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THE GRAND CHALLENGE CUP dates from 1839, in which year the Stewards resolved that a Silver Cup, value 100 guineas, to be called the "Henley Grand Challenge Cup", be rowed for annually by amateur crews in eight-oared boats.
At this first Regatta, J. D. Bishop, of the Leander Club, umpired on horseback. The race, which was won by First Trinity, Cambridge, attracted four entries and it is recorded that: "The Etonian Club were dressed in white guernseys with pale blue facings, rosette sky blue. Brasenose had blue striped guernseys, blue cap with gold tassel, rosette yellow, purple and crimson. Wadham wore white guernseys with narrow blue stripes, dark blue cap with light blue velvet band, and light blue scarf, and Trinity College were attired in blue striped guernseys, rosette French Blue.".
One of the prize medals given for this first race in 1839 was presented to the Regatta in 1969, and is on display in the Prize Tent.
The Grand Challenge Cup has been competed for annually since 1839 with the exception of the years affected by the two World Wars. While the text of the qualification rules has varied over the years, the Cup has always been open, except in the Olympic Games year of 1908, to all established amateur clubs. The Cup has been won by overseas crews forty two times - eleven times each by crews from the United States and from Germany, nine from the U.S.S.R., thrice each from Belgium and Australia and once each by crews from Switzerland, France, Bulgaria, Canada and Croatia.
The base of the Cup was added in 1896 and extended in 1954 and 1986 and records the names of all winning crews since the inception of the Regatta. The Book of Honour was added as an integral part of the trophy in 1954. In 1964, the winning Harvard crew of 1914 presented the Regatta with a new cup, being identical to the now fragile original of 1839; this new cup continues to be used as the trophy.
£40.00 postage within UK. Airmail postage to the states, on request, all recorded delivery.
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