The Boat Race 1900

The Boat Race is a side-by-side rowing competition between the University of Oxford (sometimes referred to as the "Dark Blues")^[1] and the University of Cambridge (sometimes referred to as the "Light Blues").^[1] The race was first held in 1829, and since 1845 has taken place on the 4.2-mile (6.8 km) Championship Course on the River Thames in southwest London.^[2][3] The rivalry is a major point of honour between the two universities and followed throughout the United Kingdom and worldwide.^[4] Cambridge went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1899 race by 3+1⁄4 lengths, while Oxford led overall with 32 victories to Cambridge's 23 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877).^[5][6] Leading up to the race, Oxford suffered a variety of misfortune: M. C. McThornhill was ordered by his doctor not to row, H. J. Hale was injured and president Felix Warre contracted scarlet fever.^[7]

Cambridge were coached by James Brookes Close, who had rowed for the Light Blues three times between 1872 and 1874, and Stanley Muttlebury, five-time Blue for Cambridge between 1886 and 1890. Oxford's coaches were Harcourt Gilbey Gold (Dark Blue president the previous year and four-time Blue) and Douglas McLean (an Oxford Blue five times between 1883 and 1887).^[8] The umpire for the race for the eleventh year in a row was Frank Willan who had won the event four consecutive times, rowing for Oxford in the 1866, 1867, 1868 and 1869 races.^[9]

The Cambridge crew weighed an average of 12 st 4.625 lb (78.1 kg), 0.25 pounds (0.1 kg) per rower more than their opponents.^[10] Oxford's crew contained three members with Boat Race experience: C. E. Johnston, C. W. Tomlkinson and cox G. S. Maclagan. Cambridge saw six of their 1899 crew return, including William Dudley Ward and Raymond Broadly Etherington-Smith, both of whom were rowing in their third race.^[11] Eight of the nine Light Blues were students at Trinity College.^[10] Oxford's stroke H. H. Dutton, a native of South Australia,^[12] was the only non-British participant registered in the race.^[13] Author and former Oxford rower George Drinkwater suggested that this year's Cambridge crew, along with the Oxford crew which rowed in the 1897 race, "stand in a class by themselves among University crews."^[14] He also described the Oxford crew as "one of the poorest that ever came from the Isis".^[14]

Seat	Oxford			Cambridge
	Name	College	Weight	Name	College	Weight
Bow	H. H. Dutton	Magdalen	10 st 9.5 lb	S. P. Cockerell	3rd Trinity	11 st 10 lb
2	R. H. Culme-Seymour	New College	11 st 7.5 lb	C. J. M. Adie	1st Trinity	12 st 3 lb
3	C. E. Johnston	New College	12 st 12 lb	B. W. D. Brooke	1st Trinity	11 st 10.25 lb
4	C. W. Tomkinson	Balliol	11 st 13 lb	J. E. Payne	Peterhouse	13 st 0 lb
5	Lord Grimston	Christ Church	13 st 10.75 lb	R. B. Etherington-Smith	1st Trinity	12 st 11.25 lb
6	H. B. Kittermaster	Christ Church	14 st 6 lb	R. H. Sanderson	1st Trinity	12 st 13.25 lb
7	T. B. Etherington-Smith	Oriel	11 st 5.75 lb	W. Dudley Ward (P)	3rd Trinity	12 st 9 lb
Stroke	C. P. Rowley	Magdalen	11 st 12.5 lb	J. H. Gibbon	3rd Trinity	11 st 8 lb
Cox	G. S. Maclagan	Magdalen	8 st 5 lb	G. A. Lloyd	3rd Trinity	9 st 0 lb
Source:[15] (P) – boat club president[16] Felix Warre was the Oxford's non-rowing president.