1899 - Times Trophy Race - Part 1

“Tomorrow will see the third annual running of the Times team and track races. This event has grown in public favor, and there will no doubt be a record-breaking crowd at the Hamilton Jockey Club tomorrow, if the weather is fine. There will be a large field in the track races; the XIII Regiment Band will play a good programme of music, and the cheapest afternoon’s sport ever provided by any committee will be provided.”

Hamilton Times. August 18, 1899.

The publisher of the Hamilton Times, Reginald Kennedy, had in 1897 donated a trophy to be competed for by Hamilton Bicycle groups. The event to be held annually was to be called the Times Trophy Race, and the Times newspaper would promote the event heavily.

 

As the date for the third running of the Times Trophy Race approached, it was noted that the event to begin and end at the Hamilton Jockey Club would take place between 2:30 and 5:30, Saturday August 17, 1899.

The article announcing the race to take place noted that it hoped that it not be marred by any illegal actions by any of the competitors :

“The meet is in the hands of capable, experienced officials, and the programme will be run off without any hitches. “Every official is expected to do his duty promptly and faithfully. The checkers, or patrol judges, are particularly requested to be watchful, and note the number of any rider guilty of foul riding, and report same to the referee at the conclusion of the race.”¹

¹ “Are Now Ready for Pistol Shot! : The Times Team Trophy and Track Races Tomorrow Afternoon”

Hamilton Times.  August 18, 1899.

On the day of the race, the Times strongly encouraged its readers to attend:

“A large attendance at the bicycle meet at the Hamilton Jockey Club track this afternoon is assured, the weather being favorable.

“Judging from the riders entered, the racing will be exciting and ‘eye lash’ finishes may be looked for.

“Go down!”²

²  “Off to the Races : Large Attendance at Bicycle Meet Assured”

Hamilton Times.  August 19, 1899.

On the Monday after the race, the Times had extensive coverage which began as follows :

 “The third annual running of the Times Team Trophy with the accompanying track races, the only big cycling event of the year in this part of the Province took place on Saturday and attracted to the Hamilton Jockey Club a large and very swell crowd. In many respects, this meeting was the best since the inauguration of the race. The day was exceedingly warm, but when the crowds got seated in the big stand they had thorough enjoyment, having shade and comfortable seats, a nice breeze, good music and good sport.”²

³ Hamilton Times.  August 21, 1899.

Many things contributed to a good afternoon’s sport that afternoon. However it was negatively affected by the actions of one team, the Crescent Cycling Club, especially one rider with that team:

“One thing occurred to mar the success of the meeting, and that was the conduct of some of the riders – one in particular – in the big event of the day. It speaks very ill, indeed, for the idea which some riders have of true sport, that among the half dozen members chosen to represent any club in such an event, there should be some, or even one, who could descend to the tricks that were played in Saturday’s race. Two years ago last spring, the Times Printing Company donated a valuable trophy for annual competition. The same company each year gives solid gold medals to the members of the team that wins the trophy for that year and a committee representing the city clubs and the Times Company each year spends a great amount of time and undertakes a heavy financial risk to give the members a chance to win honors and prizes for themselves and to give the public first-class, clean sport. The promoters got not one cent of the profits, they being devoted to the wheelmen’s interests. In view of these facts, it is exceedingly to be regretted that any rider should mar the patron’s pleasure and sully the reputation of his club by unsportsmanlike acts.”³

There were issues with one rider right from the start of the race, and the issues continued:

“The first circle was made in 3 minutes 5 seconds, and soon after the stand had been passed, the first dirty work was seen. It didn’t amount to much, fortunately. Barnes, who was two feet ahead of Tolton, rounding the western curve, crowded the latter, and almost ran him upon the fence…

“There were no other incidents worthy of mention until the fourth time around. The riders had not ‘got the bell’ – the signal to leave the track and take the road, but as they neared the exit, Barnes made a bluff at going out, calling upon McKeand to follow. The rest of the riders paid no attention and Barnes jumped back into his place.

“The riders had gone less than a quarter of a mile on the road when the incident that spoiled the race occurred. Barnes was the cause of all the trouble. He made a sudden bolt out of the course when passing along the side of the half mile track, and threw two of the Hamilton Club riders out of the race entirely. F.H. Skerriff suffered most. He was put into the ditch and his wheel was wrecked. He was out of the race for good and Lampmann was out practically. The Hamiltons had but three men riding, and the loss of two threw them out, as under the rules, four men must finish. This, although the race was only about one-third over, Barnes had put the Hamilton Club out.

“In the evening, when the patrol judge, a most reliable and disinterested young man, was describing the incident, he said he could see no reason why Barnes should have bolted, as there were no stones about. Some of the Crescent members volunteered to give an excuse, but were not called upon.”3

While Barnes was targeted for most of the criticism, the Crescent team as a whole was also charged with poor conduct:

“A bad-looking feature of the race, both going to and coming back from Stoney Creek, was the presence of fast and fresh riders of the Crescent Club, not members of the competing team, but who rode in or near the bunch and left themselves open to the charge of pacing their club members, which is not allowable. It is to be hoped, and may fairly be believed that, the Crescent Club, as such, was not party to the actions of those individual members who have brought disgrace upon their organization.”³

As bad as things were during the race, it was the events during the finale that were the worst:

“A bad-looking feature of the race, both going to and coming back from Stoney Creek, was the presence of fast and fresh riders of the Crescent Club, not members of the competing team, but who rode in or near the bunch and left themselves open to the charge of pacing their club members, which is not allowable. It is to be hoped, and may fairly be believed that, the Crescent Club, as such, was not party to the actions of those individual members who have brought disgrace upon their organization.”

 

                                                 T.W. Barnes

 “Barnes kept up his dirty work to the very finish. In front of 1,800 people, he deliberately fouled Tolton. Tolton, however, got away from Barnes and beat him home, while the winner of the races of 1897 and 1898 further disgraced himself by chasing Tolton all over the track until Mackie, of the Hamilton Club, threw a bicycle at Barnes and stopped the latter’s mad course.

“Referee Broomfield was a disgusted spectator of Barnes’ work on the home stretch, and did the only thing he could under the circumstances, promptly disqualified Barnes.