Rowing Medals & Awards

Lot 2218    Day 2    Rowing Medals & Awards

Estimate $200
Bid at live.noble.com.au

ONEHUNGA REGATTA, 1887, trophy cup, in silver plate (D97xH210mm), by Simpson. Hall. Miller & Co (Wallingford, Connecticut, USA), under base with impressed number 022, one side with an engraved horse ridden by a jockey, the other side inscribed 'Onehunga Regatta/Rob Roy Canoe/Race/1887/1st Prize'. Good fine and an interesting variety of the maker's mark.

The Onehunga Regatta was held on Saturday 12 February 1887 on the waters of the Manukau in good weather with smooth waters for the rowing races. The Rob Roy Canoe Race was for a first prize of a cup valued at ?4.4s and second prize was a cup valued at ?2.2s. There were three entries but the race resulted in a competition between the Jones brothers, as Barnes, the other competitor, broke his paddle at the start. The result was A.Jones, 1; D.Jones, 2; Barnes, 0.^^The winner's trophy was donated by Mr F.H.Lewisson, jeweller, of Auckland, who died unexpectedly less than a year later on 14 December 1887 at age 57. Based on the engraved figure on one side, the trophy appears to be for horse racing but has been used for the Rob Roy canoe race. The Rob Roy canoe was a specific design of canoe named in honour of John 'Rob Roy' MacGregor, a Scottish lawyer and explorer nicknamed 'Rob Roy' after his famous relative. McGregor designed the 'Rob Roy' canoe and started the sports of canoeing and kayaking in the 1860s.^^With research.