SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
WALKOUAITI RACES. (excerpt)
The principal event of the day, the Hawksbury Handicap, fell to Mr A. McKewen's Cathron (9.3), nicely ridden by another member of the McKewen family, Teddy, after a good finish with Lolah (9.4). The six furlongs took lmin, 18 1/4sec. -Otago Witness, 3/1/1906.
Jim Jim fooled about in the first furlong of the Mile Trot, and had to hit out at the finish to stave off Violetta Junior, who is twenty-three years old. It was a proof of the honesty of our latterday trotting to see Teddy McKewen besting his father’s horse — ridden by Teddy’s young brother — in this race. -Evening Star, 28/3/1906.
Sportsmen throughout Otago and Canterbury will learn with regret of the of “Teddy” McKewen, who passed away peacefully at 11 a.m. to-day. For months past he had been very ill, and his death was not unexpected. He was one of the best reinsmen that Otago has given to the trotting courses. -Evening Star, 6/5/1913.
THE LATE E. McKEWEN.
The sporting columns under the nom de plume of “Sentinel” would indeed carry a very barren spot if they failed to pay a tribute and note of great regret for the early death of Edward McKewen, who crossed the Great Divide after these notes were concluded for last week, because no one admired his horsemanship more than the writer, or took greater pleasure recording the facts of his successes. The esteem in which he was held was not of recent birth, but came into existence several years ago as a result of the excellent promise he showed in the saddle as a mere boy, and which came to fulfilment with the passing years. To those who knew him best his death caused a great pang, softened only by the knowledge that it was not unexpected, and during the past few days, wherever he was known, the writer has heard him spoken of by very many people, whose voices carried the tone of genuine sorrow and regret. Poor “Teddy” won friends wherever he went, not only because of his great capabilities as a horseman, but because of his generous nature and great good fellowship. In later days he was invariably identified with light-harness racing, but a few years ago he threatened to become a first-class horseman across the flat. His weight, however, went beyond the mark that permitted success in that direction. On Nihilist and one or two other horses the writer has known him to show some good horsemanship on the thoroughbred. He rode Nihilist in Ostiak’s Winter Cup, and also in the year that Spider won. In the Islington Handicap he rode Nihilist when defeated by less than a length by Strathnairn, and was followed home by such good welter horses as Sir Lancelot, Crusoe. Ruamahunga, and others; whilst only a half length and a head separated from success when Conqueror and Phryne finished in front of him in the Heathcote Handicap. Those and other races went to show that he possessed all the capabilities of a first-class rider on the flat; but he will always he beet known for the great success he gathered in the trotting world. It was really at some of the minor meetings that he showed his merit as a horseman. Time after time the writer has noticed him making horses go good which with others up did anything but go rigid. The same quality has frequently been demonstrated by him on the principal tracks, where his perfect hands and judgment got horses to go level which frequently failed to travel half as kind when other leading lights had the seat in the saddle; and it was not without all due respect and desire to give credit to other riders that the writer held the late Edward McKewen to be the greatest rider of trotters and pacers ever seen in this country during the past quarter of a century, if not since the sport first took place in the dominion. He was also clearly in the front rank as a reinsman, and if not the best man in the sulky, was at least second to none. He has gone, and the worst that anyone can say is that he was his own enemy, but held that spirit to no one else. Perhaps better men have gone “unwept, unhonoured, and unsung” to the grave, but few have gone there and carried with them more genuine regret than that which followed the death of Edward McKewen, the premier horseman of the New Zealand Light-harness world. -Otago Witness, 14/5/1913.
A movement has been started amongst the Canterbury light-harness racing men with the object of placing (with the approval of his parents) a memorial stone over the grave of the late Edward McKewen. Mr R. D. Petrie has been appointed honorary treasurer, and the movement goes to show the very high esteem in which poor “Teddy” was held by those who know him. -Otago Witness, 14/5/1913.
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