The Athletes and Athletic Sports of Scotland

HOP, STEP, AND LEAP. 85 measuring from a given mark acompetitor rising afoot or more behind the mark loses that distance in the measurement. If practical utility were to be considered, however, measuring and leaping from a given point ought alone tobe encouraged. An athlete, capable of clearing 20 feet from a given mark, canclear aditch or stream of that width ; an athlete capable ofclearing 21 feet from toe to heel might not be able to clear a 20 feet ditch or stream, as not being trained to rise from a given point he might rise 18 inches fromthe edgeof the streamon one side and fall into iton the otherside. BESTPERFORMANCES .—As with the highleap so with the long leap, the ground is seldom or never quite level, so that it is impossible to give authentic records of genuine performances. On the other hand only three trials are allowed, and the ground isoften very hard, so that when the ground is nearly level all leapsover 20 feet are goodperformances. So many have done thisthat it is almost invidious to pick out individuals. Leyden, of the former generation, on the Borders, with R. Knox,New- stead; T. Carruthers, Yetholm; R. Hogg, Hawick; C. Fen- wick, Alva, in more recent times, were first-classat the long leap. P. Cameron, Kincardine O'Neil, andA. Bower, Oldmeldrum, havefirst-class records for the North. On Leven Links Carru­ thers cleared 23 ft. 6 in., with the run a little downhill. At Bolton, in 1834, Ben Hart, in a match with " Mountain Stag,' made a record of 23 ft. 5^ in.; J. W. Parsons, the Scottish amateur, did 23 ft. ^ in., London Amateur Championship, 1886. The best amateur performances are 23 ft. 3 in. from scratch, 23 ft. 3f in. from toe to heel by M. W. Ford, Brooklyn, U.S., 1886, and 23 ft. 3^ in. from toe to heel, E. J. Davies, London, 1873. 0° Chester Racecourse, 1854, John Howard, Bradford, cleared 29 ft. 7 in., using 5 lb. weights and jumping from a solid block of wood 1 ft. wide, 2 ft. long, wedge-shaped, 3in. at thick end, and raised 4 in. in front. In amateur con­ testsa trench is dug out and filled with soft earth, and six tries areallowed; two great advantages.