HORR history

The first race took place in 1935, when the then President and Vice-president of RUBC, F.W.Roe and D.Cambell-Baldwin, decided to start the event to give experience of 'Head' racing before the Putney Head of the River. The first race attracted three entries and was won by Reading Rowing Club, by 1938, entries had risen to 18 crews.

The number of crews entering before the war was never more than 30, but in 1948, after the setback due to the war and flooding the race was revived with an entry of 28 crews.

In 2001 an second division was added to the day to allow more crews to race, and this was a great success with the capacity 120 entries in each division now often filled.

In the past 20 years flooding has more regularly caused cancellation of the event with on average the race sadly having to be cancelled every 3-4 years.

Traditionally our head had only been for eight’s but 2015 saw the addition of quads to the days racing to reflect the University’s increasing focus on sculling, now over a third of the crews racing are quads.