews with this

1999, New Zealand sent Olympic single sculler less you entered the Australian nat champs, so un- and gave them a whirl”. historic regatta circled on their calendars. ROW360

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