Løp i Welvyn og Chatteris
Lørdag den 14. januar var det et veddeløp på Louth Lake ved Welvyn i Hertfordshire mellom fire gentlemen som regna seg for å være fine hurtigløpere. Alle fire la 10 sovereigns (gullmynt verdt 1 pund) i potten, og vinneren ville få hele summen. Deltakerne var dhrr. Rowbottom, Mellish og Throgmorton og kaptein Sims. De skulle gå 1 engelsk mil på en oppmerka bane som hadde 6 svinger. De gikk først et kvalifiseringsløp der de to beste skulle gå finale om premiepotten. Herr Rowbottom vant kvalifiseringsløpet med ei tid på 3.50. Herr Mellish var bare noen få yards bak. Kaptein Sims var mer enn 150 yards etter og herr Throgmorton falt og ga seg ganske tidlig. De to siste var altså ute av spillet. Etter ei halvtimes pause starta Rowbottom og Mellish igjen på samme bane. Rowbottom tok ledelsen, men Mellish gikk forbi på halvveien. I siste halvdel av løpet pressa de hverandre hardt, men Rowbottom spurta fra på slutten og gikk i mål på 3.39.
Samme dag var det et stort stevne i Chatteris. Referatet i The Ipswich Journal fra 28. januar 1826 fortjener å gjengis i sin helhet.
Saturday the 14th inst. being the day appointed for a grand skaiting match at Chatteris, by elevenn o’clock the different inns became filled with guests; the fineness of the day, and the martial airs of the Chatteris band, added greatly to the hilarities of the scene. At twelve at noon, the band, accompanied by the principal subscribers for a purse of ten sovereigns, with flags flying, marched from the Horse and Gate Inn to the Forty Feet river (en lokal kanal, min anm.), and about one, the Knights of the Patten announced the contest; the bell sounded to give the spectators notice that the men were about to start, and the course was immediately cleared. The racing commenced about one o’clock, but long before the first heats were over, the banks of the river were crowded to excess, and indeed completely blocked up by the numerous spectators who came from all parts of the country to witness these matches; the river presented a moving mass, and as far as we could learn, good humour and satisfaction were depicted in every countenance. The racing continued without intermission till near five o’clock, the band playing several favourite airs. The ice being extremely good, and the day remarkably fine, with the beautiful rays of the sun, such a day’s sport as this perhaps was never before witnessed in this county or in any other. The last heat between Young and Berry, for the prize, was well contested, and Young beat his opponent in grand style, although he was forced to stop twice to fasten his patten. He completed the distance, 3 miles, in 7 min. 10 sec. No accident occured.
Her er nok enten tida eller distansen feil. Jeg tipper det er 2 engelske mil.
Sesongstatistikk, de 30 beste på hver distanse
1 engelsk mil fellesstart 1. Rowbottom 3.39 Louth Lake, Welvyn 14.1.1826