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 Henley Royal Regatta (HRR) and rename their event the Royal A Diamond Challenge Sculls. 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 eight 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 single scull. to compete in England after all? We winners rowing 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: Joe Wright, 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. 4 ROW360 // ISSUE 017004 ROW360 // ISSUE 017 5 HISTORY 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 Canoe 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. 6 ROW360 // ISSUE 017 ROW360 // ISSUE 017 7 HISTORY “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.