Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup

This article is about the Henley Rowing Eights race. For other uses, see Elizabeth Cup (disambiguation).

The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup is a rowing event at Henley Royal Regatta open to school 1st VIIIs.^[1]

Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup
Venue	Henley Royal Regatta, River Thames
Location	Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
Dates	1946 – present

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 (United States) became the first overseas crew to win the event, beating Groton School, USA, in an all-American final.

The inauguration of this race coincided with future queen Princess Elizabeth's first visit to the regatta, and so permission was 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 school 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 triple", 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. The "triple" has been achieved three times in recent years by Eton College in 2005, 2009, and 2010 (and the "double" in 2021 as the Schools' Head of the River Race did not take place), twice by Abingdon School in 2002 and 2012, and by St Paul's School (London) in 2018. Both St Pauls and Eton have won the Youth Eights at the Head of the Charles Regatta whilst also winning the British domestic "triple." Eton, who won the HOCR and the triple in both 2008/09 and 2009/10 and St Paul's in 2017/18.^[2]

Eton College have won the PE a total of 15 times, St Paul's School (London) 7 times, Ridley College (Canada) 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.

Radley College are the most frequent losing finalists having done so on 7 occasions, followed by Eton College on 6 occasions and St Paul's School (London) on 5 occasions. Hampton School and St. Edward's School have been the losing finalists on 4 occasions. The King's School Canterbury shares the record with Oundle School for most losses (4) in finals without having ever won the event.

The PE was opened to international crews in 1964, since when American crews have won the event 14 times (and been losing finalists 18 times), Canadian crews 7 times (losing finalists twice), and Australian crews 3 times (losing finalists twice).^[3]

Winners

See table below.

Year	Winner	Runner-Up
1946	Bedford School	Radley College
1947	Bedford School	Shrewsbury School
1948	Bedford School	Radley College
1949	Winchester College	Westminster School
1950	St Paul's School (London)	Bedford School
1951	Bedford School	Radley College
1952	Radley College	Monkton Combe School
1953	St Paul's School (London)	The King's School Canterbury
1954	Winchester College	Oundle School
1955	Shrewsbury School	Oundle School
1956	Eton College	St Paul's School (London)
1957	St Paul's School (London)	Shrewsbury School
1958	St. Edward's School	Oundle School
1959	St. Edward's School	Oundle School
1960	Shrewsbury School	The King's School Canterbury
1961	Shrewsbury School	The King's School Canterbury
1962	Radley College	Nautical College, Pangbourne
1963	Nautical College, Pangbourne	St Paul's School (London)
1964	Washington-Lee High School, USA	Groton School, USA
1965	Tabor Academy, USA	Phillips Exeter Academy, USA
1966	Emanuel School	Halcyon Boat Club, St.Paul's School, USA
1967	Eton College	Tabor Academy
1968	JEB Stuart High School, USA	Eton College
1969	Washington-Lee High School, USA	Emanuel School
1970	Ridley College, Canada	Hampton Grammar School
1971	Pangbourne College	St. Andrew's School, USA
1972	Kent School, USA	Brentwood College School, Canada
1973	Ridley College, Canada	St. Paul's School, USA
1974	Holy Spirit High School, Absecon, New Jersey, USA	Kingston Grammar School
1975	Ridley College, Canada	St. Paul's School, USA
1976	Holy Spirit High School, USA	Emanuel School
1977	Ridley College, Canada	Hampton School
1978	Eton College	Brentwood College School, Canada
1979	Ridley College, Canada	Eton College
1980	St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire), USA	St. Joseph's Preparatory School, USA
1981	Holy Spirit High School, USA	Emanuel School
1982	Eton College	Holy Spirit High School. USA
1983	Eton College	St. Andrew's School, USA
1984	St. Edward's School	St. Joseph's Preparatory School, USA
1985	Hampton School	St. Paul's School, USA
1986	Hampton School	Belmont Hill School, USA
1987	Belmont Hill School, USA	Hampton School
1988	Hampton School	Eton College
1989	Hampton School	Shiplake College
1990	Eton College	Westminster School
1991	Eton College	The King's School Canterbury
1992	Pangbourne College	Westminster School
1993	Brisbane Boys' College, Queensland, Australia	Eton College
1994	St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire), USA	Atlantic City High School, USA
1995	Eton College	Hampton School
1996	Brentwood College School, Canada	St. Edward's School
1997	St Paul's School (London)	Canford School
1998	Radley College	St. Mary's Preparatory School, USA
1999	St. Edward's School	St. Peter's College, Australia
2000	Saint Joseph's Preparatory, USA	Groton School, USA
2001	The King's School, Parramatta, Australia	Radley College
2002	Abingdon School	St Paul's School (London)
2003	Pangbourne College	St. Edward's School
2004	St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire), USA	Abingdon School
2005	Eton College	Saint Joseph's Preparatory, USA
2006	St. Ignatius College Preparatory, USA	The King's School Chester
2007	Shrewsbury School	Brentwood College School, Canada
2008	Shawnigan Lake School, Canada	Eton College
2009	Eton College	Abingdon School
2010	Eton College	Kent School, USA
2011	Abingdon School	St. Andrew's School, Delaware, USA
2012	Abingdon School	Radley College
2013	Abingdon School	St. Edward's School
2014	Eton College	St. Edward's School
2015	St Paul's School (London)	Westminster School
2016	Eton College	St Paul's School (London)
2017	Scotch College, Melbourne, Australia	Radley College
2018	St Paul's School (London)	Eton College
2019	Eton College	Scotch College, Melbourne, Australia
2020	No competition due to COVID-19 pandemic^[4]
2021	Eton College^[5]	St Paul's School (London)
2022	St Paul's School (London)^[6]	Radley College

Record times

The record holder for the event is St Paul's School (London), having finished the course in 6 minutes 06 seconds in the final against Eton College in 2018. They beat the previous record for the event by 11 seconds, held by Abingdon School.

The course record times for the event are:

• 1:46 to the Barrier (St. Paul's School 2018)
• 2:58 to Fawley (St. Paul's School 2018)
• 6:06 to the Finish (St. Paul's School 2018)

Sources

• Henley Royal Regatta

References

1. "Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup". Henley Royal Regatta. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
2. "Champions".
3. . Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2007.
4. "2020 REGATTA CANCELLATION - STATEMENT ON CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)". Henley Royal Regatta.
5. "Results 2021". Henley Royal Regatta. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
6. "Results 2022". Henley Royal Regatta. Retrieved 3 July 2022.