The Boat Race 1854

Typically held annually, the event is a side-by-side rowing race between crews from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

[7][8] Although Oxford arrived at Putney as favourites to win the race, Cambridge's style was enough to force the odds to evens.

However, in a practice race, the Dark Blues defeated a watermen scratch crew easily and restored their position as pre-race favourites.

[13] They won the toss and elected to start from the Middlesex station, handing Cambridge the Surrey side of the river.

[5] In a speech in the evening's celebrations, Charles Selwyn, who had umpired this and the previous four Boat Races, declared that he was "no longer young and active enough" to continue to act in the capacity of umpire;[1] he would be replaced in 1856 by W. G. Rich,[11] the former Cambridge University Boat Club president who had rowed in both the March and December races of 1849.