[CarltonHendricks]

I had to work last Sunday so sat out the Alameda Point show...So I was feeling pretty good about it...didn't spend any money...and wham...I spot this 1903 Yale Crew Team trophy rudder on eBay...darn it...But I just unpacked it this afternoon and I'm very happy I got it...

I was half dead when I found it...about to hit the hay...so zonked couldn't focus so tired from work...It had a BIN that wasn't out of the question...with best offer option...that and how great it was made me nervous to wait till the morning to at least make an offer before turning in...but trying to research it half dead was impossible...but on the other hand I wasn't going to get involved unless I could find some historical references on it first...So I let go and went to bed...Naturally first thing I did when I got up was see if it was still up...yes still there...fiddled around for couple hours looking at this and that...found Muzzy ok...it was only the freshman eight...Would much prefer it was from a varsity race...Nevertheless...first of all I think it's the only American trophy rudder I've ever seen...or at least recall...I've seen a few decorated rudders....but not many...and they're always bloody English...So to find an American one is very rare...

I did find that this race between the freshman of Yale and Columbia was a yearly tradition at Lake Whitney in the early 20th century...Lake Whitney was about four miles from New Haven...The coxswain referenced on the rudder H.T. Muzzy remains to be researched further...doesn't appear to have gone on to cox a varsity eight at Yale...Apparently there may have been something special about the race to warrant this trophy...to the cox only...not the whole team...As for the actual rudder used for the trophy...may have come off another boat than the one in the race...I can't imagine raiding parts off their boat for a trophy...I don't know anything about boat rudders but the decorated ones I've seen on line are a little taller...Maybe they got one from a boat repair shop off a dingy...Then again it's possible they actually confiscated this one off the shell they raced then replaced it...All I know for sure is I found documentation the race did take place on Saturday May 16th...and Muzzy was the coxswain for the freshman eight in 1903...and the rudder is definitely old from the period...

I thought it was interesting the freshman and varsity crews almost got in a fight the day of the race with striking teamsters for unloading the boat off the train...and two policemen had to ride on the truck along with fifty students to protect the boat from getting smashed by the strikers...all while getting pelted by decayed vegetables and coal...see the newspaper clipping at the bottom...Maybe that was somehow related to this trophy?!?...