Head of the River Race

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Crews racing under Hammersmith Bridge at HORR 2005

The Head of the River Race (HORR) is a processional rowing race held annually on the Thames in London on the 4¼ mile (6.8 km) Championship Course from Mortlake to Putney.

The race was founded by the rowing coach Steve Fairbairn who was a great believer in the importance of distance training over the winter ("Mileage makes champions" was a favourite phrase). He devised the race while coaching at Thames Rowing Club to encourage this form of training and raise the standard of winter training among London clubs.

The first race was held on 12 December 1926 with 23 entries.

There was no race in 1937 (there was no suitable tide on a Saturday and at that time organised competitive sport did not take place on Sundays) and none from 1940-45 inclusive. The event was restarted in 1946 and has taken place annuallly ever since.

From 1979 onwards, due to the sheer volume of competitors and for reasons of safety on a relatively small area of river and riverside, the HORR Committee had at that point to impose a limit of 420 crews, which still exists today. The race is usually substantially oversubscribed.

The race is only open to men's eights and is considered to be the peak of the head race season — attracting the top UK crews as well as foreign clubs. Composite crews drawn from more than one club or institution are not permitted.

The Championship Course is that of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race but, unlike the Boat Race, the Head of the River Race is raced on an ebb tide from Mortlake to Putney. The starting time for the race is different every year and depends on the tide — the first crew (winner from the previous year) starts at high tide.

The record time of 16 min 37 s was set in 1989 by the Great Britain National Squad.

The Race is usually held on the third or fourth Saturday in March each year, depending on tides and the date of the Boat Race. Usually the two events are held on separate days, although in 1987 and 1994, the Boat Race took place in the morning and the Head in the afternoon

Also raced over the same course are the Schools' Head of the River Race (SHORR), organised by Westminster School, the Head of the River Fours (Four's Head), sponsored by Fuller's, the Women's Eights Head of the River Race (WEHoRR), and the Veterans' Head of the River Race.

[edit] Trophies

A number of trophies are awarded for the fastest crews under different categories:

Head of the River - a Bust of Steve Fairbairn, Head pennant plaque and Medals are awarded to the club whose crew returns the fastest time.
Vernon Trophy — Presented in memory of the late Karl Vernon, the trophy was given to the Head by Vernon in 1954 and is made from the melted-down silver of trophies he won in his own racing career. The trophy is a statuette of the oarsman Jack Beresford (five-time Olympic medallist). Awarded to the fastest club crew normally rowing on the Thames Tideway (between Teddington Lock and the mouth of the Thames).
Page Trophy — Presented by the Head of the River Committee in memory of the late J.H. Page and awarded to the fastest club crew (excluding university, college or school crews) normally rowing on the Thames or its tributaries and ineligible for the Vernon Trophy.
Jackson Trophy — The Trophy was instituted by members of Nottingham Britannia RC in 1950, as the prize for an annual "County Eights" event between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. In 1960 it was presented to The Head of the River Race as the trophy for Provincial Clubs; it was by then in the form of a mounted blade. The 2002 Race saw it won by Nottingham Britannia, who to mark the event, have now presented a replacement trophy, a late Victorian rose bowl. It is now awarded to the fastest A.R.A. club crew (excluding university, college and school crews) ineligible for the Vernon or Page Trophies.