Wallace Ross (rower)
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Wallace Ross (20 February 1857 – 26 November 1895) was a professional rower who was considered to be the greatest sculler to come out of Saint John, Canada. He was a champion who nearly won the World Champion single sculls title.
Wallace Ross was born in Memramcook, New Brunswick, British North America on 20 February 1857. He went to Saint John as a young teenager looking for work and he gained employment with a boatman who quickly saw the potential of the young man. Soon he was racing other young men and beating them.[citation needed] On July 10, 1873, Ross took on his first rowing contest, worth $50, racing against John Harding. It took place at the Saint John Harbour, from the Long wharf to and around the Beacon Light and back again, and Ross emerged victorious.[1] His first big race was in August 1873 at the Coronation Regatta where he raced, and lost, to Alex Brayley for the Championship of New Brunswick. By 1876 he had improved enough to beat Brayley twice; once at a harbour regatta, the second in June on the Kennebecasis River. This race was over five miles with a turn n the middle and a stake of $500 a side. Ross won well and on the strength of this challenged Ned Hanlan who was the champion of Canada and the United States. Hanlan ignored this challenge so Ross claimed to be the Canadian Champion by default; a claim not necessarily accepted by everyone. He was described as being a big strapping fellow who was over six feet tall and weighed 185 pounds. Another match was subsequently arranged against Brayley, this time for $1000 a side. Ross sculled the course in a time ninety seconds under the previous record which convinced his backers that they had a very fast man; possibly the fastest in North America.[citation needed]
1877–1879
The following year (1877) Ross defeated Fred Plaisted of Boston over a three-mile course. He then rowed and won against Warren Smith at $100 a side for the championship of the Marine Provinces. He again challenged Hanlan and after some protracted negotiations the match for the Championship of Canada, at $1000 a side, was finally set down for October 1877 and the location was Toronto Bay. It was over a five-mile course with a turn. Hanlan had perfected the use of the sliding seat and swivel row-lock and these gave him a huge advantage over his competitor who was still using the fixed seat. At the start Hanlan went ahead and stayed in front to the turn and then increased his lead all the way to the line to finish very comfortably. Needless to say, Ross was far from pleased. He still believed he could beat Hanlan and in 1878 again arranged another match. This match was also over five miles. Not long after the start, Ross 'caught a crab' and, unusually, was flung into the water. Hanlan then rowed the course at a very easy pace to win. During 1879 Ross went to England, the centre of professional sculling, to get some training where his strength and style were greatly admired. He only had one race against in England and he was the winner on this occasion. He returned to Canada with renewed hope and a match was arranged against Warren Smith of Halifax. The race was run in that city in September 1879 and a number of Ross's backers were confident of recouping some of their past losses and placed large bets on their man. Unfortunately their confidence was misplaced and Smith crossed the line first. Another loss shortly afterwards to an American was almost enough for his backers to believe he was not up to sculling at that level and abandon him.