Just saw this for the first time - ever. Give anything to see the crews cross the finish line, but the clip is apparently cut short of the actual race's conclusion. This Poughkeepsie event hit national headlines because, as Columbia crossed the finish line, they broke the almost traditional habit of collapsing on their oars, and promptly - and apparently - casually set about rowing back to the Columbia boathouse on the west bank of the Hudson. Columbia Captain and Stroke, Eric "Ric" Lambart (born in Great Britain) unfortunately quit college after this race to marry his sweetheart, Ruth Holmes, of Chicago. The Columbia crew just didn't recover from Ric's departure, so missed out on the Olympics in Holland (Games of the IX Olympiad), which were then won by this (1927 IRA) race's 3rd place crew, California. The Californians' varsity eight then captured the Olympic Gold for the U.S. I was lucky enough to race (as a Freshman) in the very last IRA Regatta held at Poughkeepsie in 1949. Unfortunately, after WWII they no longer featured those flatbed railroad cars at Poughkeepsie with the bleachers on board for spectators. I've always wondered what would have happened at the '28 Olympics had Lambart not quit Columbia college to get married?
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11/05/2015 1:29:13 PM