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The Wingfield Sculls: Heart, Muscle and Brain Required
Spoiler alert: The 183rd Wingfield Sculls was won by Josh Lyon of Reading University BC and the 17th Women’s Wingfields was won for the second year in succession by Imogen Grant of Cambridge University BC. In the Wingfield’s argot, they are “Champions.”
30 October 2023
By Tim Koch
Tim Koch follows in the wake of The Best.
There is a saying that, “A champion isn’t made of muscle; a champion is made of heart.” Two champions were made on the River Thames on the 26 October but, as they had to earn their titles racing the for the Wingfield Sculls over the 6.8 km Putney to Mortlake Championship Course, I would suggest that both heart and muscle were needed (though Josh already knew that he had the heart of a Lyon).
Further, as Wingfield competitors are generally more accustomed to comparatively sterile 2,000-metre human-made courses, racing on the Thames with its tides, bends, shallows, rough water, driftwood and other river users needed a certain amount of brain as well. Gary O’Donovan’s succinct summary of normal top level competitive rowing (Yer man says “go” at the start and there’s a hooter at the finish) does not fully encapsulate the Putney to Mortlake race experience.
The two races that produced two champions last Thursday were the 183rd Wingfield Sculls, a race for a pair of silver sculls presented in 1830 by Henry C. Wingfield “to be held by the best” and the 17th Women’s Wingfields, a revival of the Women’s Amateur Rowing Championship first raced in 1927 and reactivated under the Wingfield’s banner in 2007 with the support of the Wingfield Family Society.
The event is organised, run and umpired by former winners. Historically, winning the Wingfield Sculls carried great prestige and was part of the “Triple Crown” of British amateur sculling along with victory in the Diamond Sculls and the Metropolitan Cup.
This piece on the Wingfield Sculls from The Sportsman newspaper of 12 July 1906 is as relevant today as it was 117 years ago.
It would be reasonable to expect that races that bestow the titles of “British Amateur Sculling Champion” and “Champion of the Thames” onto the winners would be well-known and well-supported events within the rowing community. Sadly, in modern times the Wingfields are as obscure as their professional cousin, the Doggett’s Coat and Badge – though they are none the worse for that.
Today, “The Best” (in Henry Wingfield’s words) are usually part of the national squad and their commitments to this may mean that they are unable to take part in the historic race, particularly in the run-up to an Olympic Games. The women have usually managed a higher class turnout than the men (though greats such as Steve Redgrave and Mahé Drysdale won in 1986-1989 and 2007-2008 respectively). A list of Champions since 1830 is here.
Wingfield’s officials gather in London Rowing Club, Putney, for a pre-race briefing. Standing in front of the trophy cabinet are Sam Meijer, Wingfield’s Secretary and 2019 Champion (left) and Graeme Mulcahy, race umpire and 1976 Champion (right).
The 17th Women’s Race
The competitors were: Katie Mole (University of Birmingham BC), Georgie Robinson-Ranger (University of London BC), Sarah McKay (Grosvenor RC), Imogen Grant (Cambridge University BC), Jenny Bates (Oxford Brookes University BC) and Laura Bates (London RC). Laura was replacing Georgia Miansrow, who withdrew for medical reasons, and is no relation to Jenny Bates. Their biographies are on the Junior Rowing News website.
Off the start from left to right, Surrey to Middlesex: Mole, Robinson-Ranger, McKay (obscured by the umpire), Grant, Jenny Bates and, out of shot, Laura Bates.A few seconds into the race, Laura Bates (in blue) and Jenny Bates (in burgundy) clashed and came to a halt. Laura got away from the tangle first.The clash of the two Bates’ left a leading pack of four with Robinson-Ranger taking a strong lead. Following behind her, left to right, are Mole, McKay and, in second place, Grant.Laura Bates (foreground) making strenuous efforts to rejoin the pack after her clash. Pictured here in Fulham Reach, the order was Robinson-Ranger, Grant, McKay, Mole, Laura Bates and (out of shot) Jenny Bates.Jenny Bates (far right) came off worse out the clash but did a remarkable job in moving back towards the pack, here around the Mile Post (which the then leader, Robinson-Ranger, reached in 5 min 04 sec).Around the Crabtree, Grant took the lead from Robinson-Ranger and Jenny Bates (far right) passed Laura Bates (far left).Going wide to avoid the works at Hammersmith Bridge, Grant extended her lead and was followed by Robinson-Ranger, McKay, Mole, Jenny Bates and (out of shot) Laura Bates. Grant’s time to the bridge was 8 min 51 sec.Last through the bridge, Laura Bates is pursued by the umpire and also the steers launch for each competitor. Unique to the Wingfields, the scullers may receive outside steering instructions from following launches.Approaching Chiswick Eyot, from left to right: Mole (4th), McKay (3rd), Robinson-Ranger (2nd), Grant (1st) Jenny Bates (5th). Out of shot: Laura Bates (6th). Grant reached Chiswick Steps in 14 min 18 sec.Approaching Mortlake, the order is unchanged, and Grant extends her unassailable lead. Before the finish, Jenny Bates moved into 4th place, pushing Mole into 5th. Grant’s Barnes Bridge time was 19 min 27 sec.Not for the first time, Grant passes University Post in first place, finishing in 23 min 49 sec, eight-seconds ahead of second placed Robinson-Ranger.Georgie Robinson-Ranger congratulates Imogen Grant on her second Wingfield’s win. Had Robinson-Ranger won, she could have been Georgie Best (an historic British soccer reference).
1st: Imogen Grant 23.49; 2nd: Georgie Robinson-Ranger 23.57; 3rd: Sara McKay 24.10; 4th Jenny Bates 24.13; 5th: Katie Mole 24.31; 6th: Laura Bates 26.09.
The 183rd Men’s Race
The competitors were: Josh Lyon (Reading University BC), Ben Parsonage (Clydesdale ARC), Chris Revell (Wallingford RC), Matt Brigham (University of Leeds BC) and James Stevenson (Thames RC). Their biographies are on the Junior Rowing News website.
On the start. In the left foreground is Brigham of Leeds University. To Brigham’s right is Parsonage of Clydesdale and to his right (obscured) is Lyon of Reading University. In the right foreground is Stevenson of Thames and, to his right, is Revell of Wallingford.Stevenson had a splendid start and immediately went ahead of the pack.Before the first minute was out however, Parsonage took the lead from a lower rating Stevenson (parallax error makes him look behind here). The order approaching London Rowing Club was Parsonage, Stevenson, Lyon, Revell and Brigham.Before the end of Putney Embankment, Brigham had overtaken Revell, and it was clear that Lyon had decided to stay close to the Surrey bank. With recent rainwater flowing against the incoming tide, the tide was slack and so cutting corners and straying from the deepest part of the river were not necessarily the mistakes that they would usually be. However, there appeared to be several different ideas on the best line to take.Passing the Mile Post, the fight appeared to be between Stevenson (left) and Parsonage (right) as it was easy to miss Lyon slowing working his way to the front along the Surrey bank. Parsonage reached the Mile Post in 5 min 03 secs. As Lyon began to move up on Stevenson and Parsonage (pictured here just under a minute past the Mile Post), Ben Parsonage decided to move closer to Surrey.
Both Lyon and Parsonage were steered by former Wingfield’s Champions, Jamie Kirkwood for Josh and Peter Haining for Ben. Unfortunately, Haining’s launch broke down shortly after the start. Had this not happened and had Haining signalled to his protégé to move to Surrey earlier, perhaps Parsonage could have held his lead for longer, possibly even to the finish?
Approaching Harrods, it is Parsonage followed by Lyon, Stevenson, Brigham and Revell.At Harrods, Lyon passed Parsonage and took the lead (parallax error makes this picture look the opposite).Between Harrods and Hammersmith Bridge, Lyon moved rapidly away from Parsonage and the rest of the pack. He reached the bridge in 9 min 05 sec.After Harrods, Lyon and Parsonage were firmly in first and second pace and Revell was at the back in 5th. However, the race was not entirely processional from here, the excitement was in the thrilling fight for 3rd place between Stevenson and Brigham, the two swapping places a few times. Also, it transpired that Revell was not resigned to last place. Here, Brigham is in 3rd place approaching Mortlake…Just over two minutes later, now Stevenson is third. Soon after this, Revell took 4th place from Brigham.Lyon reached Chiswick Steps in 14 min 27 sec and Barnes Bridge in 19 min 36 sec.Lyon, Parsonage and Stevenson approach the former brewery and the Ship, the 250-year-old pub that has witnessed many boat race finishes.Lyon finished in 23 min 48 secs. The 2023 Wingfield’s Champion, Josh Lyon of Reading University Boat Club.
1st: Josh Lyon 23 min 48 sec; 2nd Ben Parsonage 24 min 04 sec; 3rd James Stevenson 24 min 13 sec; 4th Chris Revell 24 min 28 sec; 5th Matt Brigham 24 min 38 sec.
The Prizegiving at Tideway Scullers
The Wingfield archive was carefully and painstakingly curated by Wade Hall-Craggs, Champion in 1993 and Wingfield secretary for over twenty years. Here, Dr Guy Pooley, Champion 1991-92, holds up a Times newspaper picture from his 1991 win.Peter Haining (right), Champion 1994-96 and 2000, with another Times photograph, this taken when he broke the course record in 1994. On Peter’s right is Dr Ian Wingfield. Sadly, the days when newspapers were interested in rowing events such as the Wingfield Sculls are long past.Dr Ian Wingfield, President of the Wingfield Family Society, presents Josh Lyon with Henry Wingfield’s Silver Sculls of 1830. Right: Sir David Wootton, Immediate Past Master of the Watermen’s Company, presents Imogen Grant with the Silver Sculls given by the Wingfield Family Society in 2007.Josh and Imogen, “The Best.”
It’s sad that this historic & memorable event does not get more press reporting, as Tim in his fascinating report says, as it is a truly sporting challenge.
Congratulations to the winners, Josh & Imogen & may they go far.
Of particular interest to me is that Josh Lyons is the first Old Bedfordian to win The Wingfields since Dad (Jack Beresford), won 7 consecutive Wingfields in the 1920s – a record to beat Josh!
Hear The Boat Sing 
It’s sad that this historic & memorable event does not get more press reporting, as Tim in his fascinating report says, as it is a truly sporting challenge.
Congratulations to the winners, Josh & Imogen & may they go far.
Of particular interest to me is that Josh Lyons is the first Old Bedfordian to win The Wingfields since Dad (Jack Beresford), won 7 consecutive Wingfields in the 1920s – a record to beat Josh!