Wrestling and Wrestlers: Biographical Sketches of Celebrated Athletes of the Northern Ring; to Which is Added Notes on Bull and Badger BaitingRobinson, Jacob
History
Wrestling and Wrestlers: Biographical Sketches of Celebrated Athletes of the Northern Ring; to Which is Added Notes on Bull and Badger Baiting
Robinson, Jacob
Wrestlers; Wrestling
The games continued to be celebrated yearly in the early autumn, and lasted
two days, the second day being mostly devoted to archery. Among the various
athletes who entered the lists, the following are probably the most
noteworthy. Professor Wilson (Christopher North,) threw the hammer; James
Hogg tried his hand at the bow and the rifle, but yet--in despite of
Lockhart's praise--the Shepherd did more doughty deeds with the grey-goose
quill than with either of those weapons. Robert Bell, from Jed Water, was
the champion "putter" of the stone, and could have been matched against
any man in the three kingdoms, in throwing the sixteen or twenty-one pound
ball--he upon his knees, and his opponent on his feet. An advertisement
appeared in a leading newspaper, to back him for £100 against all comers,
the challenge to hold good for twelve months, but there was no one to take
it up. The Harper brothers, farmers near Innerleithen, held several prizes
for throwing the hammer; and Leyden of Denholme, the champion leaper, could
spring thirty-two feet, at three standing leaps, including the backward and
forward leaps over the same ground.
The first competition was held at Innerleithen on the 26th of September,
1827; and among other prizes competed for, the Six-Feet Club of Edinburgh
gave a silver medal to the best wrestler in the back-hold style, as
practised in Cumberland and Westmorland. The introduction of this mode of
wrestling into Scotland, may probably be attributed to the great interest
which Professor Wilson took in the formation of these games. The prize in
1827, was gained by George Scougal, a native of Innerleithen. On one side
of the medal was the following inscription:--
"Presented by the Six-Feet Club, to the St. Ronan's
Border Club, to be awarded to the best Wrestler, at
their first Gymnastic Competition, at Innerleithen,
26th September, 1827."
And on the reverse side, the following quotation from Waller:--
"Great Julius, on the mountain bred,
A flock perchance or herd had led:
He who subdued the world had been
But the best Wrestler on the green."
Gained by GEORGE SCOUGAL, Innerleithen.
Thirty-two competitors.
Scougal carried off, also, the head prize for Wrestling, at the St. Ronan's
Games, for the years 1828 and 1829. After performing these feats, he was
"outlawed"--that is, he was excluded from contending again in the same
arena, for the three years which followed. When past the prime of life, he
was induced to enter the wrestling ring again, which he very unwillingly
did, after much persuasion, and once more succeeded in bearing off first
honours.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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