Athletics and Football (extract)

42 ATHLETICS the party agreed. The conditionsweredrawn up, stakes named, officials appointed, and the first meeting for" Athletic Sports " inaugurated. ' On the first afternoon there wasto be a " chase," twomiles across country, 24 jumps, 1/. entry, IOJ . forfeit; and on a subse­ quent afternoon, a quarter of a mile on the flat, 300 yards, 100 yards, 140 yards over 10 flights of hurdles 10 yards apart, one mile, and some other stakes for " beaten horses," open to members of Exeter Collegeonly. The stewardsof the " Exeter Autumn Meeting" were R. F. Bowles and John Broughton; Secretary, H. C. Glanville; Clerk of the course, E. Ranken ; and a well-known sporting tradesman in Oxford, Mr. Randall, wasasked to be Judge. Mr. Randall is still alive, and though over 80 years of age, is a regular attendant at Henley, Putney, or Lord's, whenever there is a University contest. ' Notice of the meeting, witha list of the stakes, was posted in the usual place—a black board in the porter's lodge. Plenty of entries weremade, in no stake less than 10 : for the steeple­ chase there were 24 whostarted. 'Among the competitors were Jas. Aitken, J. Scott, Geo. Russell, Jno. Broughton, R. F. Bowles,D. Giles, H. J. Cheales, H. Wyatt, Jas. Woodhouse,C. J. Parker, P. Wilson, M. South­ well, H. C. Glanville, H. Collins, E. Knight, and some nine others. ' The betting was—2 to 1 v. Aitken, 2 to 1 v. Cheales,8 to 1 v. Giles, g to 1 v. Wyatt, 10 to 1 v. Parker, 10 to 1 v. Scott, 12 to 1 v. Broughton, 15 to 1 Woodhouse. ' The course chosen was on a flat marshy farm at Binsey, near the Seven Bridge Road ; it was very wet, some fields " swimming" in water, the brooks bank high, and a soft take-off, which meant certain immersionfor most, if not all, the com­ petitors. Twenty-fourwent to the post, not 24 hard-conditioned athletes in running "toggery," but 24 strong active youngsters in cricket shoes and flannels, some in fair condition, some very much the reverse,but all determined to "do or die." Plenty of folk on horse and foot, came to see this novelty (for in Modern,