Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup
The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup is a rowing event at Henley Royal Regatta open to school 1st VIIIs.
History
The event was instituted in 1946 for public schools in the United Kingdom. It was opened to entries from overseas in 1964, and that year Washington-Lee High School (USA) became the first overseas crew to win the event.
The inauguration of this race coinciding, as it did, with the first visit to the regatta of Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II), permission was graciously given to name the trophy "The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup".
The PE (as it is usually abbreviated) is one of only a few races in the regatta which does not allow composite crews to be entered, and as such each race is a straight competition between one club and another. As the most prestigious race of the schoolboy rowing year, the event attracts strong competition both from the UK and abroad. For British crews, winning the PE can be the final victory needed to win the "treble", a prestigious achievement which comprises winning the Schools' Head of the River Race, The National Schools Regatta and finally the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, all in the same year.
Eton College have won the event 12 times, Ridley College (Canada) and St Paul's School have won it 5 times and Abingdon School, Bedford School, Hampton School, Pangbourne College, Shrewsbury School and St. Edward's School have each won the event 4 times. Eton College and Radley College have been the most frequent losing finalists, each having done so on 5 occasions. The King's School Canterbury shares the record with Oundle School for most losses (4) in finals without having ever won the event. Hampton School and St. Edward's School have also both been the losing finalists on 4 occasions. The event was opened to foreign crews in 1964, since when American crews have won the event 14 times, Canadian crews 7 times and Australian crews twice.[1]
The current record holder for the event is Abingdon School, having completed the course in 6 minutes 17 seconds in the final against St Edward's School, Oxford in 2013. Both crews beat the previous record for the event, also held by Abingdon School.
Winners
1946–1974
- 1946 Bedford School
- 1947 Bedford School
- 1948 Bedford School
- 1949 Winchester College
- 1950 St. Paul's School
- 1951 Bedford School
- 1952 Radley College
- 1953 St. Paul's School
- 1954 Winchester College
- 1955 Shrewsbury School
- 1956 Eton College
- 1957 St. Paul's School
- 1958 St. Edward's School
- 1959 St. Edward's School
- 1960 Shrewsbury School
- 1961 Shrewsbury School
- 1962 Radley College
- 1963 Nautical College, Pangbourne (Pangbourne College)
- 1964 Washington-Lee High School, USA
- 1965 Tabor Academy, USA
- 1966 Emanuel School
- 1967 Eton College
- 1968 JEB Stuart High School, USA
- 1969 Washington-Lee High School, USA
- 1970 Ridley College, Canada
- 1971 Pangbourne College
- 1972 Kent School, USA
- 1973 Ridley College, Canada
- 1974 Holy Spirit High School, Absecon, New Jersey, USA
1975–1999
- 1975 Ridley College, Canada
- 1976 Holy Spirit High School, USA
- 1977 Ridley College, Canada
- 1978 Eton College
- 1979 Ridley College, Canada
- 1980 St. Paul's School, Concord, USA
- 1981 Holy Spirit High School, USA
- 1982 Eton College
- 1983 Eton College
- 1984 St. Edward's School
- 1985 Hampton School
- 1986 Hampton School
- 1987 Belmont Hill School, USA
- 1988 Hampton School
- 1989 Hampton School
- 1990 Eton College
- 1991: Eton College
- 1992: Pangbourne College
- 1993: Brisbane Boys' College, Queensland, Australia
- 1994: St. Paul's School, Concord, USA
- 1995: Eton College
- 1996: Brentwood College School, Canada
- 1997: St Paul's School
- 1998: Radley College
- 1999: St. Edward's School
2000 onwards
- 2000: Saint Joseph's Preparatory, USA
- 2001: The King's School, Parramatta, Australia
- 2002: Abingdon School
- 2003: Pangbourne College
- 2004: St. Paul's School, Concord, USA
- 2005: Eton College
- 2006: St. Ignatius College Preparatory, USA
- 2007: Shrewsbury School
- 2008: Shawnigan Lake School, Canada
- 2009: Eton College
- 2010: Eton College
- 2011: Abingdon School
- 2012: Abingdon School
- 2013: Abingdon School
- 2014: Eton College
- 2015: St Paul's School
Record times
The course record times for the event are:
- 1.47 to the Barrier (Eton College 2009)
- 3.03 to Fawley (Eton College 2009)
- 6.17 to the Finish (Abingdon School 2013)
Sources
References
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