SPECTATORS lined the riverbanks, ducks sabotaged the slower entries, and at least two race “stewards” ended up in the river during the Great Apple Race yesterday.

More than 6500 apples, pictured, were tossed into the Avon River at the Durham Street bridge starting line at 12.30 p.m. A small core of six fruit drifted into a handy lead and the rest of the field was left to trail down the river in their wake. Eddies claimed some and one or two were becalmed in still water near the river banks. The Avon’s ducks took care of others.

A boatload of “stewards” preceded the apples downriver but spent more time in the water than on it. The winning apple passed the finishing line at the Manchester Street bridge in a record 37min 27s, slicing more than a minute off last week’s time trial. J. G. Dennison, of Waimate, was judged the winner, although the Dennison apple was pipped at the post by two others. They belonged to a squash club member who had forgotten to put his name on the entry forms, and were disqualified.

The race was organised by the Apple and Pear Board and Christchurch squash clubs to help to send players to compete in national teams this week. The apples were collected after the race with the help of a fence across the river. They will be processed into pig food.

The Press – 21st September 1983