Post by schlager7 on Apr 16, 2006 9:08:42 GMT -5
I've been working on my local fencing history and came across the chapter for 1984, so I thought I'd revive my search and repost. Sorry for beating a dead horse, but sometimes your have stir things up every so often for a new lead.
I'd love to even find or take photos of it. Perhaps it can be re-created.
Oh, and if anyone also stumbles across a new lead on the Franks trophy, I'd love to track it down and take some photos of it, as well.
Below is an excerpt from the chapter on the year 1984 in Campeche Steel:
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In recent years, Clarence McCraw had dominated the sabre event at the Van Buskirk. Now, however, he was moving out of state and had to part with the prized Van Buskirk Cup. McCraw remembered, "I gave it back to Roland Reed in 1984, the same year I left Houston for New Mexico. I would love to have kept the original trophy, as it meant so very much to me. I am one of the few people (maybe the only one) to have won it three times and I have the dubious honor of being the last person that Mr. Van Buskirk saw win it as he was in attendance at that tourney and he either died later that year or early the next before the next tourney. It was one of the high points of my fencing career."
"I can't remember whether I won it in 83 or 84 or both. For a while, it seems that I was unbeatable, especially when it came to this tourney. I do remember having it for a couple of years, but, before I moved to New Mexico, Roland called me and asked me to return it. I didn't want to because all the nameplates on the trophy was full (with my name on the last two slots) and I thought they would have to buy a new trophy anyway. But at Roland's insistence, I did return the trophy to him so it could remain in the tourney as the tourney itself and Mr. Van Buskirk's memory is more important that any one fencer."
McCraw also recalled the Franks Memorial, but not as well. "I don't remember much about the Franks except for winning it. It was not nearly as big as the Van Buskirk. I do remember it was held in September. Once again, Roland Reed or Sonny would be your info source on this as I think the Bellaire Club (of which Roland ran) put on the tourney."
Some twenty years later, Oscar Barrera recalled the leading sabre fencers and tournaments of this era, "I spoke with Howard Williams, who used to be a pretty serious sabre fencer in the 70's and 80's. He, Paul Anderson and Clarence McGraw used to trade out 1st place in sabre in the Texas tourneys then. He recalls that his last Van Buskirk, which was about 10 years ago, Clarence won the Van Buskirk loving cup. He also seems to have a memory of the Franks trophy being a mounted sword. He has no memory of when he last saw it, though."
Whatever was done with the Van Buskirk Cup, it disappeared about this time. Its location remains unknown to this day.
I'd love to even find or take photos of it. Perhaps it can be re-created.
Oh, and if anyone also stumbles across a new lead on the Franks trophy, I'd love to track it down and take some photos of it, as well.
Below is an excerpt from the chapter on the year 1984 in Campeche Steel:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In recent years, Clarence McCraw had dominated the sabre event at the Van Buskirk. Now, however, he was moving out of state and had to part with the prized Van Buskirk Cup. McCraw remembered, "I gave it back to Roland Reed in 1984, the same year I left Houston for New Mexico. I would love to have kept the original trophy, as it meant so very much to me. I am one of the few people (maybe the only one) to have won it three times and I have the dubious honor of being the last person that Mr. Van Buskirk saw win it as he was in attendance at that tourney and he either died later that year or early the next before the next tourney. It was one of the high points of my fencing career."
"I can't remember whether I won it in 83 or 84 or both. For a while, it seems that I was unbeatable, especially when it came to this tourney. I do remember having it for a couple of years, but, before I moved to New Mexico, Roland called me and asked me to return it. I didn't want to because all the nameplates on the trophy was full (with my name on the last two slots) and I thought they would have to buy a new trophy anyway. But at Roland's insistence, I did return the trophy to him so it could remain in the tourney as the tourney itself and Mr. Van Buskirk's memory is more important that any one fencer."
McCraw also recalled the Franks Memorial, but not as well. "I don't remember much about the Franks except for winning it. It was not nearly as big as the Van Buskirk. I do remember it was held in September. Once again, Roland Reed or Sonny would be your info source on this as I think the Bellaire Club (of which Roland ran) put on the tourney."
Some twenty years later, Oscar Barrera recalled the leading sabre fencers and tournaments of this era, "I spoke with Howard Williams, who used to be a pretty serious sabre fencer in the 70's and 80's. He, Paul Anderson and Clarence McGraw used to trade out 1st place in sabre in the Texas tourneys then. He recalls that his last Van Buskirk, which was about 10 years ago, Clarence won the Van Buskirk loving cup. He also seems to have a memory of the Franks trophy being a mounted sword. He has no memory of when he last saw it, though."
Whatever was done with the Van Buskirk Cup, it disappeared about this time. Its location remains unknown to this day.