The Strand Magazine/Volume 3/Issue 17/Champions
Champions.
Frederick John Osmond.
Frederick John Osmond.
From a Photo. by H. J. Whitlock, Birmingham.
HIS gentleman is one of the few champions among champions of sport—one of those Ormondes of the wheel compared to whom the ordinary run of champions are second raters. Cortis was the first phenomenon of this kind produced among cyclists, and Furnivall the second—Osmond is the only other as yet. Born in 1867, Mr. Osmond began cycle-racing before he was 19, being at that time a tall, pale slip of a lad, whom few outsiders would have selected as a champion athlete. Mr. G. L. Hillier, however, can find good form no matter where hidden, persuaded him to take up racing, and with the probably unique result that at his very first race meeting the subject of our sketch won each of his races, one being a scratch race. Since that day (June 19, 1886) his mark in a handicap has been permanently fixed at scratch. In 1887 Mr. Osmond took to the tricycle and began to capture championships. At this period of his career, however, Mr. Osmond was by no means a stranger to defeat, and it is well to remember that even in the case of so exceptional a performer as he, hard work, perseverance, and occasional disappointment are the unavoidable lanes which lead to success. In 1888 he had to be content with second place in the one-mile bicycle championship—the "blue ribbon" of cycling—being beaten by Mr. Synyer. He avenged himself, however, on the following day by beating Synyer over the same distance at Aston. Championships and other scratch races fell to him, including those for each of the three great cups. In the following year he made the Brixton cup finally his own, and won the twenty-five miles bicycle championship. 1890 was a brilliant year for Mr. Osmond, albeit beginning badly with a defeat—when insufficiently trained—from his old opponent Mr. Synyer. Perhaps strung up by this, he made a clean sweep of all the bicycle championships of the year—the one, five, twenty-five, and fifty miles, to wit. In this year he also lowered the mile bicycle record to 2 minutes 2845 seconds, and made the Surrey cup finally his property. In 1890, too, he fought out the last of his contests with his most formidable antagonist, Synyer, and won. Last year, owing to a bad accident early in the season, he rode little; but won each championship and scratch race he was able to ride for, and made a series of records of an astounding character, upon the safety bicycle—one mile being covered in 2 minutes 16 seconds, and only 500 yards short of twenty-four miles in an hour, breaking all records for shorter distances on the fiery way. Mr. Osmond is an engineer by profession, and his latest records have been made upon a machine of his own design—the "Whitworth." Standing now 6 feet 2 inches high, and weighing 12 stone, he bids fair to remain our premier racing cyclist for some time.
George Pilkington Mills.
George Pilkington Mills.
From a Photo. by Barraud.
As Mr. Osmond is a king among cycling champions on the racing path, so Mr. G. P. Mills is a king among those of the road. Like Mr. Osmond, too, Mr. Mills is an engineer, and also like him he has devoted some of his professional knowledge to the design of cycles. Further, both were born in the same year, Mr. Mills, however, being somewhat the elder. Although a Londoner by birth (having been born in Bayswater), the earlier of his great feats were credited to him as a Liverpudlian, the Mersey city being his place of residence at the time. Like many famous cyclists, Mr. Mills "began early," by riding, at the age of thirteen, a 44-inch ordinary bicycle—and riding it well, too. At the age of fifteen lengthened legs brought a taller machine, and in the following year he won his first prize in a two-mile race at his school (Liverpool College) sports. The list of his early road-riding feats—even from the age of sixteen—is, though wonderful, beyond our space. On July 6, 1885, he accomplished on a tricycle what was at that time considered the wonderful distance of 202 miles, and added some equally fine performances on the tall bicycle.
On August 22 he secured his first world's record, by winning the Anfield Club's twenty-four hours race, covering 259 miles on his 53-inch bicycle, and beating the second man by a trifle of 50 miles. Not bad for a lad of eighteen. In July of 1886 he made the first of his famous journeys from Land's End to John o' Groat's, astounding the wheel world by accomplishing the long and difficult ride in 5 days 12 hours, on an "ordinary," beating the previous record by 30 hours. A month after, he beat his own twenty-four hours ordinary bicycle record by riding 273 miles—a record which stood until last year, when it was beaten by the rider of a pneumatic. The rest of this year was signalised by a series of equally brilliant feats. He broke the Land's End to John o' Groat's tricycle record by 2912 hours, won the North Road Club's twenty-four hours race, beat the 50 miles tandem record with Mr. A. J. Wilson, and beat the 50 miles safety record in time which few men indeed could now equal on modern pneumatic machines. The year's work was crowned by another attack on the twenty-four hours record, which was raised to 295 miles, the machine breaking twenty minutes before the finish. In 1887, after beating the Southern Counties' 50 miles record, he did a little path work, and much surprised those who believed him to be a road rider alone, by beating the redoubtable Cripps level in a mile tricycle race, and winning medals in the tricycling championships. Soon, however, he left this for his more legitimate sphere, the road. On June 10 he beat the 50 mile tricycle record against a bad wind. In July he visited Holland, and astonished the natives by winning their 100 kilomètre road championship in the most hollow fashion, beating the second man by half an hour. The North Road Club's twenty-four hours ride this year gave him the opportunity of beating the twenty-four hours tricycle record, and this he did by covering 264 miles, with five hours of rain and wind storm.
Three weeks after, in another race held by the North Road Club, he beat the 100 miles tricycle record, and a week after this, with Mr. R. Tingey, he again beat the twenty-four hours tandem record—riding 29812 miles. By this time Mr. Mills's records were put at such a figure as to be regarded as unassailable. Nevertheless, since nobody else tried, he set to work in 1888 and beat some of his own records—the twelve hours, 50 miles, and 100 miles tricycle. 1889 was a quieter year, in which Mr. Mills returned for a little to the path, and won a few prizes. In 1890 he did not race at all, but devoted himself, with some success, to rifle shooting. His two great feats of 1891 are fresh in everybody's remembrance. A great international race from Bordeaux to Paris resulted in the competing Englishmen completely outclassing the Continental riders, and in Mr. Mills almost equally out-classing the other Englishmen, riding the whole distance of 360 miles in 26 hours 34 minutes, and beating Mr. Holbein, the second man, by an hour and a quarter. It is noticeable that Mr. Mills had never ridden a safety bicycle at all for twenty-four hours since October, 1886, until this race, while the fact that he was run into early in the ride, and his machine disabled, so that he was obliged to ride various unsuitable borrowed machines for the rest of the distance, makes the feat all the more wonderful. Mr. Mills' second feat of last year was his great ride from Land's End to John o' Groat's, beating his former record by fourteen hours. Virtually the record was beaten by twenty-one hours, but four miles from the finish a fit of sleep knocked the record-breaker over for the other seven hours, so that the actual journey took 4 days 1114 hours, with drenching rain most of the way and soddened roads.
Mr. Mills is 5 feet 1012 inches high, and weighs 11 stone 4 lbs. Our portrait shows him in the uniform of the 3rd Volunteer Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, in which he is the Lieutenant Commanding the Cyclist Section.
Guy Nickalls.
Guy Nickalls.
From a Photo. by Hills & Saunders.
The original of this portrait is fine specimen of English athleticism. Born in 1866, Mr. Guy Nickalls was educated at Eton and at Magdalen College, Oxford, taking his degree in December, 1890. Always to the fore in active sports, he swam and ran with the best at school and college. At the present time he makes a good straight line across country after the fox, and is fond of shooting. It is, however, as an oar and a sculler that Mr. Nickalls has chiefly shone. Beginning in 1880, at Eton (where, if a boy has it in him to row at all, he will demonstrate the fact sooner or later), he made a great mark in the school boats until in 1886 he went to Oxford, and was one of the winning University four and one of the losing trial eight. Next year saw Mr. Nickalls rowing in the Oxford eight against Cambridge, Cambridge winning. After winning the University sculls, he rowed in the (losing) Magdalen four and in the winning trial eight. At Henley he rowed with the Oxford Etonians for the Grand Challenge Cup, but his crew were not successful. At this Henley meeting began the series of manful tussles between Mr. Guy Nickalls and Mr. J. C. Gardner, of Cambridge University. Mr. Gardner won the Diamond Sculls, but Mr. Nickalls afterwards equalised matters by winning the Wingfield Sculls—carrying the Amateur Championship. In 1888, again, Mr. Nickalls was one of the losing Oxford eight against Cambridge. After, with Mr. W. F. D. Smith, he won the University pairs. His college boat (of course, with himself in it) this year attained the head of the river, and soon after this Mr. Nickalls became secretary to the University Boating Club. He rowed at Henley eights for the Leander, and this year won both the Diamond Sculls and the Amateur Championship. Once more—in 1889—Mr. Nickalls experienced the disappointment of the defeat of Oxford by Cambridge. He repeated his last year's performance winning the pairs—this time in company with Lord Ampthill—and soon after became president of the O.U.B.C. Then came Henley, and, although one of the beaten pair for the Goblets—won by Messrs. Muttlebury and Gardner—he repeated his last year's feat of winning both the Diamond Sculls and the Amateur Championship. He was stroke, too, to the winning University four. In 1890 the spell of Oxford defeat was broken, and, as president of the Oxford Club, Mr. Nickalls had the gratification of beating Cambridge by a length. Again, with Lord Ampthill, he won the University pairs, and the Diamond Sculls at Henley. He managed a variation on the 1889 programme, however, by winning (still with Lord Ampthill) the Goblets. Another variation was not so gratifying; for, in the Amateur Championship, he suffered defeat at the hands of Mr. Gardner.
Last year again saw Mr. Nickalls triumphant in the Oxford boat in the Inter-'Varsity race. At Henley he had a seat in the winning boat for the Grand Challenge, and, once more with Lord Ampthill, won the Goblets. Feeling, no doubt, that by three successive wins he had sufficiently asserted his claim on the Diamond Sculls, he resigned in favour of his brother. But the Amateur Championship was a different matter; for, after three successive wins (the last a walk over), it had been wrested from him, in 1890, by Mr. Gardner. Wherefore he girded up his flannels and recovered the title. Now, after his brilliant career as an athlete, Mr. Guy Nickalls enters the serious race of life as a stockbroker.
James Kibblewhite.
James Kibblewhite.
From a Photo. by H. Hemmins, Swindon.
Of form and feature as here pictured, with a first birthday in 1866, a height of 5 feet 9 1/2 inches and a weight, in running costume, of 10 stone, Mr. James Kibblewhite is our one and ten mile amateur champion pedestrian. Trophies to the value of more than 1,000 he has collected during his successful running career, and some are here shown. Among his spoils the 50-guinea Challenge Cup of the Salford Harriers, the Colmore Challenge Cup, and the Cheltenham Trophy of a similar kind are conspicuous. His distance begins at a mile, and extends up to as far as an amateur usually has opportunity of running in competition. Beginning the sport in 1884, when eighteen years of age, Mr. Kibblewhite has had several years of very hard leg-work, and has victoriously fought out many a hard scamper. His mile running has curiously "favoured" the figures 4 minutes 2315 seconds, that being his recorded time for the distance again and again. He made that same time once in a handicap, in which he had to catch and pass 150 men; let that runner who has accomplished such a feat tell what it means. For a mile race on a grass track his time was once recorded as 4 minutes 20 seconds, but his best record is undoubted, his three miles in 14 minutes 2935 seconds at Stamford Bridge, which still stands as a world's record, amateur or professional. He runs across country as well as on the flat, and has won the Ten-miles Southern Counties Cross Country Championship twice, and the National Championship of the same class and distance once. Running on the flat he has placed to his credit the One-mile Amateur Championship three times, the four miles once, the ten miles once, the Two-miles Northern Counties Championship once, and the Half-mile Championship of the same district once; while, since the greater includes the less, it is not surprising to learn that he has thrice won the Championship of Wilts, in which county lies Purton, where he resides.
Mortimer Remington.
Mortimer Remington.
From a Photo. by Banks, Manchester.
Our quarter-mile Amateur Championship is held by an American; but we have the satisfaction of knowing, at any rate, that he is a good man. His name is Mortimer Remington. He was born in 1868. His bodily height is 5 feet 1 inches, and his weight, when in training and "peeled' ready to run, is 10 stone 10 lbs. He ran his first race in November, 1889—a 100 yards sprint for novices—and won—in rubber shoes! Other wins followed, and by the season of 1890, he had very nearly reached scratch mark. At the beginning of September he signalised his first triumph in an open level race, by beating F. Westing in a 100 yards—time, 1025 seconds; and winning the level 220 in 2235 seconds. The 27th of the same month brought Mr. Remington his first championship at Montreal, where he won the quarter-mile in 50 3/5 seconds, Mr. W. C. Downes being second. From Montreal he travelled West with the Salford Harriers' team, then in America, picking up triumphs as he went along—at Detroit, Boston, and Chicago. Everybody expected him to win the quarter-mile American Championship, but—another competitor stumbled exactly in front of him, knocking him out of his stride, and giving the race to his old opponent, Downes. Other events Mr. Remington took part in, but the next of great importance was our own 440 yards championship, which he won. While on this side he made the best of his time, winning a 400 mètre race at Paris, a 100 yards and quarter-mile level at Stamford Bridge, a 100 yards level and a 300 yards handicap from scratch at Paddington, the level quarter at the Salford Harriers sports, and the quarter handicap on the same occasion, running two heats from scratch, and getting through a thick field in 50 seconds. Altogether a very fine burst of work, most of his hundreds being done in the "even ten." Returning to America, he again beat Downes in the Metropolitan District Championship of 440 yards; but after that "went stale," lost weight and condition, and was twice defeated by Downes in comparatively slow time. This year, no doubt, he will do something to retrieve his losses. Mr. Remington is a journalist, and one of those gentlemanly Americans who form the quiet majority of his countrymen.
Daniel Delany Bulger.
This gentleman possesses an extraordinary record as an all-round athlete—runner, jumper, and performer over hurdles. This may be understood from the fact that of forty-seven championship contests of one kind and another in which he has taken part he has won thirty, and taken second place in ten. Twenty-six years of age, born at Kilrush, County Clare, educated at the French College and Dublin University (where he took his B.A. in 1886), no room is left for doubt as to the emerald character of his birth and upbringing. At school he showed quality, and in 1885 began sprint training, winning the 220 yards championship of Ireland. The 1886 Irish 220 yards, and the 1887 Irish 100 and 220 yards flat and 120 yards hurdle championships were his, and many other hurdle races in this latter year. Next year brought him the Irish 100 yards and long jump championships, and many other races.
Daniel Delany Bulger.
From a Photo. by Lafayette, Dublin.
He came to England for the first time in the August of 1888, and, among other things, defeated Mr. E. H. Pelling for the Stourbridge Challenge Cup. The year 1889 was signalised by Mr. Bulger's first appearance in an English championship; and, although defeated in the 100 yards, he won the long jump with 21 feet 9 inches. Next Saturday, at Crewe, he again defeated Mr. Pelling (champion) for the Northern Counties 100 yards Championship, this being without a doubt his best sprint performance. Irish championships and numerous other events fell to him in this year and 1890, and he crowned the latter season by beating the Irish record over 120 yards of hurdles by one-fifth of a second—some watches made it two-fifths. Last year hurdle racing chiefly occupied his attention. After a dead heat with Mr. Godfrey Shaw for the Northern Counties Championship he was beaten by that redoubtable performer in the run-off. Strictly attending to training he won the race which now gives him his title of Amateur Champion of England at 120 yards of hurdles, although, through the neglect of the authorities in not properly marking out each man's course, a misunderstanding arose which led to an order to run off again, when Mr. Bulger ran alone, the other two competitors declining to turn out. It was a most unfortunate affair, which no one regretted more than Mr. Bulger himself. Later in the same afternoon he tied with Mr. M. W. Ford for the long jump championship. The inter-club contest between the London Athletic Club and the Dublin University gave him an opportunity of distinguishing himself, which he did by winning the long jump with 22 feet 2 inches, his best jump. Mr. Bulger's reputation as an athlete rests largely on his extraordinary versatility, most men finding it impossible successfully to combine high and long jumping with sprinting and hurdle work. Mr. Bulger is by profession a stockbroker, being the junior partner in the firm of D. S. Bulger & Son, of Dublin.
Godfrey Shaw.
Godfrey Shaw.
From a Photo. by Mayall & Co., Brighton.
This gentleman has confined his attention to hurdle-racing, in which he is really a wonderful performer. He holds the world's record (amateur or professional) for a quarter-mile over ten 3 ft. 6 in. hurdles, his time (made first in New Zealand) being sixty-two seconds. Mr. Shaw began with a great all-round burst, at his very first sports meeting winning five mixed events. The famous three-stride trick over hurdles he first learned in November, 1885, when one of the groundmen at Cambridge (Mr. Shaw's University) taught him. Mr. Shaw's gains cleverest use of this method of progression was in Paris in 1886, when winning the 120 mètres hurdle race; the hurdles were placed 10910 yards apart, and Mr. Shaw accomplished the very ticklish task of keeping his "three-step" all the way. Immediately after this he went to live for some time in New Zealand, where he won very nearly every hurdle championship but one. At the Christchurch sports he made his great quarter-mile hurdle record, and at the same meeting he won the 120 yards hurdle handicap, actually from 25 yards behind scratch, making his whole distance in 183 seconds, both in heat and final. This was the fastest handicap ever run, and the longest starts ever successfully conceded. May, 1890, saw him back in England, and the mere list of his wins here would be tedious. Notably, however, he won the North of England Championship, beating Mr. Bulger, and the L.A.C. Hurdle Challenge Cup. In the English championship he was unplaced, refusing to turn out, after the misunderstanding alluded to in treating of Mr. Bulger's career. This was altogether a most unfortunate race, for Mr. B. C. Green, whom we shall presently speak of, and who, with Messrs. Bulger and Shaw, would probably have made a gallant fight, fell in his heat. The account of races between Messrs. Bulger and Shaw stands at two wins for the latter out of three meetings, in 120 yards hurdle contests, while at longer distances Mr. Shaw gives everybody starts. Last year, also, he beat the world's record for a quarter of a mile over ten 3 ft. hurdles, his time being 5715 seconds—a really marvellous feat—and followed it up by equalling his New Zealand quarter-mile record over the higher hurdles, of 62 seconds, turning an involuntary summersault over his last hurdle. Mr. Shaw is 5 feet 914 inches high, and weighs, when trained, 10 stone 8 lbs., and is twenty-six years of age.
Bernard C. Green.
Bernard C. Green.
From a Photo. by Whiteley, Bayswater, W.
This gentleman may fairly be called the all-round champion medical athlete. He is a student at St. Bartholomew's, and has had a most brilliant career in the departments of the high jump, the long jump, sprint racing on the flat, and hurdlework. He made his mark at many school sports, and the enumeration of half his early wins would be an impossibility in this article. Again and again he has worthily represented the United Hospitals Athletic Club in their matches with the Edinburgh University and the L.A.C. In 1890, in the match with Edinburgh University, he won the 100 yards, the quarter-mile, and the 120 yards over hurdles. The 100 yards race in the match with the L.A.C., in the same year, brought about a wonderful finish, Mr. Green, Mr. Pelling, and Mr. G. S. S. Marshall running a treble dead-heat. In the 1891 match with the Edinburgh University, the 100 yards, the 440 yards, and the long jump were his. Fighting for his own hospital at the United Hospital sports, he won for it the 100 yards, the 220 yards, the quarter-mile and the 120 yards hurdles in 1890, and at the same meeting next year he gave "Bart's" the 100 yards, 220 yards, the hurdles, and the long jump. This last measured 21 ft. 10 in.—a hospital record. Fighting for the L.A.C. against Oxford University in 1890, he defeated both the Oxford representatives in the hurdle race. In the competition between the L.A.C. and Cambridge last year again he won the hurdles, beating Mr. W. Fleming, who shortly after won the Inter-'Varsity race of the same kind. In the match with Dublin University last year he dead-heated with Mr. Bulger. On his own private account he won, in 1890, the L.A.C. 250 yards Challenge Cup, and the same club's Challenge Cup for 440 yards over hurdles; the long jump at three L.A.C. meetings last year, on one occasion beating Mr. M. W. Ford, the American representative; and the 100 yards, long jump, and hurdle championships of Scotland, at Glasgow again last year. In the English 120 yards hurdle championship he had the misfortune to fall.
Thomas Jennings.
Thomas Jennings.
From a Photo. by Stearn, Cambridge.
Mr. Jennings is our high-jump amateur champion. He was born in Cork on January 21, 1869, and is Irish by descent. He went to Cambridge in 1888, and not only took his "blue" in his first year, but won the English high-jump championship and tied for the Irish. At the next English championship, in 1889, he had to be content with second place; but last year, in his third Cambridge year, he regained the title, holding at the time the additional distinction of the presidency of the Cambridge University Athletic Club. He has, of course, won many prizes besides the championships, but, like a good amateur, holds them in comparatively cheap estimation. Physically Mr. Jennings is a model athlete, standing full 6 feet high, measuring 42 inches round the chest, and weighing, normally, 14 stone 4 lbs., and when trained a stone less. He has won many prizes in first-rate company in many sports besides the high jump—notably in hurdle events, hammer throwing and weight putting, the long jump, the quarter-mile on the flat, and throwing the cricket ball. He is a first-flight man behind the hounds in winter, and owns a pack of otter hounds which he hunts in the summer—thus following a branch of sport in which few can now indulge in this country, since otters have become so scarce.
James Smart.
James Smart.
From a Photo. by John Hennerell, Wisbech.
Notwithstanding the general unpleasantness of our climate, we rarely find it cold enough to provide anything like good skating for long together, wherefore we may, with justice, be the more proud of the many fine skaters which the country has produced. James Smart, the subject of this sketch, is a brother of the famous "Fish " Smart, who so long held the championship, but whom James defeated in 1889 at Lingay Fen, thus taking the title. Born in 1865, James Smart began racing on skates in 1887, when he beat Benedict Kingma, the Dutchman, in a mile race in the splendid time of 2 minutes 5345 seconds. Victory in a ten-mile race at Spalding followed this, the time again being first-rate—36 minutes 39 seconds. On February 28, 1888, he won the Dutch Scarf in competition with twenty-four of the best Dutch skaters, beating, among the others, Vanden Berg and Kingma; this scarf, with the colours of the Amsterdam Club, he still holds. The skating season of 1889 saw him English champion in virtue of his defeat of his brother already alluded to. Since that time he has won many races, at Leytonstone, Tottenham, Boston, Littleport, Cambridge, Chatteris, Huntingdon, St. Ives, Wisbech, and other places, one of the most notable of these contests being the mile race open to the world for £100 at Heerenveen in Holland. The skating season just past saw him the winner of a few more races in this country, but most of it he spent in Norway, unfortunately not always skating with success, the long racing skates used in that country being new to him. Smart is about 5 feet 10 inches in height, and weighs 11 stones. The skating traditions of the Smart family are great ones, and no doubt James will maintain them as well in the future as of old.
S. W. Greasley.
"S. W. Greasley."
From a Photo. by Heawood, Leicester.
Mr. Greasley is a representative amateur of swimming. Many admirable performances in earlier years heralded his victory in the Midland Championships, at 100 yards, 220 yards, quarter-mile, and half-mile in 1889. In 1890 he was fortunate with the mile National Championship, winning it in 29 minutes 31 seconds—fastest on record for a swimmer wearing costume. In this race he beat the famous Evans, of Manchester, who holds championships of many shorter distances. At Leamington, however, the tables were turned by Evans in a 500 yards race, whereat Greasley had to put up with second place. The year was well completed by the acquisition of the mile championship of Great Britain at Kidsgrove—a runaway win by some sixty yards. The following year brought forth at Exminster the most exciting race swimmers had ever seen, when Greasley swam the half-mile championship neck and neck the whole way with Evans, just winning in 13 minutes 4225 seconds—a world's record, amateur or professional, by nearly four seconds for the distance in open water. After again succumbing to Evans in two of the shorter distance championships, Greasley won the Mersey championship in tidal salt water in the remarkable time of 24 minutes. After this he set to work upon the mile record, and, entirely without the assistance of pacemakers, brought it down to 29 minutes 4 seconds—25 seconds better than the old record. To show that he could swim a fast short distance when he wanted, he beat the 120 yards record at Coventry, making the distance in 1 minute 24 seconds. His many wins in races of smaller importance are much too numerous to be chronicled here. Mr. Greasley is not yet 25 years of age, his height is 5 feet 212 inches, and he weighs 10 stone 8 lbs.