The Boat Race 1914

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; it is followed throughout the United Kingdom and, as of 2015, broadcast worldwide.^[4] Oxford went into the race as reigning champions, having won the 1913 race by three-quarters of a length,^[5] and led overall with 39 victories to Cambridge's 30 (excluding the "dead heat" of 1877).^[5][6]

Oxford's coaches were G. C. Bourne who had rowed for the university in the 1882 and 1883 races, his son Robert Bourne (who rowed four times from 1909 to 1912),^[7] and Harcourt Gilbey Gold (Dark Blue president for the 1900 race and four-time Blue). Cambridge were coached by Stanley Bruce (who had rowed in the 1904 race).^[8] For the eleventh year the umpire was old Etonian Frederick I. Pitman who rowed for Cambridge in the 1884, 1885 and 1886 races.^[9]

According to author and former Oxford rower George Drinkwater, the Cambridge crew "rapidly developed into a crew which gave every promise of being quite sensationally fast."^[10] Conversely, he noted that Oxford suffered "from a dearth of material" which, followed by constant changes in the crew order, resulted in a "merely eight good men in a boat — and nothing more".^[11]

The Cambridge crew weighed an average of 12 st 9.25 lb (80.2 kg), 3.25 pounds (1.5 kg) per rower more than their opponents. The Oxford crew saw five participants return, including cox Henry Wells who was taking part in his fourth race. Cambridge's crew also included five participants with Boat Race experience, including Sidney Swann who was making his fourth appearance in the event.^[12] Swann and Ewart Horsfall had both won gold medals in the men's eight at the 1912 Summer Olympics, rowing for Leander Club. They defeated New College in the final for whom Arthur Wiggins, Beaufort Burdekin and Frederick Pitman rowed.^[13]

Seat	Oxford			Cambridge
	Name	College	Weight	Name	College	Weight
Bow	R. W. Fletcher	Balliol	11 st 10.5 lb	D. I. Day	Lady Margaret Boat Club	11 st 6 lb
2	B. Burdekin	New College	12 st 4 lb	S. E. Swann (P)	Trinity Hall	11 st 13 lb
3	H. K. Ward	New College	12 st 9 lb	P. C. Livingstone	Sidney Sussex	13 st 7 lb
4	E. D. Horsfall	Magdalen	12 st 7.5 lb	J. A. Ritson	1st Trinity	13 st 7 lb
5	J. B. Kindersley	Exeter	12 st 9.5 lb	K. G. Garnett	1st Trinity	13 st 12 lb
6	A. F. R. Wiggins (P)	New College	12 st 13 lb	C. S. Clark	Pembroke	13 st 1 lb
7	G. W. Titherington	Queen's	12 st 10 lb	C. E. V. Buxton	3rd Trinity	12 st 2.5 lb
Stroke	F. A. H. Pitman	New College	12 st 6 lb	G. E. Tower	3rd Trinity	11 st 12 lb
Cox	H. B. Wells	Magdalen	8 st 8 lb	L. E. Ridley	Jesus	8 st 7 lb
Source:[14] (P) – boat club president[15]