The Athletes and Athletic Sports of Scotland

MANAGEMENT OF SCOTTISH GAMES. 123 enough, if there were only one class of competitors, but at most gatherings there are competitions open to all-comers, and com­ petitions confined to local competitors, with in some instances competitions for medals or champion prizes. The result is often a confused medley ofcompetitions of the samekind, wearisome and bewildering to spectators, and of little interest to any one except the competitors. At Braemar there are four distinct competitions at hammer-throwing and stone-putting, not one of which is open to all-comers. At Glenisla, whichhad the mis­ fortune to be modelled on Braemar, it is no unusual thing for the same hammer to be thrown in four different competitions. Tedious repetitions of that sort are never found ata well con­ ducted gathering. The main features of a well conducted gather­ ing are that the events aresufficiently varied, the same kind of competition never occurring twice; that a time is set for each competition ; and that each competition begins exactly atthat time. There are three ways of managing competitions open to all-comers, and competitions open only to local competitors. The local competitions may be contested either before or after the all-comers competitions, or in all events ofthe same kind, the different classes of competitors may compete together at the same time. The lastway is the best. Prizes forlocal competi­ tors are intended to encourage them to bring themselves up to, or as near as possible to, the standard of those whoget aplace in competitions open to all-comers. The^ffect of local competi­ tors competing in separate competitions is to perpetuate the stupid idea that it is hopeless for a local man tobeat acompeti­ tor who can win prizes in competitions open to all-comers. All the best athletes, musicians, and dancers are local men some­ where. It is nothing unusual to see a Glenisla or Braemar athlete afraidto enter a race, or hopelessly beaten when he does enter by runners whom he could beat to a certainty if he took the same trouble to make himself agood runner that they take. Very few of the South countryrunners, the so-called professionals, have so good an opportunity to make themselves good runners