Spencer Gollan

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Spencer Herbert Gollan (1860 - 1934), was born at Napier in New Zealand, a sportsman who excelled in rowing and golf and was also well known as a race horse owner. .

He was a racehorse owner in Australia and New Zealand, and in England his horse, Moifaa won the Grand National in 1904.

In the spring of 1901, Spencer Gollan, along with two professional oarsmen, Tom Sullivan and George Towns, broke the record for rowing between Oxford and Putney along the River Thames. The distance of a little over 104 miles was covered in 13 hours 57 minutes. The previous record was set in 1889 (22hrs and 28 minutes). He was later an able rowing coach to his son Donald and a Vice President of Thames Rowing Club from 1914 until his death.

As a golfer he twice won the amateur Championship of New Zealand, and was a well-known figure at St. Andrews, and had won both the Calcutta cup (in 1900) and the Jubilee vase (in 1925).

In January 1934, Spencer Gollan was knocked down and killed by a bus in London, he was aged 73.