Rowing Interest - Oarsman Walter Bradford Woodgate : A cased...

Hammer

£5,500

Rowing Interest - Oarsman Walter Bradford Woodgate : A cased collection of some of the rowing medals / medallions won by W. B. Woodgate to include the Oxford V Cambridge Putney Medal, Oxford University Eight Oar trial race Presented by the O.U.B.C, Henley Regatta Grand Challenge Cup Prize Medal, Henley Regatta Visitors Challenge Cup Prize Medal, St Peters College Pair Oar Races engraved C.A.P Talbot W.B Woodgate G W Hargreave Cox 1858, Wyfold Challenge Cop Prize Medal, Henley Regatta Stewards Challenge Cup Prize Medal, Oxford University Boat Club Challenge Prize Medal Four Oars, an 1862 Champion medal and ribbon for the Wingfield Skulls, and another Oxford V Cambridge Putney Medal. Together with three Victorian silver presentation oars hallmarked London 1858, 1865 and 1867 each approx 9" long. A Grand Procession of Boats 1863 printed silk, an embroidered silk square BRC 1869 with crossed oars to centre'. Together with W.B Woodgate's personal copy of his published Book ' Reminiscences of an old Sportsman by W.B. Woodgate published by Eveleigh Nash 1909' and with Inscription W B Woodgate Inner Temple ...' The case 12" wide.

Walter Bradford Woodgate (1841 – 1920) was a British barrister and oarsman. Woodgate was educated at Radley College before going up to Brasenose College, Oxford in 1858, where he rowed for Brasenose College Boat Club. He rowed twice in the winning Oxford crews in the Boat Race – in 1862-3.
Woodgate caused controversy at Henley Royal Regatta and his actions twice resulted in changes to Henley's rules. In 1866 he entered the Silver Goblets twice, once as W. B. Woodgate (and won), and again as "Wat Bradford". After the regatta the Henley Stewards changed the rules so competitors could not row under assumed names.
In 1868, he concluded that a coxed four could be steered using a wire and lever attached to an oarsman's footrest. Woodgate arranged for the coxswain to jump overboard at the start of the Stewards' Challenge Cup to lighten his Brasenose coxed four. While the unwanted cox narrowly escaped strangulation by the water lilies, Woodgate and his home-made steering device triumphed by 100 yards. The outraged Henley committee disqualified the Brasenose four and passed another rule that henceforth all crews must finish with the same number they started with.
A special Prize for four-oared crews without coxswains was offered at the regatta in 1869 when it was won by the Oxford Radleian Club and when Stewards' became a coxless race in 1873, Woodgate "won his moral victory,".
He helped coach numerous Oxford crews and was president of Kingston Rowing Club.
In 1872 Woodgate was called to the bar. He practised for forty years but took neither the law nor anything else save rowing too seriously and it is as a first-class oarsman and journalistic critic of rowing that he is remembered.
A lifelong bachelor, Woodgate died in Southampton at the age of 79.

More Information

Please Note - we do not make reference to the condition of lots within descriptions. We are however happy to provide additional information regarding the condition of items on request.